Why age seven is a useful time to look
Around age seven, most children have a mix of baby and adult teeth. That mix is exactly what makes the age useful: Dr. Catherine McLeod can see how the adult teeth are arriving, how the jaws are growing, and whether the bite is heading somewhere that will need a gentle nudge. The Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check no later than age seven for this reason, and our own 6-Seeds Growth Guidance Program welcomes children from age six.
Here is the part parents are often surprised by: most children who come in this early need no treatment at all. They simply join our free growth recalls so we can keep an eye on things as they develop. Early does not mean braces now. It means catching the small number of problems that are genuinely easier to guide while a child is still growing.
What early treatment can, and cannot, do
When something does need attention, treating at the right age can make a real difference. Guiding the jaws while they are still growing can create room for crowded teeth, encourage a narrow upper jaw to widen with a palatal expander, and in some children reduce the chance of removing adult teeth or needing jaw surgery later. This kind of early, growth-timed care is what orthodontists call Phase One treatment.
It has limits, and Dr. Catherine McLeod is honest about them. Early treatment cannot straighten every tooth in one go, and a second, shorter phase of braces or aligners is sometimes still needed once all the adult teeth are through. What it can do is make that later stage simpler, and occasionally avoid it. If your child does not need it, she will tell you straight rather than start treatment for the sake of it.
What a first visit looks like at Embrace Orthodontics
The first appointment is free, and no referral is needed. It is an unhurried look rather than a hard sell. Dr. Catherine McLeod checks the teeth, bite and jaw growth, usually with a quick digital iTero scan instead of the old putty impressions, and then talks you through exactly what she sees. If treatment would help, you leave with a clear plan and an exact, written quote, with interest-free monthly plans from $149 if you decide to go ahead.
If it is a case of watch and wait, your child joins our growth recalls at our Spring Garden Road office in the heart of Halifax, and we check in as the smile develops. Either way, you will know where things stand and what, if anything, comes next. You are welcome to bring any questions, however small, because that is exactly what the visit is for.
For kids: what your first visit is really like
This bit is for you, not your grown-up. When you come to see us, you get to sit in a big comfy chair that moves up and down. Dr. Catherine McLeod will count your teeth and have a good look at how they are growing. Sometimes we take pictures of your teeth with a tiny camera wand. It does not hurt, it just feels a little funny, and you can watch your own teeth pop up on the screen like a video game.
There are no needles here, and nobody does anything without telling you first. You can bring your favourite stuffie, you can ask us anything you like, and if you just want to watch the fish-tank screen for a minute first, that is fine too. Most kids tell us it was way easier than they thought. And yes, there is a sticker at the end.