Welcome to our first newsletter of 2010! March is here and spring is in the air (as are the allergens) and after all the rain, the springtime activities are in full swing. Read on for all the office news, contest winners and upcoming events!
Last week I was asked a very common question and I thought I might take a moment to address it. The question is: "My child is only 6 or 7, when should I bring him in to see you?" A great question because quite often there are only s few permanent teeth in and it might seem like an inconvenience to see a young patient when nothing may need to be done for years. The truth, however, is I would ALWAYS rather see a child too early than too late. The American Association of Orthodontics actually recommends children be evaluated by an orthodontist at age 7.
In this office, 40% of our new patients examinations go into a monitoring or observation system and do not need immediate active treatment and this is just fine. Seeing kids early is beneficial for several reasons:
1. I can monitor facial growth and dental development and be assured we are starting a patient at the optimum time (and this varies greatly among individuals).
2. I can have a chart started and some simple records on file such as an x-ray, a photograph or exam notes in case the pedodontist or family dentist has an orthodontic question that may require an immediate answer (i.e. should we remove a problematic primary tooth?).
3. Should a traumatic accident occur, the child is already a patient of record and I can be called upon in case the pediatric dentist or family dentist is not available.
4. It allows me to predict the timing, nature and costs for future treatment for the family (really important for those big families or planning FSA benefits!)
5. Seeing a child for several observation visits gives me a chance to get to know the child a little more and, more importantly:
6. It gives the child a chance to become more familiar with me and the team.
7. And lastly, it allows the child to be eligible for contest prizes and events and enrolled in our very new and exciting "Cub Club"!
So in other words, please never feel like you are asking me to evaluate your children too early... I like it that way!
Hope to see you soon!
Dr. Marcel
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