It is recommended that your child get an orthodontic check-up starting at age 7. At that early age, it’s possible to determine if there are issues related to the child’s growth or tooth positions that should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Early, interceptive treatment can be recommended to correct crossbites, underbites, extreme crowding, impacted permanent teeth, under or over developed jaws that affect the profile and bite, and constricted airways.

With early treatment, we can take a less invasive, preventative approach. Addressing developmental concerns while the bones are growing gives us the ability to avoid more invasive approaches in the future.

For children who don’t require early treatment, we’ve created our Growth & Development Guidance Program. We’ll follow-up with you and your children at least once a year, as a courtesy, to monitor their growth and determine the right time and options for treatment.

While the age that children get braces may vary, orthodontic treatment most often begins between the ages of 9 and 14, and some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are treated early. If it appears that treatment will be needed, Dr. Kuppers and Dr. Greenee can advise you as to the ideal time to begin. This gives us the best chance to:

• Guide jaw growth
• Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
• Correct harmful oral habits
• Improve appearance and self-esteem in your child
• Guide permanent teeth into a more favourable position

Dr. Kuppers and Dr. Greene are pleased to offer advanced contemporary self-ligating braces. Self-ligating braces provide a safe, easy to clean and efficient way to treat orthodontic patients.

Our treatment philosophy is about "face-driven orthodontics.” This is achieved more efficiently and with greater patient comfort yielding great smiles and beautiful faces. With self-ligating braces you can experience:

• A more natural, aesthetically pleasing smile.
• Low force / Low friction – a healthier way to move teeth.
• They are precise and effective, reducing the need for complicated procedures like extractions.
• They are designed with the patient’s comfort in mind. Brackets are smaller, more discreet and easy to clean.

Aligners are a discreet series of custom acrylic trays designed to gradually move the teeth in stages toward their desired position.

The trays are worn for approximately 22 hours a day, but can be removed for brushing and eating.

Effectiveness and outcome are directly related to the ‘designer” (Dr. Greene) and the ‘user’ (you). Dr. Greene is a clear aligner expert and will be happy to discuss the pros and cons of both aligners and contemporary braces so you can make an informed decision.

If the top and bottom jaws grow out of balance with each other, the bite and jaw function can be compromised. A small imbalance is common and the teeth can often be aligned and a good bite established with orthodontics only. For some, the jaw imbalance can be significant, leading to difficulties in bringing the teeth together and/or resulting in cosmetic concerns.

Orthodontic care can be combined with surgical intervention to establish normal balance and function. The change in appearance and improvement in function can be life changing!

Additionally, jaw surgery shows promise as an effective option in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea when other conservative methods have proven unsuccessful.

Although we advise the use of orthodontic retainers for life, we understand that sometimes life gets in the way and relapse happens. For those who have previously undergone orthodontic treatment, ask us about our Bring Back Your Smile Program. We’ll be happy to discuss options to touch up your smile with discreet clear aligners.

iTero Digital Intraoral Scanner with Near-Infrared Imaging

The days of impressions of the teeth are slowly coming to an end and technology is allowing a transition to other ways of capturing a replica of your teeth and supporting tissues. Our iTero scanner can create a detailed, digital map of your teeth, giving us a digital impression of your mouth. With these digital impressions, we’re able to create a map of where your teeth are biting incorrectly, detect early cavities without xrays, develop a custom orthodontic plan with greater precision and provide faster turn around times for braces or clear aligners.

Laser

Spectrum diode lasers are the end result of years of scientific development. These lasers are developed specifically for orthodontics. Lasers are efficient at uncovering teeth that are delayed in erupting and re-contouring uneven gum tissue with patient comfort and superior healing.

Accelerated Treatment

In our continuous effort to provide the best care for our patients, Kuppers + Greene Orthodontics is excited to offer micro-osseous perforations (PROPEL) in our practice. PROPEL stimulates bone remodelling, which allows the teeth to move faster and more predictably into their ideal position. The PROPEL system creates small bone perforations which, in combination with braces or aligners, can produce exceptional results in less time and fewer treatment visits.

Why is airway important in orthodontics?

A constricted airway can impact the growth and development of a child and should be considered when evaluating a child’s overall health. If a child under the age of 12 has a constricted airway, our doctors may initiate a protocol to take advantage of growth and expand the airway, thus improving the overall health of the child.

Things to look out for:

• snoring
• teeth grinding
• mouth breathing
• bags around a child’s eyes