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With Spring right around the corner, we cannot be more excited for warmer, sunnier weather and more daylight hours where we can spend hours outside enjoying time with our friends and family.

We are also looking forward to our Easter bunny contest, where we hide bunnies around the office for everyone to find. This is a tradition that we all love doing every year.

Last week, on March 4^th, we participated in the Sargent Elementary School's Mama Mia Pasta Ria Event. This was a 5th-grade fundraiser where we've contributed two gift baskets for their raffle. Of course, we had to make the baskets dental health related, so we filled them with our favorite Sonicare toothbrushes and other oral care products.

Speaking of dental health, are you taking the time to refresh your oral health routine? Daily flossing is incredibly important, especially for those with braces. If you have braces, try using floss threaders, floss picks made for braces, water flossers, or proxy brushes to maintain your dental hygiene. And don’t forget to brush at least twice a day.

Having a healthy routine also consists of going to the dentist or starting orthodontic treatment. Beginning orthodontic treatment in spring ensures everything is on track before summer vacation, summer camp, or heading off to college.

Get ready for the new season by taking care of your dental needs and enjoy the benefits of a healthy, refreshed smile.

Orthodontic treatment should begin earlier than most parents are apt to assume. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, orthodontic treatment should start at around seven years of age.

Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen can evaluate your child’s existing and incoming teeth early on to determine whether treatment might be necessary or not.

What is early orthodontic treatment?

Early orthodontic treatment usually begins when a child is eight or nine years old. In stage one, bite problems such as underbites and the jaw’s growth pattern are corrected. It can also help to make room in the mouth for the permanent teeth to take their proper places as they come in, which reduces the chance that the patient will require extractions later, due to overcrowding.

Does your child need early orthodontic treatment?

If you notice any of the following characteristics in your son or daughter, you may want to have a chat with Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen.

• Early loss of baby teeth (before age five)
• Late loss of baby teeth (after age five or six)
• Your child’s teeth do not meet properly or at all
• Your child is a mouth breather
• Front teeth are crowded (you probably wouldn’t see this until your child is about seven or eight)
• Protruding teeth, typically in the front
• Biting or chewing difficulties
• A speech impediment
• Your child’s jaw shifts when he or she opens or closes the mouth
• Your child is older than five years and still sucks a thumb

What are the benefits of seeking orthodontic treatment early?

There are many benefits to early orthodontic treatment. One of the biggest is that, because a child’s jaw and bones are soft and pliable, corrective procedures such as braces can work much faster than they do for adults.

Treatment at our Andover office can enable your child to avoid lengthy procedures, extraction, or surgery in adulthood. Early orthodontic care will give your son or daughter a healthy, stable smile.

A lot of patients ask us why Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen and our team at Chan & Chen Orthodontics work tirelessly to give our patients straight teeth. Of course it’s nice to have a smile full of evenly-aligned teeth, but did you know that straightening your teeth can keep them healthier as well? Straight teeth lead to better oral hygiene, increasing your chances of keeping your own natural teeth for a lifetime!

Straight teeth are also less prone to decay, because they collect less plaque, that sticky colorless substance that forms on our teeth. When you visit Chan & Chen Orthodontics for your initial consultation, Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen will examine all aspects of your teeth, face, smile, and jaw.

If you’re wondering whether your teeth might cause problems because they are out of alignment, please give us a call to set up an initial orthodontic consultation at our convenient Andover office. Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment.

Questions? Give us a call, ask us below or on our Facebook page!

Parents usually have numerous questions about orthodontic treatment for their children. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, orthodontic treatment for children should start at around seven years of age. This allows Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen to evaluate the child’s existing and incoming teeth to determine whether or not early treatment might be necessary.

What is early orthodontic treatment?

Early orthodontic treatment, known as Phase One, usually begins when the child is eight or nine years old. The goal is to correct bite problems such as an underbite as well as guide the jaw’s growth pattern. It also helps to make room in the mouth for the permanent teeth to be properly placed as they come in. This will greatly reduce the risk of the child needing extractions later in life due to his or her teeth getting crowded.

Does your child need early orthodontic treatment?

There are several ways that you can determine whether your child needs early treatment. If you observe any of these characteristics or behaviors, you should talk to Dr. Kathleen Chan and Dr. Ivy Chen.

• Early loss of baby teeth (before age five)
• Late loss of baby teeth (after age five or six)
• The child’s teeth do not meet properly or at all
• The child is a mouth breather
• Front teeth are crowded (you won’t see this until the child is about seven or eight)
• Protruding teeth, typically in the front
• Biting or chewing difficulties
• A speech impediment
• The child’s jaw shifts when he or she opens or closes the mouth
• The child is older than five years and still sucks a thumb

What are the benefits of seeking orthodontic treatment early?

Early orthodontic treatment is begun while the child’s jaw bones are still soft. They do not harden until the children reach their late teens. Because the bones are still pliable, corrective procedures such as braces work faster than they do for adults.

In short, early treatment at our Andover office often allows your child to avoid lengthy procedures, extraction, and surgery in adulthood. Early treatment is an effective preventive measure that lays the foundation for a healthy, stable mouth in adulthood.