Ask Dr. Dau: When should my child come in for a consultation?

The truth is, many parents in the Tampa area assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Dr. Steven Dau for a consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

Yes, seven. At that age, enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Dau to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or what Dr. Dau calls “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

An evaluation by Dr. Dau at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, give us a call at Dau Orthodontics to schedule an appointment.

How are Dau Orthodontics Doing? Let us know!

At Dau Orthodontics, we are dedicated to helping you achieve a healthy beautiful smile that gives you the comfort and confidence you deserve! Dr. Steven Dau and our staff are committed to making your orthodontic experience a positive one. Serving the beautiful city of Tampa and surrounding Florida communities of New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land-O-Lakes, Dau Orthodontics offers a warm, inviting, patient-focused environment. We are professional and friendly, and always looking for ways to make your orthodontic treatment more comfortable, convenient and rewarding.

Whether you've visited Dr. Dau and team for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office is faring! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there.

If you wish, you may also review Dr. Dau and team on our Yelp listing.

Thank you in advance, and enjoy your weekend! We look forward to reading your reviews!

Dr. Dau, supporting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Did you know May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? First declared National Physical Fitness and Sports Month by President Reagan in 1983 to encourage Americans to incorporate more activity into their lives, the reminder is even more significant today as kids are distracted by television, social networking and video games. But kids can live an active lifestyle can improve their health, productivity and overall well being! And the best part? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your reference. The guidelines call for children and teenagers to exercise one hour every day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, dancing and jumping rope).

At Dau Orthodontics we always encourage our patients to exercise or participate in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, we recommend you check out this series of helpful articles about kids and exercise, courtesy of our friends at KidsHealth.org.

Happy Monday!