The American Academy of Orthodontics recommends children visit an orthodontist by age 7 for a general check up. Not all children will need braces, and not all children are developmentally ready for orthodontic work. If you come in for a free consultation, there is a chance that your child will not quite be ready to begin orthodontic treatment. We may want to wait for some teeth to fall out, or some teeth to grow in! These patients will go into our Observation Program. We recommend that observation patients come in for a checkup every 6 months.These check ups are at no cost to you, and they will help us to determine the best time developmentally to initiate treatment.