Tips for Taking Care of Your Teenage Teeth

Have you been taking care of your teenage teeth? The teen years are some of the most important years for your oral health because it is the time when the last remaining teeth erupt above the gum line, completing the set that needs to last for the rest of your life. It is also a time when peer pressure and social status are paramount, and thus the desire for a straighter smile. Listed below are common questions and answers regarding orthodontic treatments, the teen years, and your oral health:

Which of the following can damage a teen’s smile?

a.) Mouth jewelry

b.) Smoking or chewing tobacco

c.) Using drugs

d.) All of the above

Which of the following is a potential reason a teen would need orthodontic treatment?

a.) Misalignments due to the wisdom teeth growing in and causing other nearby teeth to move and shift

b.) Peer pressure has led to an oral accident that caused their teeth to become crooked

c.) A natural bad bite that has existed since birth

d.) All of the above

True or False: The last of the adult teeth, the wisdom teeth, grow in during the teen years.

a.) True

b.) False

True or False: Crooked smiles in teens can easily be fixed by wearing mouth guards when playing sports.

a.) True

b.) False

Answer Key: d, d, a, b

If you would like to schedule an orthodontic treatment with Bradshaw & Hathaway, simply call our office at 423-929-1126 for an appointment in Johnson City, Tennessee. Dr. Daniel Bradshaw and the rest of our team look forward to helping correct your smile so it can shine brightly for many years to come!