Dentofacial Orthopedics

Dentofacial Orthopedics is often associated with Orthodontics. While most people know that orthodontics deals with straightening teeth, they may not know what the term Dentofacial Orthopedics means. Derived from Greek roots, the term Dentofacial Orthopedics combines Dento(teeth) plus facial(face) with ortho(straight) and pedics(child).

Dr. Azar is a trained orthodontist, having received training in Dentofacial Orthopedics. She works on not only straightening the teeth, but also on creating harmony between the jaws and facial bones with the surrounding structures.

Because children are still growing, we have a unique opportunity to coordinate their jaw alignment and position with orthopedic changes as the braces straighten their teeth. Once the growth is complete, only surgical orthodontic treatment, called orthognathic surgery, can alter the jaw position. Having your child evaluated early on will enable us to schedule orthodontic treatment that will take advantage of their natural growth and development.