Guided Growth & Development

Springcrest Dental Associates is helping change children’s lives and setting them up for a successful future. Our doctor focuses on treating children who may have crooked or crowded teeth and/or an underdeveloped jaw to prevent potential lifelong breathing and sleeping problems. There are a few significant symptoms that will alert our dentist to investigate deeper.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Waking up through the night
• Teeth grinding
• Night terrors/night sweats
• Speech delay and/or issues
• Chronic ear infections
• Snoring
• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Bedwetting
• Digestive issues
• Behavioral issues
• Enlarged tonsils

The Importance of Recognizing the Symptoms

Recognizing the signs and symptoms is critical to your child’s overall health and well-being. Many of the symptoms go unnoticed since there are so many children with underdeveloped jaws and parents might not realize how Guided Growth and Development can help. Over time, this can take a toll on your child’s body so it is imperative to get them treatment as soon as they start to show symptoms. The Springcrest Dental Associates team is passionate about helping children overcome these symptoms.

Treatment Options for Kids

When looking for treatment for your child, you have a few options. It is important to note that there is not a guaranteed cure for all symptoms your child may have, but Springcrest Dental Associates work to improve the overall structure of your child’s jaws which helps them to breathe better. Our Guided Growth and Development program is a non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical way to help address these issues by fitting your child with a special mouth guide, which is similar to a mouth guard. Children wear this appliance while sleeping and this can help improve their oral habits, help them to breathe through their nose, and expand the jaw to create room for their teeth.  Your child’s treatment will vary depending on their symptoms.

Steps for Children

At Springcrest Dental Associates, we focus primarily on helping kids who have crooked and crowded teeth and underdeveloped jaws. Before they receive treatment, there are a few steps that we must follow:

1. The parent will attend a parent education meeting.
2. The parent of the patient will fill out new patient paperwork.
3. Our dentist will perform an exam and discuss any symptoms your child shows.
4. We will discuss oral appliance needs for growth and development.
5. You child will likely leave with a night time guide same day, and for older children we will determine if they will move forward with an active wear guide (used during both the day and night time) or palatal expansion.