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• Comprehensive Care from Birth to Age 21 • Spacious child-friendly waiting area • Extended evening & weekend office hours • State of the Art Pediatric Office • Most Insurances Accepted • Convenient on-site parking
Susan Meisler, M.D. • Hilary Smith, M.D. Lisa Mandelker, D.O. • Debra Etelson, M.D. 145 Huguenot St., Suite 200 New Rochelle, NY www.pasw4kids.com • 914.235.1400 Ask the Orthodontist! What signs warrant seeing an Orthodontist before all the baby teeth fall out? Some signs include a very deep bite, underbite, or crossbite, and mouth breathing and poor sleep. These signs indicate a craniofacial imbalance or orofacial muscular imbalance (improper tongue posture as an example). Other signs to look for include habits like thumb sucking, speech problems, and inability to pay attention at school. Small airways at a young age can sometimes interfere with proper growth and development.
What are some treatments available in early interceptive orthodontics? There are many treatments in early interceptive orthodontics, but two common ones are: Expanders: Mouth breathing, snoring, and poor sleep are all signs of a small airway. Apart from possibly having to remove the tonsils with an ENT, an orthodontic expander helps open the airway—the roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose, so expanding the upper jaw can help your little one breathe—and restore good tongue posture. It also promotes proper facial development and restores orofacial muscular balance. Bite plate retainers: If the issue is an overbite that inhibits the lower jaw growth, a simple retainer will help. If not intercepted, this could result in a permanently recessed lower jaw.
What is most rewarding about being an orthodontist? The HUGE smiles on my patients’ faces when we finish treatment! Sometimes I get happy tears and other times a little dance. It is absolutely amazing to be able to help my patients improve their smiles, their quality of life, boost self-confidence, and, in some cases, restore health. Dr. Merissa Blais received high honors from Columbia University School of Dental Medicine and completed her residency in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the University of Pennsylvania, training in both early intervention orthodontics and adult orthodontics. Merissa Blais, DDS
2 Overhill Road, Suite 300 • Scarsdale, NY 10583 blaisortho@gmail.com • www.blaisortho.com
Blais Orthodontics, PC Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics WestchesterParent
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