If your child's dentist, someone from a place like Alaska Dentistry For Kids, has told you that your child will need to get braces in order to ensure proper alignment, you'll probably want to go home and check right away to make sure you can get some insurance coverage for that. But in addition to worrying about the finances, you'll also want to make sure you plan out the event carefully in advance to make it less stressful for your child if possible. Here are some helpful hints on how to decide about the timing of when your child will get his or her braces.

1. Age

Your dentist probably has already discussed this one with you, but if not, don't panic when you hear the word "braces." Your child's dentist may notice as soon as the permanent teeth start coming in that your child will need braces, but that doesn't mean he or she will need them right away. If your child is only age seven, for example, when some misalignments start showing up, you may still be able to wait several years before the application of braces. The ideal age to get braces as a child is between the ages of ten and fourteen.

2. Time of year

It's probably a bad idea to throw a monkey wrench like braces into your kid's school year, so you may wish to schedule the appointment during summer. If your child gets braces at the beginning of summer break, hopefully he or she will have time to get used to wearing them, caring for them, and being seen in public with them before school starts again. You and your child will even have time to experiment with decorating the braces with different-colored bands. 

3. Time of day

While there doesn't seem to be a consensus about a certain time of day for getting braces on, it's probably a good idea to make sure your kid won't be super hungry immediately afterwards (after all, eating will be a challenge for a while, so feeling super hungry right after the appointment could be frustrating). Also, getting braces is an even-more-nerve-wracking-than-usual type of dental appointment for your child, so if he or she is prone to fainting or dizziness when nervous, it may help to make sure he or she eats a good breakfast an hour or so before the appointment. This may also be a good time to feed your child something crunchy that won't be an option for a while after the appointment.

These considerations will help you pinpoint the best time for your child's appointment to get braces on. Remember, depending on your child's personality and his or her previous experience with dentists (and level of self-esteem), this can be a very traumatic time, so try to be patient if he or she doesn't have the best attitude about the whole thing. And remember to take your child out for ice cream afterwards as a reward!