Rising Star (Early Growth Monitoring) in Lewisville and Carrollton, TX

Every kid deserves a head start on a great smile. The Krieger Orthodontics Rising Star program gives kids ages 5-10 exactly that — and much more! Learn more and book your complimentary consult to get started.

Although early orthodontic treatment — also called Phase I treatment — isn’t included with our free growth monitoring program, it may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.

In some cases, the Krieger Orthodontics team will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing. Early treatment can give us the chance to:

• Align jaw growth
• Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
• Correct harmful oral habits
• Improve appearance and self-esteem
• Avoid extractions of permanent teeth
• Correct teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all

Signs your Child’s Bite’s Not Right

It's not always easy to tell when your child may need braces or has an orthodontic problem. Even your child may not know that they are having a problem! Here are some clues that may indicate the need for orthodontic attention:

• Early or late loss of baby teeth
• Difficulty chewing or biting
• Breathing through the mouth
• Thumb-sucking
• Crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
• Jaws that are too far forward or back
• Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
• Upper and lower teeth that don’t meet, or meet in an abnormal way
• Uneven facial appearance
• Grinding or clenching of teeth

It's important to note that, while these are common signs, there are lots of subtle variations from smile to smile. Our doctors have extensive training in using these signs to help diagnose problems. It’s important to visit an orthodontist early with your child. It’s the only way to know for sure whether it’s something that early orthodontic treatment will help address.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that parents schedule their child’s first orthodontic visit by age 7. It’s around this time that their little smiles have a mix of baby and permanent teeth, and because their jaws are still developing, it’s important to monitor how adult teeth come in.

Without growth monitoring, crowding and other potential problems may make orthodontic treatment more challenging later in life.

As a Rising Star, your child is one of our VIPs (Very Important Patients). In addition to the true “star” treatment we cover below, your Krieger Orthodontics care team helps watch for orthodontic issues before they become more serious, making the work of orthodontics in their later years a lot easier. For example, we’ll monitor:

• Potential cross-bite and open bite development
• Obstructive breathing issues — is your child a mouth breather?
• Position of baby and permanent teeth
• Dental overcrowding or spacing which could hinder or affect permanent tooth development or position
• How permanent teeth come in
• Teeth at risk for injury or decay due to protrusion or overcrowding
• Harmful habits that may cause orthodontic problems (like thumb sucking)
• Oral hygiene and overall dental health
• A balanced facial appearance

Teeth at risk for injury or decay due to protrusion or overcrowding Harmful habits that may cause orthodontic problems (like thumb sucking) Oral hygiene and overall dental health Jaw and bite alignment.

Plus, because we like to have fun, Rising Stars learn a lot, so coming to the orthodontist becomes "no big deal" over time.