Thumb sucking is a damaging habit that can cause tooth and surrounding skeletal structures to develop abnormally as your child grows. If your child has a persistent thumb sucking problem past the age of four to five, thumb and finger appliances can help.

Clear aligners are a popular alternative to metal braces, and are a great, discrete way to correct minor misalignment of the teeth.

It’s always important to maintain great oral hygiene, but it’s especially important with braces, as food and plaque have more places to hide.

Elastics are small rubber bands that help move teeth into proper alignment. Forsus™ Nitinol Flat Spring: A Forsus is a small rod with a spring surrounding it.

Traditional metal braces are the most common type of braces, as they correct a variety of orthodontic conditions and are generally the most affordable.

It is important to be prepared for when a minor or major orthodontic emergency occurs. If you find yourself in a situation where you are unsure if you need urgent medical attention, you will need to first assess the severity of the problem.

Clear aligners are a popular and effective way to straighten teeth – without the look or hassle of traditional braces.

Early orthodontic treatment, also known as interceptive treatment, is recommended for children between the ages of 7 and 11. This phase of treatment aims to guide jaw growth, correct harmful oral habits, and create space for permanent teeth.

Knowing what to expect after your first orthodontic appointment will help alleviate any anxiety or concerns you may have about treatment.

Orthodontic headgear is used to correct a severely abnormal bite, correct dental overcrowding, and support normal jaw alignment and growth. It is typically recommended for younger children whose jaws are still developing.

Thumb sucking is a common habit that babies develop before they’re born. While most children naturally stop thumb sucking between the ages of two and four, some children might struggle to break the habit.

Common questions about orthodontics, including what an orthodontist does, when treatment is needed, types of braces, and more.

Sometimes, children are too fearful to receive necessary dental treatment. When this happens, conscious sedation with nitrous oxide may be recommended to help make your child’s experience of dental treatment stress-free.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by the recurrence of interrupted breathing during sleep and results in a chronic lack of deep, restful sleep. When adults have this disorder, they are likely to experience daytime sleepiness, but when it occurs in children, they are more likely to have behavioral problems.

A baby’s teeth are not visible at birth, but already exist underneath the gums. Children's primary teeth begin forming at about the sixth week of pregnancy, and start mineralizing — building the bonelike inner tooth layer (called dentin) and the super-hard enamel layer that covers it — around the third or fourth month.

As soon as your child’s first tooth has erupted, which generally happens between six months and a year, you will need to schedule their first appointment with a pediatric dentist. The first visit often involves very little treatment.

Your child’s first tooth is a big developmental milestone, so it’s important for you to know what to expect and how to maintain your child’s teeth when they start coming in. It’s just as vital to take care of baby teeth as it is permanent teeth, even though the baby teeth eventually fall out.

While a loose baby tooth is perfectly normal, a loose adult tooth is something to be concerned about. Painful and unpleasant, a loose permanent tooth may fall out, need extracting, or cause serious bite problems.