At East Tennessee Orthodontics we understand that every patient’s journey to a fantastic smile is unique but there is always an optimal time to begin this journey. The American Association of Orthodontist recommends an orthodontic examination by AGE 7.  This is an important age because we can begin to get a picture of how your child’s adult teeth, jaws, face, and even airway are developing.  To help you understand if and when your child needs orthodontic treatment we have written this free informational guide.

At age 7 your visit of East Tennessee Orthodontics just involves a quick complimentary exam and x-ray and becoming a part of our exciting Mountain Climbers Club.  This program involves observation of future potential problems with the teeth, jaws, or gums.  We make it easy and fun to partner with your family as part of a healthy lifestyle for your child.

The most common treatments for kids are:

This is most of our kids and just means that no treatment is currently needed but there may be a benefit for future orthodontic treatment later.  These kids will become part of our Mountain Climbers Club and will receive a complementary exam every 6 months to make sure teeth, jaws, and bones are continuing to grow properly.

A habit that is carried over during the eruption of permanent teeth can cause permanent damage.  If you are just looking for some advice or already tried everything the internet has to offer, we are here to help.

Placing a few braces to correct simple problems before they develop into major ones.  Our goal is to get your child in and out of braces quickly and make sure future problems are minimal if any.  This can now even be done with Clear Aligners.

Slowly widening the upper arch to make space for teeth and allow the back teeth to fit together properly.  Don’t worry, we’ll answer any when, why, and how questions if we recommend this orthodontic device.

Did you know that up to 3% of children can develop a tooth besides a wisdom tooth that doesn’t erupt properly and becomes stuck in the bone.  This can be even higher if baby teeth are lost early and space for erupting teeth is lost.  Orthodontists are specialty trained to identify this potential problem even before it develops.  Early correction is usually much easier and more cost effective that waiting to treat.

For kids whose jaws aren’t developing together, teeth have a hard time fitting together and things like eating and speaking can be more difficult.  Most of these problems are more successfully treated when caught early or treatment is timed correctly.