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Is your child showing early signs of crowded teeth, misaligned bite, or jaw discrepancies? Early orthodontic intervention between ages 6-10 can guide proper development and potentially eliminate the need for extensive treatment later. At Park Smiles NYC, our specialized team provides gentle, effective interceptive orthodontic care for Manhattan’s growing smiles.
Early interceptive orthodontic treatment, often called Phase 1 orthodontics, is a proactive approach to addressing dental development issues in children typically between ages 6-10, before all permanent teeth have erupted. Unlike comprehensive orthodontics that focuses on final tooth alignment, interceptive treatment targets specific developmental concerns during crucial growth periods.
This specialized approach takes advantage of a child’s natural growth to guide jaw development, create space for erupting permanent teeth, and correct harmful habits before they cause lasting damage. By addressing orthodontic issues at their earliest stages, we can often simplify or eliminate the need for more complex treatment later, saving time, expense, and potential discomfort.
Common interceptive treatments include space maintainers, palatal expanders, partial braces, and habit-breaking appliances. Each intervention is carefully timed to coincide with specific developmental milestones, maximizing effectiveness while minimizing treatment duration. At Park Smiles NYC, our Manhattan specialists create customized early intervention plans that address your child’s unique needs while establishing foundations for lifelong oral health.
Early intervention creates the foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Schedule your child’s orthodontic evaluation with our Manhattan specialists.
Early orthodontic intervention offers substantial advantages that extend far beyond aesthetics, establishing foundations for optimal oral development that benefit children throughout life. By addressing orthodontic issues during periods of active growth, we can guide jaw development, create proper space for emerging permanent teeth, and prevent minor problems from progressing into more complex conditions.
For many children, interceptive treatment corrects harmful oral habits like thumb-sucking, tongue-thrusting, or mouth breathing before they cause permanent changes to dental alignment or facial growth. Addressing crossbites, severe crowding, or protruding front teeth during childhood also significantly reduces the risk of dental trauma, which is particularly important for active children.
Perhaps most significantly, early intervention often reduces or eliminates the need for extraction of permanent teeth or surgical procedures later. Our Manhattan patients frequently experience shorter overall treatment time and less complex Phase 2 orthodontics during adolescence after successful interceptive care. These efficiency benefits translate to less time in treatment, reduced expenses, and greater comfort throughout the orthodontic journey.
At Park Smiles NYC, your child’s early orthodontic care is led by Dr. Hye Yoon “Helen” Choi, our board-certified orthodontist with specialized training in pediatric orthodontic intervention. With prestigious education from UCSF and the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Choi brings exceptional expertise in growth and development patterns, creating treatment plans that leverage natural development for optimal outcomes.
What truly distinguishes our approach is our collaborative pediatric team. Dr. Choi works closely with our pediatric dentists, Dr. Jessica Brezel Kaplan and Dr. Dascher Branch-Elliman, ensuring comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of your child’s oral health. This multidisciplinary collaboration provides integrated treatment planning that coordinates interceptive orthodontics with preventive care and developmental milestones.
Our Manhattan office is specifically designed to create positive experiences for young patients, with child-friendly spaces and a gentle approach that builds comfort with dental visits. We take time to explain treatments in age-appropriate language, demonstrate equipment, and address any concerns, creating a foundation of trust that benefits your child’s relationship with dental care throughout life.
Your child has a persistent thumb, finger or tongue habit. These types of childhood habits should be eliminated by the time your child enters kindergarten. If left untreated, they could cause the front teeth to be pushed out too far and the shape of the palate to change. Speech problems in addition to eating difficulties are common in children with these persistent habits. Early treatment is an important step to help mitigate extensive bite correction procedures down the road.
Your child has an under bite. An under bite is a serious problem that should be treated as soon as it’s noticed. With an under bite, the upper jaw’s growth is prevented by the lower jaw. If left to the teenage years, an under bite may result in extensive orthodontic treatment and even orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery) to fully correct.
Your child’s teeth protrude too far. This is a problem commonly related to a thumb or finger habit, but it can also be growth-related. One of the biggest problems in children with severely protruding teeth is that they can fall and break or even lose a tooth, resulting in extensive dental work for the rest of their life. It can also cause extreme wear of their back teeth, resulting in jaw problems later in life as well as gum problems.
There isn’t enough room for the adult teeth to come in. Not uncommon, a child loses their baby teeth, then months later there’s no sign of any adult teeth starting to emerge. Much of the time, this is due to a crowding problem in which the jaws are too small and narrow. Early treatment using a rapid palatal expander (RPE) can help make room without the need for extractions.
Our Manhattan practice specializes in pediatric orthodontics with particular focus on growth and developmental patterns. Dr. Choi’s advanced training allows her to identify subtle indicators that might escape notice at practices without pediatric specialization. This expertise in growth prediction helps time interventions precisely during optimal developmental windows, maximizing effectiveness while minimizing treatment duration. By understanding the complex interplay between dental development and facial growth, we create truly individualized treatment approaches for each young patient.
We’ve designed every aspect of our practice with young patients in mind, from kid-friendly waiting areas to gentle clinical techniques that build positive associations with dental care. Our team speaks in age-appropriate language, demonstrates tools and procedures before using them, and celebrates progress throughout treatment. Parents appreciate our transparent communication and educational approach that helps them understand the rationale behind recommended interventions and the importance of timing in pediatric orthodontics.
Unlike standalone orthodontic practices, Park Smiles NYC provides truly integrated care through our team of specialists. Your child’s orthodontic treatment is seamlessly coordinated with pediatric dental care, ensuring that preventive services, interceptive orthodontics, and any necessary specialty treatment work together harmoniously. This comprehensive approach creates efficient treatment plans, reduces appointment burden on busy Manhattan families, and ensures all aspects of your child’s oral development receive appropriate attention.
Signs that your child might benefit from early orthodontic evaluation include visibly crooked teeth, difficulty chewing or biting, early or late loss of baby teeth, mouth breathing, thumb-sucking beyond age 5, and teeth that don’t meet properly. However, many orthodontic issues aren’t obvious to untrained eyes, which is why professional assessment around age 7 is recommended regardless of visible concerns. At our Manhattan practice, we perform comprehensive evaluations that identify subtle issues before they develop into more significant problems.
Many children will still need some form of Phase 2 treatment (comprehensive orthodontics) after early intervention, but this second phase is typically simplified and shortened by successful interceptive treatment. In some cases, early intervention eliminates the need for future treatment entirely, particularly when growth issues are the primary concern. During your consultation at our Manhattan office, Dr. Choi will explain the expected outcomes of early treatment and the likelihood of Phase 2 orthodontics based on your child’s specific conditions and developmental patterns.
At Park Smiles NYC in Manhattan, NYC, our mission is to provide every patient with exceptional care, prioritizing comfort, compassion, and excellence at every step.
We are dedicated to delivering outstanding results through personalized attention in a welcoming and supportive environment. Led by Dr. Krystle Kendall, D.M.D., our skilled team offers a full range of top-quality dental services—all conveniently available under one roof in Manhattan.
Our skilled team in Manhattan, NYC is dedicated to offering a comprehensive array of the very best dental services
Prosthodontics & Cosmetic Dentistry
Prosthodontics & Cosmetic Dentistry
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At Park Smiles in Manhattan, NYC, we make it easy for you to receive top-quality dental care in a convenient and accessible location. Whether you’re due for a routine checkup or seeking specialized treatment, our friendly team is here to provide exceptional service in a comfortable setting.
We look forward to welcoming you to our office and helping you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. Schedule your appointment today!
If you are ready to enhance your smile, the experienced cosmetic dentists at Park Smiles NYC are here to help. Our dedicated team offers a comprehensive range of services, from orthodontics to teeth whitening, to meet all your oral health needs. We understand the importance of a healthy smile for your overall well-being and are committed to ensuring your satisfaction throughout your treatment journey.
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