An orthodontist is a dentist who has attended a specialty educational program for advanced dental specialty training for a period of two or three years. This additional training gives us a thorough understanding of growth and development, and of the fundamentals of orthodontic treatment planning.

Both of our doctors will be actively involved in your treatment. Each orthodontic patient’s treatment is carefully planned by both Dr. Weintraub and Dr. Eltink, to ensure that the best treatment plan is implemented. During the course of your treatment, you will be seen by both doctors. This unique setup allows us to optimize our time with our patients and ensures that we run on time with our appointments.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all patients be seen for an orthodontic evaluation by age seven. Many severe problems can be prevented from fully developing by initiating early orthodontic treatment (age seven to nine years old).

We place all patients who are not ready into our "Orthodontic Guidance Program." This allows patients to be recalled to our office periodically in order to assess their status in terms of orthodontic development.

Interceptive or early treatment is initiated at seven to nine years of age for severe bite problems. Some problems must be treated at a younger age to produce the best orthodontic result. If treatment for a severe problem is delayed to a later age, a complete correction may not be possible. Early orthodontic treatment can sometimes avoid extractions of permanent teeth and may produce a more stable result. Phase I treatment typically lasts for about 12 months followed by retainers for several years until all permanent teeth erupt. Most patients require comprehensive treatment at approximately age 12 to finish the correction of their bite problem.

Many factors determine the length of treatment, such as the severity of the bite problem, the patient’s response to treatment and the patient’s cooperation during treatment. You may be surprised to hear that age is not a major factor. Although some minor problems may be resolved in less than a year, most orthodontic cases require approximately two years for completion.