2012 Candy Buyback

CANDY BUY BACK 2012:  Our 2012 Candy Buy Back campaign is complete.  We shipped
almost 460 lbs to two very worthy causes.  The first is Operation Gratitude where the candy will be shipped to the troops overseas.  Each box included letters written by the kids selling their candy to the soldiers.  The second is Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, FL where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families spend a weeks’ vacation and every Monday they celebrate Halloween, so the candy will be given out then.

October is recognized as National Orthodontic Health Month.

Today, nearly 400 million children in North America are undergoing orthodontic treatment. Many people think of teens and pre-teens when they think of braces but problems in the jaw arise much sooner than that. This is why the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child receive an orthodontic examination no later than age 7.

It may seem strange that a 7 year old could need braces but that is the age when the adult teeth start to grow in and that is when orthodontic problems start to occur. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight and not crowded, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect. The Orthodontists at Dental Associates of Connecticut receive special training beyond dental school allowing them to spot subtle problems with jaw growth and newly erupting adult teeth while the baby teeth are still present.

The check-up performed by the orthodontist may reveal that your child’s bite is fine. Or, the orthodontist may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring the child’s growth and development for a few years. In some cases, the orthodontist might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment between the ages of 7 and 10. Early treatment is referred to as “interceptive treatment”. Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment during the junior high school years shorter and less complicated. With interceptive treatment, the orthodontist may be able to achieve results that could not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
It is important to see the orthodontist by age 7 to guide jaw growth, lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth, correct harmful oral habits, improve appearance and guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position.

Dental Associates has an orthodontist in each of their 4 locations in Shelton, Newtown, New Milford and Danbury. At Dental Associates, the orthodontist and the pediatric dentist work closely together to make sure that all children receive an orthodontic screening between the age of 7 and 10. Through an early orthodontic evaluation, the Dental Associates pediatric-orthodontic team can give your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile.