Parents: Please Bring Your Children In Early for an Orthodontic Evaluation
The ideal age? 6, 7, 8, or 9 years old.
Why?
We can help prevent so many teeth and jaw problems at this very early age.
How Do We Get Such Great Results?
People often ask me—and parents often ask me—how we’re able to get such amazing results with children?
Of course, I’ve had a lifetime of experience, and certainly that makes a huge difference.
However, we spend a lot of time with children, explaining each appointment to them, over time, why we’re doing each procedure and we really make it fun for them. Children love to learn and love to participate.
I treated both my children Katherine and Michael at an early age with wonderfully natural results.
They also loved the process and to this day continue to maintain their beautiful and optimally healthy bites that can last a lifetime.
Can we really prevent ALL dental restorations?
Yes.
As good as we (and dental professionals)are at doing dentistry, including making dental fillings, inlays, crowns, gum grafts and implants, no dentistry is EVER as good as our natural teeth.
How do we motivate children to want to wear their retainers and appliances?
Parents, you will do your part helping motivate kids, but we are REALLY good at doing so also.
We make it fun for children.
Children feel like they’re on our team, working with us to achieve amazing results, and they want to do it because they understand why.
Do we place braces on patients Age 6, 7, 8, or 9?
Usually no.
Braces are generally not needed at this age.
Instead, we make custom appliances that are really comfortable and can be worn inside the mouth either at nighttime or full-time. Children love to show their friends the colors, stickers and unique designs.
Do You Prefer Appliances That Are Removable or That Stay in the Mouth?
We have both, and we determine which is best based on the individual’s preference, the parent’s preference, and also the degree of malocclusion and bad bite, as well as how early you were able to bring the children in.
The earlier you bring your children in to visit, generally the easier it is for them and for us and the treatment times are generally much shorter .
The earlier we can intercept a developing mal-occlusion (bad bite) the less critical it is to wear appliances full-time, and the easier it is to guide the teeth into their optimal position.
Will Early Interception Completely Prevent Braces or Jaw Surgery?
No.
Many times, even early treatment does not completely prevent braces—or in very severe skeletal disparities, prevent treatment later on—it certainly makes treatment a lot easier.
We can intercept problems and divide the treatment up into short stages.
This allows us to guide the teeth into position while teeth are still erupting into the mouth and help guide growth and development.
This makes treatment so much easier and requires so much less intervention later on, in so many cases.
What happens to our children at age 11 or 12 when all the teeth are in the mouth, except for the wisdom teeth.
When all the teeth do erupt into the mouth, generally a much shorter phase of treatment can complete the results, many times using a very short course of braces or clear aligners like Invisalign.
Why Orthodontic Center Los Angeles?
We live it and love it, and we have a great history of treating more than 10,000 children over many years.
Why Dr. Jacobson?
I am well suited to be an orthodontist and most grateful for the extensive advanced training I received, the skills I have developed over so many years
and
the joy of working with so many wonderful families in Los Angeles, and also from around the USA and abroad.
How does experience help?
I have a lot of experience over more than 30 years, learning and understanding the growth and development of a child’s teeth, bite, jaw, TMJ and airway and am able to monitor children’s progress over time to help achieve three important components:
1. Structure, Function, and Health – So that the teeth are in a good bite, are stable, and can last a lifetime.
2. Natural Aesthetics – So everything looks really natural.
People like a nice smile, good profile and jawline and a natural aesthetic that doesn’t look constructed.
3. Optimized Airway – We want to make certain that the airway is optimized at a young age.
We monitor closely, how the airway is developing, over time, based on jaw position, tongue position, growth and development, and any blockage within the tissues and mouth breathing or snoring.
Snoring is NOT Norman in children or adults and can be very effectively treated.
We also have a team of highly experienced specialists, including ENTs, and Surgeons for complex conditions, to help monitor patients with significant skeletal, structural problems or obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Optimal early interception can prevent obstructive sleep apnea later in life.
Best Orthodontist in the World.
People say Dr. Jacobson is the most experienced and best orthodontist in the world today?
Is that true?
There is no universal measure or metric to assess who is the best orthodontist in the world and no national or international competition, like in sports.
However, we consider you and your children to be the MOST important in the world and genuinely consider it a sacred privilege to work with you and your family.
Please reach out to me personally anytime for ANY questions or information that may be helpful.