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Huntington OfficeGet a Head Start on a Beautiful Smile
As a parent in Huntington or Woodbury, you want the best for your child. That includes healthy teeth and a pleasing smile.
Dr. Sheinis will treat your children like our own by giving them the best possible orthodontic care.
Kids Should Get an Orthodontic Check-Up By 7
Dr. Sheinis will be able to spot subtle problems with your growth and emerging teeth by the time your child is seven, while some baby teeth are still present.
In fact, this is the age the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children first see an orthodontist like Dr. Sheinis. This check-up may reveal that your child's bite is fine, and braces for kids aren't necessary.
Or, Dr. Sheinis 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. Sheinis 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. Sheinis can achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
Before & After
After
Before
Before
When we first saw this child, his dentist and mother were concerned about his crossbite of the front teeth.
After
After 12 months of phase 1 treatment with a palate expander and partial braces, the crossbite is corrected and we can monitor his growth!
Choosing the Best Time for Treatment
While a child’s teeth may appear straight, Dr. Sheinis can detect if there are any hidden problems such as jaw growth and emerging teeth. Parents should be on the lookout for any potential problems that will benefit their child from an early diagnosis.
Some of these signs are difficulty in chewing/biting, speech difficulties, facial imbalance, grinding or clenching of teeth and more. If these signs are indicated, our orthodontist office can provide early treatment. With early treatment, we can help guide jaw growth, correct harmful oral habits, improve the appearance and so much more!
Just because your child may have orthodontic needs, they may not require the treatment immediately.
Dr. Sheinis takes a conservative approach to determine when orthodontic treatment is necessary, with the knowledge that some treatment is better initiated early to prevent more significant problems in the future.
If Dr. Sheinis thinks your child will need treatment, he’ll let you know when he’ll have the best chance to:
- Guide jaw growth
- Improve appearance and self-esteem in your child
- Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
- Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Correct harmful oral habits
- 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:
- Ask your child to open their mouth, and let you look at their teeth. If you see any signs of crooked teeth, gaps between your child’s teeth or overlapping teeth, your child may need orthodontic treatment.
- Ask your child to bite all the way down, but keeping their lips open so you can see their teeth.
- Do the front top teeth line up with the bottom?
- Do the top teeth protrude out away from the bottom teeth?
- Do the top front teeth cover more than 50% of the bottom teeth?
- Are the top teeth behind the bottom teeth?
All these are indicators for potential orthodontic treatment.
Look at the alignment of your child’s jaw. Does the jaw shift off center when your child bites down? If you see any misalignment or shifting of the jaw, your child may have a skeletal problem, which requires early orthodontic intervention.
Other signs include:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Breathing through the mouth
- Thumb-sucking
- A face that looks unbalanced
- Grinding or clenching of the teeth
- Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
Learn More at Your
Free Consultation
If your child has a dental issue, please contact us by setting up a free consultation at our Huntington or Woodbury office.
We can talk about your child's orthodontic options and develop a treatment plan customized to your child's needs.
Before & After
After
Before
Before
When this 8 year old patient came to our office, her mother told us, “She needs help stopping her thumb-sucking habit.
After
After 12 months with a habit appliance and partial braces, the habit has stopped and she has a beautiful new smile!