Coordinating Care with the Orthodontist

You’ll still want your child to come in for his or her 6 month recare appointments. The orthodontist will, of course, give you a summary of how your child is doing with their brushing. Going to a monthly orthodontist appointment does not replace seeing the pediatric dentist for recare appointments. Dr. Lindhorst or Dr. Jadav will have the hygienist clean your child’s teeth, take cavity-detecting radiographs (if they are due), check for dental decay, pathology, and do a thorough head and neck examination to screen for any abnormalities. Without coming in to Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry, there may be undiagnosed decay or pathology present, which is the last thing you want to uncover as your child get his or her braces off! We will monitor your child’s bite alongside the orthodontist. Also, anytime your child has an appliance or braces in his or her mouth, his or her risk of decay or gum disease increases significantly.

Some patients even benefit from a 3 month appointment in between the 6 month appointments for thorough cleanings with the hygienist. Often, your child’s oral hygiene habits will suffer when in braces, as the increase in difficulty dissuades them from putting in the time necessary to clean around brackets, wires, and appliances.  An additional 3 month appointment allows for the hygienist to go through more oral hygiene instruction and remind the patient about how to care of his or her braces/appliances. With this, we see normally see a significant improvement in hygiene score.

When choosing an orthodontist, we’ll help you make the right choice for your family. Dr. Lindhorst and Dr. Jadav will consider many factors when referring you to the right orthodontist for your child. They consider your child’s orthodontic needs, where you live, and your child’s personality, and then choose the orthodontist that’s the right fit!

We are always happy to share our radiographs with your orthodontist. If we take a panoramic radiograph, Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry can always email it to your orthodontist to help coordinate care. As long as you’ve given us permission, we will be able to accommodate.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. We hope to see you soon!

Dr. Jadav

Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry