We want to start seeing children in the office at the earliest possible age. We recommend your child’s first appointment between six months and three years old. During this period we will observe and evaluate your child’s jaw, dental arch, and face development.
If we diagnose an airway health issue, we will start treatment between 4-10 years old. Dental screening this early may feel unnecessary, but the sooner we identify and intercept a negative growth pattern or oral problem, the less invasive it will be to treat when the time comes.
Airway issues in children can have a range of long-term implications for their health, development, and quality of life. This is because airway issues, particularly when they occur in early childhood, can affect the development of the face and jaws, which in turn can impact tooth alignment and bite function.
Early observation and intervention allow us to provide minimally invasive treatments that promote proper growth while the jaw and mouth are still developing. It prevents future problems that are harder to fix and require invasive, costly orthodontic treatment down the line. The goal is to prevent long-term complications and improve your child’s quality of life.
To avoid the risks associated with poor oral health and definitively diagnose problems, we like to see children in the office at the earliest possible age. Some of the most significant long-term implications of untreated airway issues include:
Airway issues in children can manifest in a variety of ways, and the signs and symptoms can be different from child to child. Here are some common signs and symptoms that may indicate an airway issue:
Early airway-focused orthodontic intervention can have significant long-term benefits for children, particularly in terms of improving their overall health and quality of life. Here are some of the key benefits of early airway orthodontic intervention:
These guys are pros! They are great with kids, but that’s the easy part. They are excellent at identifying issues and developing a treatment plan that is more holistic than just Dr. Boyd himself. They are smart and innovative, and I am thrilled to have found them. They also do adult dentistry (different dentists), so I’m moving over too!
Prior to receiving his specialty license in pediatric dentistry from the University of Iowa, he earned an MSc degree from Michigan State University in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. His graduate research interests centered around the impact of commercially-processed foods on dental health and body weight. His Nutrition background has served as a great foundation for the specialty practice of Pediatric Dentistry given that many oral health problems are often associated with unhealthy eating; dental caries (cavities) and early periodontal (gum) inflammation (gingivitis) are two of the most common problems associated with unhealthy snacking behaviors.
Dr. Boyd has extensive training and clinical experience in performing risk assessment, diagnosing, and treating very young children who present with non-self-correcting malocclusions with possibly-associated sleep and breathing difficulties.
He lectures worldwide on the topics of Early Childhood Malocclusion (under 72 months), pediatric sleep breathing hygiene, and the newly emerging healthcare discipline of Evolutionary Oral Medicine, also often called Darwinian Dentistry.
He is married and has two adult daughters. When not working, he enjoys tennis, skiing and sailing.