Orthodontics for Kids
Guiding Growing Smiles
Into well-aligned bites for life
Orthodontics plays a crucial role in maintaining oral health and ensuring a well-aligned bite throughout every stage of life. For children, early orthodontic evaluation is especially important. Early diagnosis and orthodontic treatment help prevent future dental issues and lay the foundation for a healthy smile. A properly aligned bite not only enhances the beauty of a child’s smile, but it also improves functionality, allows for better oral hygiene, and supports overall health. At Deerwood Orthodontics Franklin, we focus on providing excellent orthodontic care tailored to the unique needs of each child.
Early Orthodontic Evaluations
Why it's important
Early detection of orthodontic issues is key to ensuring optimal dental health and giving children the best possible start to a healthy smile. Ideally, kids should receive an orthodontic evaluation around age 7. Children have a mix of primary and permanent teeth at this age, which allows us to identify any emerging issues that could benefit from early intervention. Early evaluation can reveal issues such as misalignment, crowding, or other bite problems and help prevent more severe issues down the line.
Interceptive Orthodontics
The benefits of early intervention
Interceptive orthodontics—also known as phase I orthodontics—involves treatments designed to work with the natural development of a child’s mouth. This proactive approach addresses orthodontic issues before they have time to fully develop. Interceptive care guides jaw growth and addresses any dental issues that may hinder the eruption of permanent teeth or affect dental-facial symmetry. By intervening early, orthodontists can create space for incoming teeth and promote healthy oral function in the long term.
Interceptive orthodontics is best performed around age 7 if your child’s orthodontic evaluation reveals they would benefit from it. This is because interceptive care works best when children are still growing and developing, as it allows orthodontists to guide their oral development more effectively and improve future treatment outcomes.
Space Maintainers
Ensuring there's space for the permanent teeth
Space maintainers are devices used to hold space for permanent teeth when primary teeth are lost prematurely. They come in both fixed and removable options, and their purpose is to prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting into the space. This holds the rest of the baby teeth in proper alignment as a child’s permanent teeth emerge. At Deerwood Orthodontics Franklin, we use space maintainers to promote healthy dental development and prevent the need for more extensive treatment later.
Palatal Expanders
Improving your child's future alignment
Palatal expanders are appliances we use to increase the width of the palate in the upper jaw. This creates space for crowded teeth and improves alignment. We may recommend a palatal expander if your child has a narrow upper jaw. It is much easier to create necessary space when the jaws are still growing because we can easily widen the palate and ideally avoid the need for surgical interventions. Palatal expanders reduce crowding issues and help correct bite position, which can greatly improve your child’s overall oral health.
Bite-Correction Appliances
Fixes bite misalignments
At Deerwood Orthodontics Franklin, we can help treat an overbite, underbite, or other misalignment with bite-correction appliances. It is important to treat issues like these as early as possible to avoid further issues, such as chewing difficulties or speaking problems. The uneven pressure caused by these misalignments can also lead to premature tooth wear. Bite-correction appliances stabilize the jaw and gently guide the mouth into the correct position. This promotes proper oral function and aesthetics.
Habit-Correction Appliances
Break bad habits & improve oral health
Habit-correction appliances are designed to help children break harmful oral habits such as thumb-sucking and tongue thrusting. These appliances are custom made to fit comfortably and discourage the negative behaviors that can lead to future dental and orthodontic problems. By addressing these habits early, we can help children prevent long-term damage to teeth and jaws. Ultimately, this helps to create a healthier smile for your child.
Traditional Braces
Effective orthodontic treatment for kids
Traditional braces are one of the most effective conventional orthodontic treatments for correcting crooked teeth and misalignment. Braces use metal brackets and wires to gradually move teeth into their correct positions. Traditional braces are suitable for children with a variety of orthodontic concerns, from crossbites to spacing issues and everything in between. They are reliable and provide lasting results.
Financing Your Treatment at Deerwood Orthodontics Franklin
Choose from flexible payment options to afford your care.
It’s easy to make payments at Deerwood Orthodontics Franklin. We accept cash, credit cards, CareCredit, Healthcare Finance Direct, and more.
Find the payment method that works best for you.
Our team is here to help you and your family get the orthodontic treatment you need so you can enjoy well-aligned bites and beautiful smiles.