adult | pre-teen & teen | early | benefits Early Treatment Have you noticed any of these warning signs in your child? Excessive Overbite Bucked Teeth Cross or Sideways Bite Narrow Jaws, Crowded Teeth Teeth Appearing in the Wrong Place Difficulty in Closing Lips (Mouth Breathing) Lip Biting Thumb or Finger Sucking Clenching Jaw or Grinding Teeth Chipped or Worn Teeth Difficulty in Chewing Food or Speaking Stop problems before they start! Sometimes problems are hidden at first. As a parent, you may not notice anything unusual. If your child's bite or teeth are growing out of alignment – it may get worse and can cause major problems later on. Now is the perfect time! The American Association for Orthodontists recommends that every child be evaluated by an orthodontist by the age of 7. Early detection and treatment gives your child the edge: a much better chance for natural and normal development. By working with the natural growth instead of against it, we can prevent problems from becoming worse, and give your child a lifetime of healthy smiles! Treatment is usually a two step process. First may be an orthopedic phase. While many baby teeth are still present, this is the ideal time to correct dental crowding due to jam constrictions and disproportionate facial growth, such as an underdeveloped lower jaw. This phase usually consists of using special retainers and sometimes limited braces for approximately 1 year. This allows us to create a fuller, more beautiful smile with balanced facial proportions and healthy jaw joints without the removal of any permanent teeth in most cases. In many offices, teeth are extracted in the majority of orthodontic cases. At Aurora Orthodontics, we use state-of-the-art technology and special retainers (dento facial orthopedics) which can make extractions virtually unnecessary. The second phase may involve braces while your child's last permanent teeth are coming in, normally during ages 11-13. By undergoing the fist phase, we can reduce the amount of time needed for braces. It is not uncommon for there to be one or two years of nighttime retainer wear between these two phases. Early treatment is usually more successful because younger children are not as concerned with their appearance and kids are more cooperative in wearing their appliances. Most forms of early preventative treatment are affordable and van actually save money in the long run. Your child deserves the best! That's why we make sure your child receives only the best quality care in a gentle, relaxed and loving atmosphere. You can have total confidence that your child will feel completely safe and comfortable here – with treatment that is not only natural and successful, but fun too! We have toys, games, pictures, contest, newsletters, gifts, roller skating parties, birthday greetings, bulletin boards and more! We even provide pagers for busy parents who need to get a few errands done. On your initial visit, your child will recieve a thorough clinical evaluation, including x-rays, regarding his/her teeth and their relationship, facial bone structure, and jaw joints. After the evaluation, we will review our findings with you and go over options. All at no charge!