Early orthodontic treatment in Anthem, starting with a look, not a plan.
The American Association of Orthodontists points to a first orthodontic check around age 7. At Romans Orthodontics that check is free, and for plenty of children it ends with the least dramatic answer there is: nothing yet, let us keep an eye on it.
- Board-certified orthodontist
- Craniofacial fellowship trained
- Free consult, no obligation
Dr. Romans sees your child himself. If treatment can wait, he will say so.
The screening note said see an orthodontist.
So now you are reading a website at 9pm, wondering whether your six year old needs braces. Here is the calm version.
A note from a school screening or from your dentist is a suggestion to get one set of specialist eyes on how your child's jaws and adult teeth are coming in. It is not a diagnosis and it is not a decision. An early orthodontic check is a look, nothing more: Dr. Romans measures how the upper and lower jaws are growing, where the permanent teeth are heading, how the bite fits together and how your child is breathing. Then he tells you what he sees. The reason age 7 comes up at all is that a handful of those things are simpler to guide while a child is still growing.
See how braces for kids work here →What an early orthodontic check actually covers.
- Digital scans instead of impression trays, plus imaging
- A growth and development evaluation, with a bite and jaw alignment assessment
- An airway assessment, because how a child breathes belongs in this conversation
- If phase 1 is genuinely needed: expanders, space maintainers, corrective appliances or pediatric aligners
- If it is not needed: a plan to watch and recheck rather than treat [CONFIRM: are growth monitoring recheck visits free of charge?]
Built for a child who does not want to be here.
Nobody is putting a tray of goop in your child's mouth. Records are taken with a digital scanner, and the visit starts with a tour of the room so the equipment stops being mysterious. Dr. Romans is the only orthodontist here, so your child meets the same person at the recheck a year later, and you do not repeat the story to somebody new. Parking is reserved right outside a ground-level door, so the trip in takes about a minute. You can text the office on the same number you would call.
Trained to read how a child grows.
Telling a parent their seven year old needs nothing yet takes more judgment than starting treatment does.
Dr. Romans finished his orthodontic specialty training and MSD at Saint Louis University, then spent a craniofacial fellowship year at St. Louis Children's Hospital with the Washington University team, caring for children with cleft lip and palate. That work is about facial growth in children, which is the exact question an early check asks. He is also the only orthodontist in the practice, so the person who says wait is the person who looks again next year.
- Board certified by the American Board of Orthodontics, a voluntary examination of his own clinical cases
- MSD and orthodontic specialty training, Saint Louis University
- Craniofacial fellowship, St. Louis Children's Hospital, with the Washington University team
- "More than 7 years dedicated to orthodontics, including advanced specialty training."
- Your visit can happen in English or Polish
Ask about your child's first check.
Leave four details and the office will call you back to sort out a time. Nothing about your child's health is needed here, and nothing gets decided on this page.
Rather just call or text(623) 320-1222Request your free early check
Early treatment, answered straight.
What age should my child first see an orthodontist?
Around age 7. By then enough permanent teeth have arrived for an orthodontist to see how the bite and the jaws are developing, and it is the age the American Association of Orthodontists names for a first check. Coming in at 7 does not mean starting treatment at 7.
How much does an early orthodontic evaluation cost in Anthem?
It is free. The consult at Romans Orthodontics costs nothing and carries no obligation, and it includes the digital scans, the imaging and the exam with Dr. Romans. If he does recommend treatment, you leave with one exact written all-in price for it, treatment and retainers included, and it is yours to keep.
Will my child definitely need braces later?
An early check cannot promise that either way, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. What it gives you is a clear picture of what is happening now and what to watch for next. Some children who are treated early still need braces or aligners as teens, so phase 1 is not a way of avoiding that.
Does phase 1 mean two rounds of treatment?
It can. Phase 1 handles something specific while a child is still growing, such as making room for permanent teeth or guiding how the jaws fit together, and a second phase later aligns the full set of adult teeth. Dr. Romans will tell you at the consult whether phase 1 earns its place in your child's case, or whether one round of treatment later is the better plan.
What if we just wait until all the baby teeth are out?
Often that is exactly the recommendation, and choosing to wait is a normal outcome of a first visit. A few situations are simpler to guide while the jaws are still growing, a narrow upper jaw or a crossbite among them, and those are the reasons to look now rather than later. The check is how you find out which situation you are in.
Do we need insurance for an early check?
No, because the consult itself is free. For treatment, Romans Orthodontics accepts major PPO dental plans and verifies your benefits during the visit, and FSA and HSA funds are welcome. One thing worth knowing early: orthodontic coverage runs against a lifetime orthodontic maximum, which is separate from an annual dental maximum. More on insurance and financing.
Ready for one honest look at your child's smile?
A free consult in Anthem with the orthodontist who would treat your child, and a straight answer about whether anything needs doing yet. In English or Polish.
Book your free consult