After this early stint in dental school, I earned thousands more hours of continuing education over family dinners. My mom would talk about general dentistry and my dad would talk about orthodontics. Holiday dinners with extended family were like tight-knit dental conferences - Orthodontist uncles, Cosmetic Dentist cousins and Periodontist in-laws talking about teeth the entire time.
After dental school, I spent 2 years of postdoctoral residency being mentored by some of the preeminent clinicians on the East Coast and became a certified specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
Some guys like to putter on the golf course. Some get jazzed building cars from scratch. For me, creating logical orthodontic plans and guiding them to fruition over the one to two years your child (or you) are in my care is my passion.
That said, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends you have an orthodontist evaluate your child for budding orthodontic problems at age 7. This is the best age to identify issues before they become costly problems one or two years later.
If treatment is recommended, then we can talk about getting braces and the investment involved. For any portion of treatment your insurance does not cover, there is zero-interest, in-house financing available.