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Parents usually have numerous questions about orthodontic treatment for their children. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, orthodontic treatment for children should start at around seven years of age. This allows Dr. Andrew Nalin to evaluate the child’s existing and incoming teeth to determine whether or not early treatment might be necessary.

What is early orthodontic treatment?

Early orthodontic treatment, known as Phase One, usually begins when the child is eight or nine years old. The goal is to correct bite problems such as an underbite as well as guide the jaw’s growth pattern. It also helps to make room in the mouth for the permanent teeth to be properly placed as they come in. This will greatly reduce the risk of the child needing extractions later in life due to his or her teeth getting crowded.

Does your child need early orthodontic treatment?

There are several ways that you can determine whether your child needs early treatment. If you observe any of these characteristics or behaviors, you should talk to Dr. Andrew Nalin.

• Early loss of baby teeth (before age five)
• Lat loss of baby teeth (after age five or six)
• The child’s teeth do not meet properly or at all
• The child is a mouth breather
• Front teeth are crowded (you won’t see this until the child is about seven or eight)
• Protruding teeth, typically in the front
• Biting or chewing difficulties
• A speech impediment
• The child’s jaw shifts when he or she opens or closes the mouth
• The child is older than five years and still sucks a thumb

What are the benefits of seeking orthodontic treatment early?

Early orthodontic treatment is begun while the child’s jaw bones are still soft. They do not harden until the children reach their late teens. Because the bones are still pliable, corrective procedures such as braces work faster than they do for adults.

In short, early treatment at our Mount Vernon, WA office often allows your child to avoid lengthy procedures, extraction, and surgery in adulthood. Early treatment is an effective preventive measure that lays the foundation for a healthy, stable mouth in adulthood.

Most parents know that routine dental care should begin during their child’s toddler years. And many assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Dr. Andrew Nalin for an initial orthodontic consultation.

The ideal age for an orthodontic evaluation is age seven. At that age, your child will have a mixture of adult and baby teeth for Dr. Andrew Nalin and our team at Nalin Orthodontics to make a determination about whether any problems are present. Typically the first molars have come in by the time your child turns seven, giving us an opportunity to check for malocclusion, also known as “bad bite.” Also, by the time your child reaches the age of seven, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites, and open bites can be detected.

When Dr. Andrew Nalin and our team perform an evaluation on your child at an early age, you get one of two positive outcomes. Although treatment usually will not begin until one to five years after the initial evaluation, it’s still helpful in determining whether your child has any problems with the jaw and teeth early when they are still easy to treat. Earlier treatment can also cost less to correct a potential problem than delayed treatment.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene.

If your child is approaching age seven, or has already surpassed his or her seventh birthday, it is time to schedule an appointment for an initial examination at Nalin Orthodontics.

What does the month of October mean to you? For people in the northern hemisphere, October is when the weather starts to get a little chilly: heavy jackets might come out of storage and the summer clothing gets packed away. You might start making plans for the upcoming holidays or looking at the beautiful and changing autumn scenery. October means something a little different to our team at Nalin Orthodontics because this is National Orthodontic Health Month. During October, orthodontic clinics all over the country work together to promote their services and inform the community about the important work we do.

National Orthodontic Health Month is an awareness campaign created cooperatively by orthodontists and other dental health professionals. During this month, we make a special effort to promote dental health and orthodontic health in particular. This is a great time to get your questions answered by dental professionals in your community and to learn more about exactly what an orthodontist can do for you and your family. Events held in connection with National Orthodontic Health Month are also an opportunity for us orthodontists to come out and meet community members. If you have never been to an orthodontist before, you might not know what to expect. Meeting one of us in person before your checkup is a great way to find out what kind of person you’ll be seeing during your appointment.

Meeting Dr. Andrew Nalin in a relaxed “meet and greet” atmosphere can be especially helpful for any young orthodontic patients in your family. Kids of all ages–and their parents!–can feel anxiety about going to the dentist. Getting to know the person you have an appointment with can make the experience a lot less stressful for everyone. We don't want anyone to avoid seeing a dental professional for regular checkups just because they don't know who we are. Just meeting and talking with the orthodontist you'll be seeing may be enough to make you feel more comfortable about your upcoming appointment.

Dental health is something that affects everyone; healthy teeth and gums contribute to a healthy smile and a lifetime of comfort and well-being. Orthodontists are just one of the various dental practitioners you could visit at some point in your life, so taking a little time to learn who we are and what we do is certain to be a helpful experience. We look forward to seeing you and your family this October at our Mount Vernon, WA location!

You want to straighten your teeth because you know it’ll make your smile more appealing, be more comfortable, and improve your dental health. However, eating can be a big barrier to getting braces because of all the foods you need to give up for the months or years that treatment lasts. ClearCorrect is an alternative tooth-straightening option that doesn’t make you dread your new diet while you straighten your teeth. Here’s what you need to know about eating and ClearCorrect.

Eat What You Want

All kinds of foods are forbidden when you have metal braces because they can get stuck in the wires or cause brackets to pop off. That’s not a problem with ClearCorrect because you remove your clear aligners whenever you eat a meal or snack. That way, you can eat anything you want. You don’t need to avoid the following foods the way you do when you have metal braces.

• Popcorn
• Peanuts, nuts, and seeds
• Meat on the bone, such as chicken wings and ribs
• Sticky foods, such as toffee and raisins
• Crunchy foods, such as apples and carrots
• Stringy foods, such as celery and pineapple

Since you can eat whatever you want, you don’t need to avoid your friends and coworkers because of your ClearCorrect aligners. You can hang out with friends and go to business lunches without worrying about embarrassment.

Maintain Healthy Eating Habits

You can eat whatever you want without fear of wrecking your ClearCorrect aligners, but that doesn’t mean you should toss out your healthy eating habits. Dr. Andrew Nalin and our team recommend that you:

• Eat high-calcium foods, such as low-fat yogurt and cheese, to support strong teeth.
• Rinse your mouth with water after eating to get rid of excess carbohydrates on your teeth.
• Limit consumption of sugary beverages and foods, such as candy, to keep sugar from settling on your teeth and feeding bacteria.

ClearCorrect treatment can straighten your teeth without making you give up your favorite foods or become a social outcast. Just take the aligners out of your mouth for meals and snacks and select healthy foods whenever possible, and you can enjoy yourself while your teeth get straighter.