Orthodontics Overview

Children and adults alike frequently present with narrow jaws, deep overbites, and receding lower jaws. This places them at a high risk of having unhealthy jaw joints (TMJs), which can cause:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Earaches or ringing in the ears
• Clicking or popping joints
• Locking of the jaw or limited mobility
• Neck and facial pain

Dr. Crary uses what is known as the functional philosophy for treating both adults and children. This involves guiding the development of the upper and lower jaws to make room for all of the teeth, eliminating the need for extraction of permanent teeth, and creating broad, gorgeous smiles in the process.

Dr. Crary also uses functional jaw repositioning appliances to gently move the lower jaw forward in cases where patients present with a receding lower jaw or jaw joint (TMJ) problems. This results in both a more attractive facial profile and healthier jaw joints.

Children should be evaluated by the age of 5 to screen for potential problems in their jaw development. Early treatment can help ensure proper development of the upper and lower jaw and prevent the need to remove permanent teeth to create room in the future. It also can prevent impactions of permanent teeth (the “fang” look) and help to eliminate thumb-sucking, abnormal speech, and swallowing habits. In other words, early intervention for children can reverse many problems which become difficult and more costly to correct later on. And because 90% of facial development has already occurred by the age of 12, waiting until this time to begin treatment can cause less than ideal results.

Dr. Crary is passionate about relieving our patients (both adults and children) from the pain associated with unhealthy jaw joints (TMJs) and giving them the broad, beautiful smiles that they deserve. Dr. Crary has completed hundreds of hours of continuing education in facial development, orthodontics, and TMJ disorders, and she is a member of the International Association of Orthodontics.

If you feel that your smile, or your children’s smiles, could use some straightening, contact Aesthetic Dentistry of Stuart today and let us determine if you may be a candidate for orthodontic treatment. We offer a wide range of dental care services for our Stuart friends and neighbors, including general dentistry, restorative dentistry, and neuromuscular dentistry for TMJ therapy. Aesthetic Dentistry of Stuart also proudly serves patients from Port St. Lucie,Palm City, Jensen Beach and Hobe Sound.