About
Early Orthodontic Treatment
Along with the American Association of Orthodontists, we recommend that a child receive his/her first orthodontic screening by the age 7. During this screening, we will evaluate your child’s smile, bite, and jaws to determine if there are any problems that need to be addressed with early prevention (Phase I) treatment. Some signs that early prevention is needed include:
- Crowded front teeth
- Thumb sucking after age 5
- Problems with speech
- Hard time chewing food
- Breathing through the mouth
- Protruding front teeth
Benefits of Early Prevention
By starting treatment early, we are able to recognize potential problems and correct them before they become more serious. Through early treatment, Dr. Pristera can:
- Guide incoming permanent teeth
- Guide and influence jaw growth
- Make space for unerupted teeth
- Reduce the need for permanent tooth removal
- Widen the upper and lower dental arches, if needed
- Correct bad habits such as thumb sucking as well as speech problems
Contact us for a complimentary exam if your child is seven or eight years old and is showing signs of needing orthodontic treatment. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook!
Growth Guidance Program
At your child’s initial evaluation we will first determine if there are any problems that need to be addressed. It is possible that immediate treatment is not necessary at the time. If that is the case, then we will monitor him/her through our growth guidance program.
In this program, we follow your child’s dental development until the optimal time for brace placement. Because we feel so strongly about growth guidance, we do not charge for the visits or x-rays taken during this time.
