ALF vs. braces - advice needed
My 7 1/2 year old has a very narrow pallet, a bit of an under bite and teeth that have seen alot of movement because of her narrow jaw and thumb sucking. Her old pediatric dentist recommended an ALF appliance. Does anyone have experience with an ALF and/or braces at this age?
And if you have a dentist you can recommend for the ALF, please share the info. Thanks so much!
Sep 3, 2016
Parent Replies
I would make a trip out to Walnut Creek to have a free consultation with Dr. Hockel. (http://www.hockel.com/) He is a sleep apnea specialist, general dentist who does amazing cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics. He is gifted at clearly explaining the reason for the treatment and how it works and would be fabulous for a second opinion. He really loves what he does and is an upstanding trustworthy person with a lot of specialized knowledge. He has worked magic with my two kids doing palate expansion so they didn't need any teeth pulled. He takes into account the whole person with special attention to jaw function and airway preservation. What a difference that makes.
I will be interested in the replies on ALF. But in the meantime, you might see if your child is tongue-tied. 7 1/2 is old enough to tolerate the procedure and the after care of stretching. While releasing the tongue now can't make up for the fact that it wasn't widening the palate by resting their earlier, she can be taught to rest it there now and help maintain what any appliance accomplishes. It could also free her chin and lower jaw to grow and help with underbite. Dr. Yazdi in Castro Valley may consult. He mostly focuses on releasing breastfeeding infants but he is the best in the Bay Area for tongue tie. It is likely that body work and Oral Myofunctional Therapy will assist your daughter in 'waking up' and strengthening underused oral muscles as well.
My daughter just completed her treatment with Dr. Claire Ferrari in Kensington/North Berkeley. From the serene office environment, to the warm and friendly staff, Dr. Ferrari has a way with kids and adults. My daughter sucked two fingers each night until she was 9 years old and the braces helped create space in her jaw to accommodate her growing palate. Of note is that Dr. Ferrari uses 3D imaging that I didn't see in other offices I visited for 2nd and 3rd opinions before I chose to have her treated by Dr. Ferrari. This imaging gives a much more comprehensive look at not only dental alignment, but jaw movement and even airway breathing. http://ferrariorthodontics.com/ Good luck!