Children’s Orthodontics

For us, a smile is more than just a physical feature. It makes you who you are. We love to help create amazing smiles every day for our patients, young and old.

Children’s orthodontics is early treatment which can help to simplify or even prevent future orthodontic treatment.

When should my child go to the orthodontist?

When your child still has a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, usually around ages 7-10, it is the perfect time to think about early treatment.

Children’s orthodontics supports the growth and development of your child’s jaw and bite. If your child requires orthodontic treatment, we can begin early enough to ensure that they develop a strong, healthy, and straight smile for later in life.

What does early treatment involve?

Children’s orthodontics addresses the development of the teeth and jaw. We first look out for signs of future problems that could cause damage to current or future teeth. Early treatment could be as simple as monitoring this process, or it could be more complex by integrating extractions or aligners.

What treatments might be recommended?

For early intervention in children’s orthodontics, we aim to be proactive for developing issues. Often, this can include extracting teeth to create more space for adult teeth, placement of braces, and orthodontic appliances.

All these different treatments help support either facial and jaw growth, tooth eruption, prevent premature loss of teeth, or help in preventing future orthodontic problems from occurring.

Some treatments commonly used for children’s orthodontics

Partial braces

This involves the placement of braces on a particular section on the upper or lower teeth to correct misaligned teeth. Early correction of certain misalignments can reduce the length time of future orthodontic treatment, negate extractions of permanent teeth or even prevent the need for full braces later on.

Invisalign First™

Perfect for children between 6-10 years old, who can benefit from early orthodontic care. As a wire-free alternative, Invisalign® First uses clear, removable aligners which are made to fit smaller mouths and treat a range of orthodontic issues as teeth and bones grow.

Headgear

Headgear is used to correct jaw or tooth misalignment for children who are still growing and still have some baby teeth. Headgear is only worn at nighttime. This can help to reduce or eliminate overbite, underbite, or excessive overjet.

Lower or upper lingual arch

Lingual arches are used as space maintainers where baby teeth might need to be removed early or to relieve overcrowding. This appliance is a wire following the dental arch which is cemented to the first permanent molars and prevents them from moving forward.

Maxillary expander

Maxillary expanders are used to treat narrow or small upper arches. This device helps to expand the arch as the child still grows and develops.