Blast off to Confidence with Pediatric Orthodontics

The Lakeshore Orthodontics growth guidance program makes smile care fun, with free monitoring for kids ages 5-10. It’s one part of our commitment to giving every child in the Great Lakes area a lifetime of confident smiles. Call our Grand Haven, Ludington, Whitehall, Holland, Cadillac, or Big Rapids clinic to sign up today!

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or call us at (231) 283-1302

When should my child see an orthodontist?

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that parents schedule their child’s first orthodontic visit by age 7. It’s around this time that their little smiles have a mix of baby and permanent teeth, and because their jaws are still developing, it’s important to monitor how adult teeth come in.

Without growth monitoring, crowding and other potential problems may make orthodontic treatment more challenging later in life.

What’s included with free growth monitoring?

As your little one grows, your Lakeshore Orthodontics care team can help watch for orthodontic issues before they become more serious, making the work of orthodontics in their later years a lot easier. For example, we’ll monitor:

Potential crossbite and open bite development
Obstructive breathing issues — is your child a mouth breather?
Position of baby and permanent teeth
Dental overcrowding or spacing which could hinder or affect permanent tooth development or position
How permanent teeth come in
Teeth at risk for injury or decay due to protrusion or overcrowding
Harmful habits that may cause orthodontic problems (thumb sucking, for example)
Oral hygiene and overall dental health
A balanced facial appearance

Plus, because we make it fun, kids learn a lot and coming to the orthodontist becomes “no big deal” over time.

What is early orthodontic treatment?

Although early orthodontic treatment — also called Phase I treatment — isn’t included with our free growth monitoring program, it may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.

In some cases, the Lakeshore Orthodontics team will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing. Early treatment can give us the chance to:

Align jaw growth
Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
Correct harmful oral habits
Improve appearance and self-esteem
Avoid extractions of permanent teeth
Correct teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all

We Make Orthodontics Fun for Kids

Our Growth Guidance program is FREE, and it includes all kinds of free swag, birthday surprises, extra encouragement, and prizes… like we said: FUN!

Whether it be to their own appointments or they’re just tagging along with a sibling, our goal is to ensure that kids love coming to see us — all while learning the importance of taking care of their smiles in the process.

It’s easy (and did we mention FUN?). Schedule their first, free consultation and get ready to blast off!