Early Intervention
Through early intervention, we focus on working with children’s natural growth processes to intercept problematic conditions before they progress to a severe state.
This allows us to use the least invasive treatment approach with the least discomfort for your little one, and create a healthy smile in the shortest time possible.
When should my child see an orthodontist?
Not every child needs orthodontics, but those who do can benefit from early intervention for a lifetime.
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) advises that children receive their first check-up at age 7, or earlier if issues are apparent. Age 7 is generally the prime time for our experienced orthodontist, Dr. Lu, to detect growth issues in the jaws and identify problematic conditions that are about to erupt.
This doesn’t mean that your child’s orthodontic treatment will begin at age 7; every child is different and every smile develops at a unique rate. Dr. Lu is recognized as a top orthodontist in the Alexandria/DMV area, with specialized expertise in children’s care, and he does not suggest unnecessary treatment.
What is the best age to get braces?
Getting braces at age 7, 8, 9 or 10 is common. Conditions that are left untreated into adulthood, or even into the teen years, can lead to further conditions and challenges, and require invasive methods (like jaw surgery) and extended treatment lengths to correct.
When you bring your child in for an orthodontic screening before or at age 7, Dr. Lu is able to treat these conditions while the jaws are still developing, instead of treating them after the bones have developed and stabilized.
This efficient approach allows us to minimize treatment length, and prevent discomfort and challenges for your child.
Preventing Vital Challenges
By guiding the jaws and teeth into alignment in a more natural and efficient way, we can prevent significant challenges in your child’s life, including:
- Speech issues
- Facial imbalances
- Airway issues
- Difficulties chewing or biting down
- Pain in the jaws, teeth or facial bones
- Poor oral hygiene associated with overlapping teeth
- Poor self-esteem
What to Expect with Interceptive Orthodontics
Children’s mouths may be small, but their orthodontic issues are complex!
Many orthodontic issues are caused by space issues in the width of the jaws – whether there’s not enough room in the jaws for all teeth to emerge without crowding, overlapping or impacting each other, or too much space in the jaw, which leads to spaced or gapped teeth.
Through preemptive orthodontics, we can address spacing issues right away, guiding the jaw bones to grow to the proper width, before they potentially cause a bite misalignment (overbite/underbite) and require more extensive treatment.
This may include an orthodontic appliance, like the palatal expander, to prepare the jaw bones for a beautiful set of permanent teeth to emerge, followed by braces or clear aligner treatment to align the teeth.
Schools We Serve
At First Impression Orthodontics, we’re proud to care for growing smiles across the DMV area in Northern Virginia. We regularly serve students from local schools like Island Creek Elementary School, Lane Elementary School, Mark Twain Middle School, Key Middle School, and more.
With our conveniently located orthodontic office in Alexandria and flexible scheduling, we make it easy for busy parents and students to stay on track with treatment and experience their best self!
Schedule your little one’s first visit today.
Parents, we know you want what’s best for your child! We do too. We are your kids’ orthodontist in Alexandria, here to help guide your little one’s smile into a beautiful, balanced, healthy smile that lasts for a lifetime.
Schedule your child’s first orthodontic screening with our kids’ orthodontist in Alexandria. Your little one’s screening is complimentary with Dr. Lu and our friendly team at First Impression Orthodontics!
