Keeping an eye on how your child’s teeth and jaw grow is essential to making sure they have a healthy smile from the start. At Fairlington Dental in Arlington, VA, Dr. Michael Rogers and our team check in early and often so we can spot any potential issues in their alignment and get them back on track.
This isn’t just about a great smile; it’s about making sure your little one can chew, chat, breathe and sleep easily. Taking this proactive step means we’re setting up the foundation for a lifetime of good oral and total body health.
We offer airway evaluations, tongue and lip tie screening and release, and growth-guiding orthodontics for children.
In those early, bustling years, a child’s jaw, dental structures, facial growth, and airway undergo rapid changes. We tap into this natural growth phase by using targeted treatments that gently guide the development of these structures.
Through early orthodontic interventions and airway assessments, we look not only at the alignment of a child’s teeth but also at their jaw positioning and how clearly they can breathe.
For certain problems, this can reduce how complex later treatment needs to be, supporting a smoother, healthier development. Our approach involves hands-on, attentive care that can make the entire growth process more manageable and less invasive.
Early Growth: A child’s jaw, dental structures, facial growth, and airway undergo rapid changes during the early years. Every child’s development is different.
Early Orthodontic Evaluation: A first check-up by age 7 can help identify developing bite and jaw-alignment concerns, even while your child still has baby teeth.[1]
Growing Children and Teens: Palate expansion generally works best while the upper jaw is still growing. Teens can still benefit, though options change as growth slows.
Recognizing early signs can help families act before more complex dental and health issues develop. Signs that may be worth looking into include:
Screening for tethered oral tissues, such as tongue ties and lip ties, is important because they may affect a child’s ability to eat, speak, and breathe comfortably. Our approach to treatment focuses on timely and gentle interventions that may help with speech development and support jaw growth.
Our Interceptive Airway Orthodontics targets early signs of potential airway obstructions and misalignments in growing children. By gently adjusting the jaw and expanding the palate during pivotal growth periods, we aim to support their breathing and sleep quality. This not only sets the stage for a healthier smile but may also help avoid more complex orthodontic problems in the future.
Getting ahead of these issues early can support better health outcomes and may reduce the need for more intensive treatment later. It’s about providing care that grows with your child.
We walk you through options, which might mean keeping an eye on things, guiding growth, releasing a tie, or referring you to your child’s doctor. An evaluation doesn’t commit you to treatment.
Tongue and lip ties can be checked at any age, starting in infancy. A first orthodontic check-up is recommended by age 7,[1] and palate expansion generally works best while the upper jaw is still growing. Teens can still benefit, though options change as growth slows. Contact our team to discuss an appointment for your child’s age and concerns.
Some concerns are best handled together. Your pediatrician is usually the first stop for snoring and sleep concerns, and routine screening should include asking whether your child snores.[2] An ENT may be involved if tonsils or adenoids are enlarged, and a sleep specialist can order a sleep study. We don’t diagnose sleep apnea ourselves, and we’re glad to work with your child’s care team.
These signs have many causes, and no single one means something is wrong. See our guides to the signs of sleep apnea in children, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and mouth breathing and facial growth.
Early orthodontic care can correct certain problems, like crossbites, and may make later treatment simpler, though research on long-term benefit is mixed.
In one small study, parents reported better speech in most children after a tongue-tie release paired with exercises.
Children with dental problems such as toothaches and cavities have about 50% higher odds of problems at school and of missing school days.
To talk with us about your child, call 703.671.1001 or book online.
[1] American Association of Orthodontists. When Should Your Child See an Orthodontist?
[2] Marcus CL, Brooks LJ, Draper KA, et al. Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Pediatrics. 2012;130(3):576–584. doi:10.1542/peds.2012-1671.
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