your first visit: children and adult orthodontics

The AAO (American Association of Orthodontics) recommends that children come in for their first orthodontics visit by age 7. At this age, children will have a mix of "baby teeth" and adult teeth. At this visit, Dr. Passman will be able to recognize growth and malocclusion problems at an early stage and determine if early treatment -- Phase I -- is necessary in order to prevent more severe dental problems in the future.

Phase I treatment most often treats:

• Crossbites - Upper teeth should sit outside of the lower teeth when the mouth is closed. In some cases, one or more upper teeth may be inside teeth when biting down.
• Moderate crowding of baby teeth - While moderate spacing is normal, moderate crowding can often lead to problems later on when adult teeth have erupted or are in the process of erupting.
• Severe protrusion of anterior teeth - Protrusion, the forward position of the upper front teeth caused either by a prolonged habit or other reasons, can put upper teeth at risk for trauma due to their forward position.
• Habit correction - Prolonged thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or any other habits can lead to changes in the shape of the dental arches leading to crowding, narrowing of the upper jaw, and problems with occlusion (dental bite).
• Early or late loss of primary teeth - Baby teeth lost too early may lead to space loss, which can cause problems for the adult teeth that need to erupt in their place.
• Underbites - When the upper front teeth lie behind the lower front teeth, Dr. Passman needs to evaluate and discuss treatment options depending on the severity of the child's skeletal malocclusion. 

If Dr. Passman deems it is necessary and beneficial for your child to have early intervention, she may recommend Phase I treatment, which commonly includes an expander, a type of headgear, and/or limited braces. 

Every patient is different, and we most often recommend a conservative "watch and see" approach where we will hold off early treatment and simply monitor growth and development until your child has all of his or her adult teeth. 

Once the adult teeth are almost all in, your child is ready for a consultation for Phase II, or what is traditionally known as "braces." 

You Have Options!

Although traditional metal braces are still the most popular option, our office offers many different treatment modalities that work for your and your child's lifestyle. We understand that everyone has unique needs. 

We are proud to offer our patients:

• Ceramic (clear brackets)
• Clear Aligners (Invisalign, Invisalign Teen etc.)
• Lingual Braces
• Traditional Metal Braces

 We are very proud to offer many orthodontic options for adults as well. We love to treat the whole family!

Many of our patients are adults who either had treatment as a child and would like to treat crowding that has occurred over time or patients who have never had orthodontic treatment. Orthodontics is for all ages.

We offer clear and metal braces and Invisalign treatment options that many adults prefer. 

Dr. Passman is proud to offer clear aligner options, such as Invisalign, which may better suit adults' lifestyles. While clear aligner therapy may be available at non-orthodontic offices as well, it is important to seek orthodontic treatment from a specialty-trained orthodontist in order to achieve safe and effective results. Dr. Passman trained an additional 3 years in the orthodontics specialty and completed a residency at Columbia after completing her 4-year Doctoral degree.  

Some patients may be better suited to a bracket and wire system. For those patients who prefer a more "invisible" option we offer ceramic (clear) brackets. 

We also offer lingual braces, or braces that go "behind" the teeth. If you are interested in this option please let our office know and after an evaluation Dr. Passman will be able to tell you if you are a good candidate for lingual braces.

Many of our adult patients embrace our traditional metal bracket system as well! We pride ourselves in working with our adult patients to cater to their personal preferences and their social and professional needs.

Many of our adult patients opt for clear or invisible options for retention. We offer clear aligner type retainers, Vivera retainers, and bonded lingual retainers on the inside of teeth.