Skip to content

Orthodontics For Kids

Get A Head Start On A Straight Smile!

Orthodontic treatment options for kids have evolved significantly, offering not just enhanced oral health but also boosting confidence and self-esteem. Today, there are innovative and comfortable choices like clear aligners, braces, and other child-friendly options that make the journey to a straighter smile exciting. These treatments not only address alignment issues but also contribute to overall dental well-being, ensuring proper jaw development and bite function.

As a parent, investing in your child’s smile is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Take the first step towards a brighter, healthier future for your child by scheduling an orthodontic consultation today. Give them the gift of a confident and radiant smile that will shine for years to come. Schedule an appointment now and let the transformation begin!

Contact Us

Your child’s first visit to Nor Cal Orthodontics is the beginning of an exciting journey toward a confident smile. During the initial consultation, we take the time to listen to any concerns you may have while thoroughly examining your child’s dental health. This may include taking digital X-rays and intraoral scans to assess their teeth and jaw alignment creating the best treatment plan for your child. 

Our experienced team understands the importance of early intervention in guiding proper jaw growth and tooth alignment. From the moment you walk through our doors, we prioritize your child’s comfort and well-being. Whether it’s interceptive orthodontics to address emerging issues or braces phases to guide dental development, we’re dedicated to providing comprehensive care every step of the way. 

Braces phases offer a fantastic option for children undergoing orthodontic treatment. This phased approach allows for early intervention, targeting specific concerns during crucial developmental stages. By starting treatment at a younger age, braces phases can guide jaw growth, correct bite alignment, and create space for erupting permanent teeth, ultimately leading to a more harmonious and healthy smile. 

Commonly Asked Questions

Do you charge for an initial visit?

No. As a courtesy to you and your family dentist, we will always discuss the feasibility of braces or tooth straightening without charging a fee for the initial consultation.

 

As a rule of thumb, we like to evaluate young patients after the 6-year molars erupt and the front permanent teeth just start to appear. This is usually between the ages of 6 and 8. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that all children be seen for the first time by age 7.

The purpose of early evaluation is to inform and observe, more than to start treatment. At this early age, the eventual needs may be identified and discussed. A small percentage of this young group may need some form of intervention. Habits are evaluated, medical issues are discussed and an observation schedule is arranged until the patient is ready to begin treatment.

 

 

Early diagnosis and treatment can guide erupting teeth into a more favorable position, preserve space for permanent teeth, and reduce the likelihood of fracturing protruded front teeth.

If early treatment is indicated, Dr. Plewe can guide the growth of the jaw and incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment, after all the permanent teeth erupt.

Early treatment can begin the correction of significant problems, prevent more severe problems from developing, and simplify future treatment. Because all of the permanent teeth have not yet erupted when early treatment is performed, their final alignment may not have been corrected. Typically, a shortened comprehensive phase of treatment (Phase II – full braces) in the teen years, after all the permanent teeth have erupted, completes the correction. However, in some circumstances, further orthodontic treatment may not be indicated.

 

If you have insurance, we will help you to determine the coverage you have available. We ask that you assign your insurance benefit to us. The balance will be arranged for you to pay (see above).

Professional care is provided to you, our patient, and not to an insurance company. Thus, the insurance company is responsible to the patient and the patient is responsible to the doctor. We will help in every way we can in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf.

 

The cost of treatment depends on the severity of the patient’s problem. You will be able to discuss fees and payment options before treatment begins. We have payment plans to suit different budgets, including a no initial payment option. We also accept assignment from most insurance plans, and file the necessary papers to the insurance company. We work hard to make orthodontics affordable.

 

The appointment when you get your appliances (braces, expanders,aligners, etc.) usually takes one to two hours. You’ll then see us at regular intervals, four to eight weeks apart, for an adjustment, which takes 20 to 40 minutes. Patients are seen by appointment only.

We make every effort to be on time for our patients, and ask that you extend the same courtesy to us. If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify us immediately. Cancel only if it is an emergency. It can be difficult to reschedule you since most appointments are made four to eight weeks in advance.