We are extremely pleased to announce that Dr Kyi has been awarded the Specialist Orthodontist of the Year 2020 by the Oral Health and Dentistry Awards.
Although the future of your child’s smile begins at birth, it’s often easy to disregard the importance of baby teeth as they are replaced naturally as your child grows. But the position and development of these teeth are important and will influence how your child’s jawline and permanent teeth grow up to adulthood. Early treatment is the best way to ensure your child's smile is healthy. Before children start orthodontic treatment, it's important parents understand available options. With everything from traditional braces to clear aligner treatment available, you'll need to know the difference. In this article, we’ll look at a new way of treating the teeth of growing children; the Invisalign First system. We're excited to offer this innovative children's version of the popular Invisalign clear aligners. This guide is a resource for parents, providing an informative introduction to the benefits and how you can ensure your child gets the most from early treatment.
Problems with the position of your teeth, such as gaps, overcrowding, misalignments, and bite issues, don’t just appear when you’re a teenager. Our dentition begins developing before birth and continues while we still have our primary (baby) teeth.
Additionally, many children develop habits such as thumbsucking, which can cause narrow dental arches and affect tooth position.
Growing teeth benefit from orthodontic treatments that:
Sometimes referred to as interceptive treatment, phase 1 treatment is used to correct the position of a child’s teeth between the ages of six and ten.
Traditionally, this treatment would involve a removable upper brace (URA) with expansion. This appliance uses a combination of metal wires and plastic to extend the dental arch and give your child’s upper jaw enough space to comfortably accommodate their complete set of incoming adult teeth.
The URA needs to be adjusted twice weekly at home using a key to expand the arch. However, problems can arise when you don’t turn the key correctly or forget to adjust.
Although phase one orthodontic treatment with a URA is effective, the appliance can feel bulky, particularly in the small mouth of a young child. Young patients often complain of discomfort as the URA rubs against the cheeks. In addition, URAs cause some children to speak with a lisp during treatment. In some cases, inserting and removing the brace can cause it to loosen too, which reduces its effectiveness.
Following treatment with a URA, your child may also need additional treatment with traditional fixed braces bonded across the upper four incisors and the first permanent molars. Fixed braces work similarly to URAs, applying gentle pressure across the teeth to make gradual tooth movements.
Some children don’t require a URA and may start phase one treatment with a fixed brace. However, just like with URAs, children often face issues with this type of appliance:
Fortunately, there is another way to address orthodontic issues in young children; Invisalign First.
Like other Invisalign aligners, Invisalign First aligners are removable, comfortable, and transparent. Invisalign First is specifically designed for children aged under ten years of age. The typical age for this treatment option is between 7-10 years.
Clear aligners don’t hide a child’s smile during treatment like fixed braces might; however, they still achieve the same results as URAs or fixed braces.
Invisalign First uses SmartTrack, a patented transparent aligner material that’s smooth and comfortable in your child’s mouth. The custom-made Invisalign aligners are designed to gently apply pressure to a child’s teeth, gradually achieving the desired arch development and tooth movement.
To begin your child’s Invisalign First treatment, we’ll carry out a thorough orthodontic assessment and take digital records of your child’s teeth and jaws. Part of the digital records are 3D scans, which help us check whether Invisalign First is the right option for your child.
Following the orthodontic assessment, the scans are analyzed by your orthodontist Dr Kyi, who will provide a complete treatment plan mapping out every stage of your child’s new smile journey.
As long as the treatment plan is followed correctly, Invisalign’s advanced digital planning software will predict the outcome with superb accuracy, allowing you and your child to preview the results before starting.
We’ll send the digital scans to the lab, who will make your child’s initial set of Invisalign First clear aligners. This process usually takes a few weeks.
After the aligners are ready, your child’s Invisalign First treatment can start. To achieve the best results, your child must wear their aligner as much as possible — ideally between 20-22 hours each day. Because the aligners are so comfortable, your child can sleep wearing them.
The aligners should be thoroughly cleaned whenever your child brushes their teeth. However, Invisalign First aligners are easy to remove, so this part is easy!
During Invisalign First treatment, your child will replace their aligner every week. Each new aligner is slightly different to the last and progresses the tooth movement to the next step.
Treatment times vary between 6-12 months, depending on the case. In more severe cases, attachments are fitted to improve retention. After treatment with Invisalign First aligners, your child must wear a retainer to preserve the results into adulthood.
Invisalign First custom aligners can help:
Invisalign treatments help combat many early dental problems and prepare the jaw for incoming teeth. Here are some of the many benefits of Invisalign First:
We all know that children can struggle to take care of their possessions, and you may worry that their Invisalign First aligner may break or get lost. The great news is that the aligner material is durable enough to withstand most things a youngster can throw at it.
Whenever you’re given a new aligner, hold onto the previous one.
If an aligner does get damaged or lost, call us immediately, and we’ll get a replacement. While waiting for the replacement, have your child wear their previous aligner to ensure you don’t reverse the progress they’ve made so far.
Because the aligner is in your child’s mouth all day and night, it will pick up food debris and bacteria—the major cause of decay and cavities. But don’t worry—Invisalign First aligners are really easy to clean.
Just use liquid soap and a separate soft-bristled toothbrush to the one your child brushes their teeth with to clean the aligner thoroughly under running water twice daily.
At mealtimes, ensure the aligner is put in a case. Leaving it on a table, wrapping it in tissue, or putting it in a pocket will mean it picks up bacteria and is a surefire way to lose the aligner!
Getting kids excited about a trip to the orthodontist can be challenging—let alone encouraging them to wear aligners, braces, or other appliances. One of the great things about Invisalign First is children can customise their aligners.
Invisalign Stickables are accessories that stick to your child’s aligners, allowing youngsters to customise their smile and positively engage with their treatment.
Children and young people make up around half of Dr Kyi’s patients, and she has a profound clinical understanding of early development. She is experienced in facial-led orthodontics that ensures continued health and aesthetics throughout the development of children’s jaw and facial structure into adulthood.
At the time of writing this article, we’re currently starting to treat patients using Invisalign First at West London Orthodontics—and already seeing outstanding results.
In the unlikely event that Invisalign First isn’t suitable, the expertise of our specialist orthodontist and early-years expert Dr Chaw-Su Kyi means plenty of alternative options are available.
Some may opt for a combination of appliances and techniques, with Invisalign as part of the overall treatment plan. We can discuss your child’s individual needs at their initial consultation.
Invisalign First is a revolutionary treatment that ensures a smile grows without developing malocclusions. Left untreated, many of the minor issues young jaws face could lead to more problems later in life.
With Invisalign, we give children the best start at oral health. Get in touch today to schedule a consultation with a specialist West London orthodontist to learn more.
"I'm a lot more confident in my smile, a lot more confident in general. I'm very pleased I went through this experience with Invisalign."
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Specialist Orthodontist, Dr Kyi at West London Orthodontics, has treated countless Invisalign patients, including patients referred by other orthodontists or who think they’re not suitable for Invisalign virtually invisible braces.
Dr Kyi of Harley Street will personally plan and calculate the precise movements of your teeth, rather than leave it to dental technicians, to give you the smile you want as well as to safeguard the long-term health of your mouth.
Award-winning Dr Kyi will herself carry out the Invisalign ClinCheck treatment planning process – the key to optimal results – meticulously calculating the movement of each individual tooth, using her expertise as a Specialist Orthodontist to devise treatment solutions for even the trickiest cases, including for patients previously informed that Invisalign isn’t an option for them.
Dr Kyi uses state-of-the-art technology to plan the most comprehensive treatments for her patients.
Dr Kyi works closely with each of her patients to ensure they achieve their desired results with minimal discomfort.
Specialist Orthodontist Dr Kyi, located on Hammersmith Grove, will personally plan your treatment in meticulous detail to ensure your final result gives you long-term stability and a balanced, harmonious facial profile.
Your Full Orthodontic Consultation with Dr Kyi will include:
Listening to You! Dr Kyi will be delighted to answer any and every question you may have to truly understand your goals before determining which treatment, or combination of treatments, would be right for you and then creating a customised plan for your specific case and goals.
