At Orthodontic Specialists of Southern Minnesota, we offer braces for all ages!

Orthodontists today can successfully correct most problems regardless of the patient’s age, but that doesn’t mean orthodontic treatment starting age is insignificant. In fact, it may play a considerable role in the total time and investment required for the completion of orthodontic treatment. One of our goals is to time treatment properly so it is accomplished in a single phase. This keeps treatment as efficient as possible, thus reducing the overall costs to the patient.

Early Treatment

Since no two patients are alike, there is not a specific age to begin treatment. However, in agreement with the American Board of Orthodontics, we suggest that your child have their first orthodontic evaluation around age seven. By this time, the child should have all of their baby teeth erupted, allowing Dr. Hulwi to see how their teeth, jaw, and face are developing and if your child would benefit from early orthodontic treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment by an orthodontic specialist can correct smaller problems before they become bigger problems. Other times, we will simply want to monitor your child periodically while the permanent teeth erupt and the jaw and face continue to develop. Learn about signs that your child may need braces by reading our blog post.

Teen Treatment

Orthodontic treatment around the adolescence time period is quite common. After all, baby teeth have fallen out and permanent teeth have already grown in, which makes it a great time to fix orthodontic issues. Some common concerns addressed by orthodontic treatment include:

  • Gapped or crowded teeth

  • Malocclusion (a bad bite causing the teeth to fit together incorrectly)

  • Overjet (front teeth protruding too far forward)

  • Abnormal eruption (teeth emerging from atypical parts of the smile)

Adult Treatment

More and more adults are seeking orthodontic treatment and getting straighter, healthier smiles! In fact, 1 in 4 orthodontic patients is an adult. We offer a full range of treatment options including traditional metal braces, clear braces, and clear aligners so you are sure to find an option perfect for you. Wether you have a single tooth you want moved or you’re looking for an entirely new smile, Dr. Hulwi will develop a treatment plan to help you achieve the smile you’ve always dreamed about.Orthodontic treatment will not only give you a beautiful new smile, but it’ll improve the health of your teeth and gums too! Straighter teeth are easier to keep clean resulting in prevention of tooth decay, gum and bone loss, and irregular wear of the tooth enamel.

  • Along with The American Board of Orthodontics, we recommend that your child have their first orthodontic evaluation at age seven. This appointment is meant to identify growth issues and prevent more severe orthodontic complications from developing. It is likely that your child will not need braces at this time and instead we will continue to monitor your child’s orthodontic with complimentary check-in appointments.

  • Phase 1 orthodontics refers to orthodontic treatment when a child still has some of their baby teeth and before all of their permanent teeth have erupted. It may be easy to think that misaligned baby teeth are harmless since they’ll fall out eventually, but that’s not completely true. That’s why when Phase 1 orthodontic treatment is utilized, the baby teeth present can play an important path for the eruption of permanent teeth. While Phase 1 orthodontics is not necessary for most children, it can prevent small problems from becoming much larger problems in the future when it is needed.

    After Phase 1 orthodontic treatment, the braces are removed and the child’s mouth will continue to develop until it is time to begin Phase 2, usually at least a year later. Phase 2 treatment will correct any remaining issues with the permanent teeth, which should be significantly decreased due to Phase 1 treatment. In some cases, Phase 2 may not be needed if Phase 1 resolved all of the child’s orthodontic needs.

  • It’s not uncommon for permanent teeth to come in crooked or misaligned. While it would be wonderful if teeth straightened themselves out with time, it is unlikely. Crooked teeth are often a result of inadequate spacing in a child’s mouth for the permanent teeth that are erupting. In general, permanent teeth are larger than baby teeth and they erupt in anyway they can. This means that they are often rotated or impacted in inappropriate places in the mouth. Without orthodontic intervention, these teeth will not straighten out on their own.

  • Upon arriving, you will be greeted by our front desk staff and asked to fill out the dental history of the patient. You will also meet with an orthodontic assistant and Dr. Hulwi to discuss your orthodontic concerns. During your appointment we will cover:

    • Is there an orthodontic problem, and if so, what is it?

    • Is the patient ready for treatment, if treatment is needed?

    • What is the best option for orthodontic treatment?

    • How long will treatment take to complete?

    • How much is the cost of treatment and payment options? We can also determine if you have any orthodontic benefit through your insurance at this time.