Your child’s connection with his or her orthodontist lasts for years before, during, and after treatment. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends your child’s first orthodontic evaluation at age 7 by a pediatric dentist or orthodontist. This means the orthodontist will truly be part of your child’s growth and development. Choosing your orthodontist is an important decision and our orthodontists take the responsibility of communicating clearly, educating and partnering in care very seriously.
Where do you start?
Make a list.
- Find the board-certified orthodontists in your area using the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Orthodontist Locator
- Get recommendations from friends, family, neighbors, social media
- Ask our pediatric dentists
Verify your list.
- Narrow down your list by honing in on the ones who are board certified, trained orthodontic specialists
- Check their websites. See their patient resources and reviews. The better populated their website is, the better. It means they’re in touch with modern times and would be reachable through modern communication tools. This is also an indicator of how the office keeps up with continuing education and technological advances in the field
Meet with the orthodontist for a consult.
- You can see how well-equipped the clinic is for your child’s needs and how well the orthodontist communicates the problems and his or her vision for correction.
- Discuss their recommended treatment approach, your options, and the consequences if you don’t follow through with those options.
- Review the costs and insurance coverage options.
- Ask about the capabilities of the orthodontist to partner with dentistry and other specialist services should your child need them.
Trained orthodontists are only able to practice within their specialty and do not offer general dentistry services. Our board certified orthodontists at Pediatric Dentists and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan have partnered with pediatric dentists in the same office to assure your children receive optimal screening, consistent communication, coordinated care and one dental home where everything your child may need can be provided or accommodated.
This helps to assure you as a parent that your child will not develop a problem that mushrooms into a big problem before we can collaborate and intervene appropriately.
The close collaboration between our orthodontists and pediatric dentists allows for more appropriate treatment timing, coordinated appointments, and familiarity with the office. Our patients feel more comfortable and parents have fewer appointments they have to book for their children’s optimal dental care. This is incredibly important when children are in school.
Our clinic has been providing orthodontic services to pediatric, adolescent and adult patients since 1968.
Aside from excellence and immersion in our local community, our decades specializing in children’s dentistry and orthodontic treatment also means we have cultivated trusted relationships with other dental professionals such oral surgeons, periodontists (gum tissue specialists), and endodontists (root canal specialists) to help manage complex dental treatments.
Our doctors are board certified, active members of local and national dental societies, and actively pursue continuing education opportunities every year to stay on top of cutting edge developments in orthodontic care, from traditional braces to Invisalign and 3D imaging, to make treatment simpler, faster, more comfortable and more predictable.
While we certainly want you to know that we are here for you, we want your children to be cared for by an orthodontist that they feel most comfortable with. 99% of the time, our office can be that place, but we are here to help you receive the best pediatric dental and orthodontic care for you and your children.
About Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan has specialized in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics since 1968. Our family-friendly and newly renovated office gives patients and families a more comfortable and consistent experience with dentistry from the very beginning. Our pediatric dentists treat children from newborn to 18 years of age while our orthodontists provide care for both children and adults and are proud to be Premier Providers of Invisalign and Invisalign Teen services. We have the ability to treat all patients with compassion and individuality, including those that may have special needs as we have treatment rooms available for children who require additional privacy and customized care options. We pioneered valued hospital affiliations to allow dental services to be performed at DMC Children’s Hospital and St. John Macomb Hospital, when appropriate or necessary, and our specialists are also proud to be on staff at Henry Ford and Beaumont hospitals.
