Pediatric Orthodontics

An orthodontic examination is an examination that is specialized in examining how teeth and jaws are aligned. This is an important part of dentistry that is necessary for many children. Even when children are as young as two years old problems with the relationship between their top jaws and their bottom jaws can be evident.

At each recall exam we will examine your child’s bite. We can tell a lot about a young child’s bite by determining how their baby canines and baby 2nd molars line up with each other. Many times even when your child is as young as two years old we will be able to give you a “heads up” that your child is likely to need braces once the permanent teeth start coming in. Even if a child is not experiencing any pain from misaligned teeth - fixing the problem can help assure an improved appearance with a straighter set of teeth in the future.

Common orthodontics treatments include:

• Braces
• Jaw pain
• Bone infections
• Difficulty chewing
• Sleep apnea
• Speech impediments

An orthodontic examination involves examining a child's teeth both visually and with the use of x-rays and molds to explore how a child's teeth might be misshaped or misaligned. Once the teeth have been thoroughly examined, our dentists will come up with a treatment solution specific to your child's teeth.

We will keep a check on your children as they start transitioning into the permanent dentition and notify you if we believe that an orthodontic examination is needed. If we notice some early signs that your child’s teeth are not aligned properly then we usually recommend a consultation with the orthodontist around 7 or 8 years old when the front four permanent teeth on the top and bottom and all four of the 6 year molars have erupted.