Starting at Age 7
Get a Head Start on a Beautiful Smile
As a parent in Alliance or Canton, you want the best for your child. That includes healthy teeth and a pleasing smile.
Dr. Dietrich will treat your children like our own by giving them the best possible orthodontic care.
Kids Should Get an Orthodontic Check-Up By 7
You may know that it’s never too late to see an orthodontist, but did you know that earlier is better than later?
According to the American Association of Orthodontics and Dr. Dietrich, children should have an orthodontic evaluation by age seven.
By seven years old, your child's teeth have developed enough for subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth to still be spotted while some baby teeth are still present.
This check-up may reveal that your child's bite is fine, and braces for kids aren't necessary. Or, Dr. Dietrich may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring your child's growth and development.
This allows us to get the best results in the most efficient way and can keep small problems from becoming big problems. In other cases, Dr. Dietrich might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
What Is Early Treatment?
Early treatment may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment shorter and less complicated at a later age.
In some cases, Dr. Dietrich can achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
You can always be confident that Dr. Dietrich won’t recommend treatment too early or too late.
Choosing the Best Time for Treatment
While the age that kids get braces may vary, orthodontic treatment most often begins between the ages of 9 and 14. Some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they’re treated early.
If Dr. Dietrich thinks your child will need treatment, he’ll let you know when it will be best to begin treatment. This gives your orthodontist the best chance to:
- Guide jaw growth
- Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Correct harmful oral habits
- Improve appearance and self-esteem in your child
- Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
- Create a more pleasing arrangement of teeth, lips and face
Signs the Bite's Not Right
It's not always easy to tell when your child may need braces or has an orthodontic problem. Even teeth that look straight may be hiding a problem bite.
Here are some clues that may indicate the need for orthodontic attention:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Breathing through the mouth
- Thumb-sucking
- Crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
- Jaws that are too far forward or back
- Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
- Protruding teeth
- Upper and lower teeth that don't meet, or meet in an abnormal way
- An unbalanced facial appearance
- Grinding or clenching of the teeth
Growth and Guidance Kid’s Club
Has Dr. Dietrich recommended treatment for your child in the future? Well, you’re in luck! Our office offers growth and guidance visits free of charge until you’re ready to start orthodontic treatment.
This means you’re a member of our fun Kid’s Club!
When you come for an orthodontic check-up with Dr. Dietrich (typically every 6-10 months), he’ll take a peek, maybe retake an X-ray, and update mom and dad on your progress and potential treatment timeline.
And for you, we have games! Each time you come, you get to play games and win prizes, including gift cards for treats and toys from our office.
Additionally, if you wear your very own Dietrich Orthodontics Kid’s Club shirt to your appointment, you are entered into a yearly contest JUST for the Kid’s Club!
And most importantly, once a year we have a big party for just the Kid’s Club members.
Learn More at Your Free Consultation
If your child has a dental issue, please contact us by setting up a free consultation at our Alliance or Canton office.
We can talk about your child's orthodontic options and develop a treatment plan customized to your child's needs.