Have Questions About New Early Orthodontics?

It is a common belief that crowded teeth, incorrect jaw development, and other orthodontic problems are caused by either large teeth in small jaws, or other hereditary factors. Modern research has shown that mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, reverse swallowing, and thumb sucking – known as incorrect myofunctional habits – are the real causes of incorrect jaw development. Allergies, asthma and an open mouth posture can also contribute towards the jaws developing incorrectly. Bottle feeding, thumb sucking, and pacifiers during the early stages of a child’s life can also contribute to the problem.

Upon arriving, each patient and parent will be seen by the staff and doctor who will acclimate you to our office and prepare for the initial exam. Dr. Baller will then complete a thorough examination and consult with you regarding findings and treatment recommendations. To read more about your first visit, see our First Visit page.

There are five essential questions that we will cover during the initial examination:

1. Is there an orthodontic problem, and if so, what is it?
2. What must be done to correct the problem?
3. What is the best timing to begin the treatment?
4. How long will the treatment take to complete?
5.How much will the treatment cost?

Because we use a proprietary system of treatment called New Early Orthodontics before braces, with proper cooperation, rarely will a patient require the extraction of permanent teeth. This statement does not apply toward wisdom teeth (3rd molars) as most people do not have enough room in their mouth for keeping them.

It is impossible to give an exact cost for treatment until we have examined your child. We will cover the exact cost and financial options during the initial examination. We have many financing options available to accommodate your needs, and we will review these with you. We will also review your insurance policy and help to maximize your benefit and file your claims.

Appointments are scheduled according to each patient’s needs. Most patients in treatment will be seen every four to 10 weeks. If there are specific situations that require more frequent monitoring, we will schedule appointments accordingly.

Most parents prefer to schedule appointments for children after school. Most routine, shorter appointments can be scheduled after school and longer, more involved appointments will need to be scheduled during school hours. This will allow for the majority of appointments to be scheduled in the after school hours. Because most appointments are scheduled four to 10 weeks apart and many appointments can be after school, patients will miss only small amounts of school due to their orthodontic appointments.

Generally, orthodontic treatments do not “hurt.” After certain visits, teeth may be sore for a few days. In these situations, pain medications such as Advil or Tylenol will ease the discomfort. However, after most visits, patients do not feel any soreness at all! We often remind our patients, It does not have to hurt to work!

Yes! Regular six month checkups with your family dentist are important while in treatment. If oral hygiene is not great, your family dentist will determine if the time between cleaning appointments should be shorter while you are in treatment.

Yes. Once treatment begins, we will explain the complete instructions and provide a comprehensive list of foods to avoid. Some of those foods include: ice, hard candy, raw vegetables and all sticky foods (i.e. caramel and taffy). You can avoid most emergency appointments to repair broken or damaged braces by carefully following our instructions.

At the completion of the initial examination, we will determine whether a patient will need an expander.