Thumbs Up for Growth & Guidance Appointments

It's no small task getting your child to an appointment of any kind, that's for sure! And when the appointment is very short and seemingly unimportant, it may seem like a waste of time and not worth the effort. 

One type of orthodontic appointment that may be seen this way is what we call a Growth & Guidance appointment. These very short, sometimes only 15 minute appointments are scheduled for children who are not quite ready to start braces. The recommendation by the American Association of Orthodontists is that every child be evaluated by an orthodontic specialist by age 7 or 8. Read further to find out why these appointments are very valuable and possibly some of the most important orthodontic appointments you can go to!

The primary objective of the appointment is to screen for developmental issues such as missing, impacted, or ankylosed permanent teeth which do not always show up on the typical check-up xrays taken by your general dentist. These developmental problems, if not recognized early enough, can complicate the orthodontic treatment making it more difficult and costly in the future. 

The second objective is to evaluate which primary or "baby" teeth your child has lost and which of the permanent teeth have come in. It helps the permanent teeth come in straighter if the primary teeth are lost at the right time and in the right order. Sometimes something as simple as asking your general dentist to remove a baby tooth early can also significantly help guide the permanent teeth into a better location. In most cases, the general dentist will not do this without a request from an orthodontic specialist.  

Another objective of the appointment is to guide your family as to the most optimal time to begin treatment. Our office philosophy is to provide the highest quality care, in the shortest amount of time possible with the fewest number of visits for today's busy families. We do not believe in putting braces on a patient until that patient is absolutely ready. Starting too early will mean that your child may have the braces for too long which increases their chances of negative side-effects, as well as cooperation issues because your child has gotten burnt-out on wearing the braces. If the treatment is complicated because of problems that were left unmonitored, treatment can end up extending into the later years of high school and the important activities that go along with those years. Most high school kids don't want to have their braces on for their senior pictures or their high school graduation!

As you can see, these Growth & Guidance appointments are very important. By closely following your child's development, we can help them get the treatment they need when they need it. Although the appointments are very short and can seem like a waste of time, we want to make sure your child is progressing towards an excellent orthodontic result.