The most common age to get braces is usually anytime after the age of 12-13 years as that is the time when all the milk teeth would have departed and only adult teeth remain. However there are many instances when braces would need to be fitted in children under the age of 12 for specific orthodontic issues that can be corrected early whilst the child is growing. It is particularly important therefore to ensure that your child is seen for regular check up by your dentist so that early Orthodontic problems can be identified and corrected at the earliest possible stage.

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There is no upper age limit for braces. As long as you have good oral hygiene and a mouth free from dental disease then you are eligible for braces to straighten your teeth at any age. So whether you are in your 20s or 90s -as long as you fulfil the above criteria you are welcome to benefit from orthodontic treatment with braces.

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Both types of braces will achieve the same end results in a similar time frame in most cases. In certain cases metal braces may achieve a slightly faster result. The benefits of ceramic braces over traditional metal ones include:

• They are more discrete
• More socially acceptable amongst adults
• They are easier to remove (Only if you use the best quality ones)
  

When you wear ceramic braces in addition to the usual foods you need to avoid with conventional braces you also need to avoid stain-causing foods, such as tomatoes, chocolate, tea, coffee, red wine and curries.

There are a handful of instances where metal braces are more suitable that Ceramic braces in being able to straighten your teeth.

Where opposing teeth touch the ceramic brace they can wear away a bit quicker

Ceramic braces are very strong but not as strong as metal and sometime the odd bracket can break and need to be repaired.

The elastic around the ceramic brace may pick up stains over time. The brace itself should not stain as long as the best quality ceramic braces are being used.

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The elastic rings that hold the wires onto the brace can stain over time with curries, red wine, tea and coffee- however these rings would be changed every 4-6 weeks with fresh ones so by the time they start to get stained they would be ready to be replaced.

The actual ceramic brace itself should not change as long as the very best quality of braces are used. At Zental we only the highest quality ceramic braces made by 3M and these do not stain. Cheaper composite brackets that may be in use elsewhere will stain and break more easily

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