A Head Start to a Great Smile
At Elm Tree Orthodontics, we offer orthodontics for children. As a parent in Hamden or North Haven, we know you want the best for your child, and that includes healthy teeth and a confident smile.
All Kids Should Get an Orthodontic Check-Up By 6
Your child needs teeth and jaws that are properly aligned to have a smile that's long-lasting and healthy – in other words, a healthy bite. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that your child get an orthodontic check-up by no later than age seven years old, and Dr. Desai and the team believe that six is the ideal age. That’s why we’ve created the 6&Up Club!
By age six, your child's teeth have developed enough for Dr. Desai to spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth before all of your child’s baby teeth are lost.
This check-up at Elm Tree Orthodontics may reveal that your child's bite is fine, and braces for kids aren't necessary at this time.
Or, Dr. Desai may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring your child's growth and development, and then, if indicated, begin treatment at the appropriate time for your child. In other cases, Dr. Desai might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
6 & Up Club
Early checkups help us guide kids’ growing smiles. Our 6 & Up Club makes it fun while Dr. Desai keeps an eye on development for the perfect timing of treatment.
What Is Early Treatment?
Early treatment at Elm Tree Orthodontics may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
In some cases, Dr. Desai will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
Choosing the Best Time for Treatment
While the age that kids get braces may vary, orthodontic treatment at Elm Tree Orthodontics often begins between 9 and 14. Some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they’re treated early.
If Dr. Desai thinks your child will need treatment, he will let you know when it will be best to begin treatment. This gives Dr. Desai 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 without a trained orthodontist like Dr. Desai. Even teeth that look straight may be hiding a problem bite.
Here are some clues that may indicate the need for orthodontic attention at Elm Tree Orthodontics:
- 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
Desai Dollars
Kids at our practice earn Desai Dollars for keeping up with their brushing and flossing, and of course, being amazing, kind kids! Desai Dollars are traded in for prizes!
Learn More at Your Free Consultation
If your child has a dental issue, please contact us by setting up a free, no-pressure consultation at our offices in Hamden and North Haven.
We can talk about your child's orthodontic options and Dr. Desai will create a treatment plan customized to your child's needs if he thinks your child will benefit.