Does She Need Braces? {Why I Took My 7-Year-Old To An Orthodontist}

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This post is brought to you by Stubbs Orthodontics. All opinions and images are my own. 

Just thinking about the orthodontist takes me back because of course, I had braces back in the day. My guess is you probably did too (and if you didn’t I’d like to go on record as JEALOUS).  I had two straight years of brackets, and rubber bands, and worrying about popcorn and ice and anything else that could potentially interfere with the metal in mah mouth. And that let’s not forget the horror of the Giant Plastic Thing That Holds Your Mouth Open (technical term).  I can still feel the mild discomfort paired with sheer and utter embarrassment as I sat in that orthodontist’s chair way-back-when, with aforementioned Giant Plastic Thing holding my mouth open, wires sticking straight up into the air, and of course that would be the exact moment some upperclassman from my school would walk right by me in the chair and get a glimpse of my face pried open. OH! Middle School! Have Mercy!  

But that’s just it, those years were middle school for me. I was in 7th and 8th grade when I had braces, so I thought I had a long time before I had to start thinking about this for my own kids — not to mention revisiting the chair anxiety that clearly still exists.

I never would have guessed that bringing my 7-year-old in for an orthodontist check up was something I needed to do.

She’s only in first grade! I had lost my baby teeth, had some others pulled, and was headed straight into the awkward teen years before I even thought about braces.

But just like we don’t listen to mix tapes anymore, things have changed a bit in the ortho world too. The American Association of Orthodontists now recommends kids be seen by an orthodontist at the age of 7

Dr. Casi Stubbs, from Stubbs Orthodontics explains in the video :

 The take away there is that IF there is a problem, an orthodontist can do a couple of things to intervene early and correct a bite issue, or save some of that precious enamel that won’t regenerate if teeth are coming together incorrectly.  If I can save my daughter from some of the suffering I went through, sign me up asap.  So we headed in for our very first Orthodontist appointment. Here’s the picture play-by-play of the process:

Stubbs Orthodontics

Stubbs Orthodontics Check InStubbs Ortho X rays

Getting Xrays at Stubbs Orttho

Checking out the braces

Dr Stubbs at 7 yr old visit

Visit with Dr Stubbsx ray talk

Goody Bag From Stubbs at our 7 yr visit

Dr Casi Stubbs

Dr Casi Stubbs Walton County

The whole thing was quick and painless (for us both) ! My mind is at ease that we don’t have to pay for braces just yet. Plus my daughter has already asked to go back twice, so no hint of her mama’s chair anxiety anywhere to be found! 

Mom to mom, there are a couple of things I want you to know. 

We were seen on time, which frankly is a big win. I didn’t have child #2 along for this visit, but normally rolling into a waiting room with two kids in tow makes me break out into a sweat. Her staff respected our time, and stayed on schedule, and that’s something the mom in me really appreciates. Dr. Stubbs is also a mom, so she gets the afternoon madness and told me that one of her goals for the office is to stay efficient and keep the office on schedule, just because she gets how valuable that time is. They had my daughter back there working on X-Rays before I even finished the paperwork! 

And lastly (I wasn’t aware of this until I met Dr. Stubbs, but I think you should be): Dr. Stubbs is the ONLY orthodontist in Walton county (along with Dr. Chew, also at the Stubbs Orthodontics Miramar Office.)  While a regular dentist can use the term “orthodontics” to describe what they do, Stubbs Orthodontics is the only actual ORTHODONTIST office in Walton County, and I think that’s important to know!  

I may or may not have forced my child to listen to 90’s Pandora all the way home, just for the sake of nostalgia.  If you’re planning your own orthodontist visit, might I add that it’s also a great time to re-tell those stories of past orthodontic suffering: “Why, when I was young, I had to have 4 teeth pulled and wear braces for TWO YEARS, barefoot, uphill in the snow…”etc. etc. ?

Turns out a lot has changed since we’ve had braces. No more suffering necessary. It takes a village, and I’m so glad to know there’s someone like Dr. Stubbs in town I can trust with my little girl’s smile. If you’re like me and thought you had a million years to think about braces and are now curious about your kiddo’s teeth, the first visit with Dr. Stubbs is free, and you don’t even need a referral from a dentist. #PeaceOfMind. 

Stubbs Orthodontics Miramar Office is on HWY 98, in the Village Shoppes, with Sushimoto and The Melting Pot. 

Stubbs Orthodontics Niceville Office is at 4633 E. HWY 20, Niceville FL. 

Call:   850-678-8338

VISIT STUBBS ORTHODONTICS ONLINE 

STUBBS ORTHO ON FACEBOOK

STUBBS ORTHO ON INSTA

Have You Taken Your Kids To The Orthodontist Yet? Do You Remember The Giant Plastic Thing?! Share your stories with us in the comments or over on FB

xo

Sara

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Sara Tallent
Sara is a Nashville native, so Destin has been part of her vacation DNA for as long as she can remember. She and her husband Chris have two giggly little girls, Hadley and Lyla. Sara lived in Spain and New Orleans before calling Destin home for the first time. After a few years as a High School Spanish teacher, and a few more moves to solidify their gypsy status, she and her family wound up right back on the Emerald Coast. On the weekends you’ll find her with a camera, trying to coax her kids into staying still for "just one more". She dreams in Spanish, can dance a mean salsa, and can’t say no to an afternoon in Seaside. Follow her on instagram @saratallent

2 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you for posting such an informative article about braces and what you and your child can expect. I hope that this will make the process of getting braces more enjoyable for our local families.

    • Thank you guys! This answered so many questions for our family, hopefully it will help everyone else navigate as well!

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