Traditionally, when people think of orthodontics, they think of wearing metal braces, or even headgear to straighten teeth. With today’s technologies and early intervention programs, we are able to identify dental or skeletal discrepancies or deficiencies sooner and intervene with less invasive treatment, which may often eliminate the need for braces later in life.

At Coastal Pediatric Dentistry, our team of caring professionals is specially trained in multiple methodologies for providing minor tooth corrections and evaluating more advanced complicated conditions. We like being able to see our little patients early on so that we can offer them support while their jaws are still forming to make sure there is room for all the teeth.  Secondly, the alignment of the jaws, when addressed earlier in life is much easier to manage as well as maintain.

By doing early comprehensive evaluations for our patients, we can identify circumstances or habits that may be contributing to a potentially undesirable end result. One example is thumb sucking, finger sucking, or tongue thrust. While it is not a problem in the short term, in the long run, if it is not addressed, can lead to flaring of the teeth or even an open bite in the front.

A child who is a mouth breather, or who has a narrow airway space may be a candidate for orthodontics. We have a variety of appliances that can be worn to help maintain space, increase arch forms, widen arch forms, help align the upper and lower teeth, and much more. As mentioned, when these appliances are worn earlier, the child can often avoid potential braces in the future.