When should I bring my child to see you?

Most people think this answer has to do with the stage or age of the teeth. It does not. You should bring your child when you discover the habits that will make the teeth crooked. This can start in infancy. It can easily be seen when a child is 4 years old. The point of this treatment is help teeth grow in straight as they are coming in. If you wait until "braces age", then, well, you'll need braces.

Isn't 4 years old too early to start orthodontics?

Yes, if all you care about is straight teeth, that can be easily done later. But if you also want to help your child's jaws, face, and airway grow properly, too, you have to act while they are young and still growing. By the time a child reaches "braces age", their face is mostly grown and less can be done.

What are the goals of your treatment?

Simply, we want to teach the four healthy habits that help the jaws, face, and airway grow the best (we knew you were curious): That is: they should be able to

1. Breathe through their nose comfortably,
2. Hold their lips together without strain,
3. Have the tongue resting on the palate and
4. Be able to swallow using just the tongue and not the facial muscles.

Will my child still need braces?

Sometimes, yes. Our "home run" is when the teeth grow in straight and no braces are needed. But sometimes, people still want that perfect Hollywood smile and we can give that to you with braces or aligners. There are many children who don't get to us on time and the teeth are already developing off target, and again, we can fix that.

Is this expensive?

If you come early enough and avoid the use of braces, you can save thousands of dollars. However, the later you come and the more damage we have to heal, the more the cost. Since we are a full service orthodontic office, you can use your orthodontic insurance as long as they allow you to pick your own orthodontist out of network.