Dr. Thomas Christie and staff members will post thoughts and research information in this section. You will also hear from some parents who have experienced The Orthodontic Center in addition to adult patients.
Please let us know your thoughts by clicking on comment at the bottom of each entry or just read the posts to learn more about us. If you are looking for information on specific subjects, go to the listing to the right and click.
If you would like to chat with us further, then please call us at 203.259.3341.
The Orthodontic Center in Fairfield, CT
All parents would probably like to know what the future holds for their children. Success. Health. Happiness. Unfortunately, for most things in life, the future is unpredictable, relying on personalities, environment and even to some extent, luck.
But there is one aspect of your child’s future that you can control and that is the ability to identify facial growth patterns and embark upon an orthodontic treatment plan that will provide your child with enhanced appearance at maturity.
Through the use of computer based technology, we can project entire facial and jaw-growth at an early age. This information is then used for early preventative orthodontics and eliminates invasive and costly therapy. With facial growth forecasting, the avoidance of extractions and incorrect orthopedic procedures is the ultimate reward.
Dr. Thomas Christie, Director
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First Orthodontic Check Up
The right time for an Orthodontic check up is no later than age 7. Even though most people think of pre-teens and teens when they think of orthodontics, there are good reasons your child should get an orthodontic evaluation much sooner. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends an orthodontic check up no later than age 7.
At The Orthodontic Center in Fairfield, CT, here are a few reasons for an early visit:
1. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.
2. Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
3. Early treatment may give your orthodontist the chance to guide jaw growth,correct harmful oral habits and guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position.
We support and are guided by the American Association of Orthodontists.
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What is Sleep Apnea?
50 million people have sleep disorders. One is snoring, which is disruptive and fatiguing. Sleep Apnea which has the potential to be life-threatening, is an extreme case of snoring. Obstructions in throats and noses are what cause snoring and in Sleep Apnea, that obstruction is total. The blockage can be caused by enlarged tonsils or lymph nodes, polyps or large adenoids and sometimes, simply by the postion of the tongue and or jaw when asleep.
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Dr. Christie is the Orthodontist for Us!
I would wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Christie to anyone who needs braces. He and his staff are a pleasure to work with. I am so thankful I did not subject my children to the first orthodontist I met with. She told my husband and me that my seven year old needed oral surgery to remove permanent teeth “right away.” This seemed very drastic to me, so I decided to get a second opinion. The second orthodontist I met with was so laid back; he did absolutely nothing for a year! Finally, I found out about Dr. Christie. He is professional, kind, and very knowledgeable. Both of my children have been under his care for the last year and half and we are all very glad we found him, and he said there was no reason to remove any of my son’s permanent teeth!
Michelle Cremona Walker, Parent, Fairfield, Connecticut
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Early Treatment of Orthodontics
For many years, orthodontics waited until all of the permanent teeth were in to begin treatment of children. Many disadvantages were evident with this waiting, however. In many cases, permanent teeth needed to be removed in order to gain enough room to align the teeth properly. Because of this, facial profiles often became less attractive. Faces may have become “flat” in appearance; smiles could have shown too much gum tissue; lips could have become pencil thin rather than full and attractive; noses may have looked larger that they really were, etc.
As orthodontists, we have always had the option of treating early but in the past, long term advantages were minimal because our treatment basically amounted to holding or maintaining space. If the jaws were too small, there was not enough room for all the permanent teeth!
Because of my extensive research on the topic of early vs. later orthodontic treatment, our pracitce, The Orthodontic Center in Fairfield, Connecticut, has for the last 16 years used early treatment to not only hold space but to gain space. This has been accomplished through the use of accurate “Facial Print” growth predictions to maturity. Treatment is now planned from maturity for the rest of the child’s life.
Because of the effectivenes of the Facial Print technology, I recommend that children be seen for the first time at four or five years of age to check facial development and then in most cases, treatment doesn’t begin until the patient is six or seven years old.
For more information about the FACIAL PRINT, go to “How We Keep You Smiling” on this site or call us at The Orthodontic Center, 203.259.3341
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Facial Growth Forecasting
With facial growth forecasting, the avoidance of extractions and incorrect orthopedic procedures is the ultimate reward.
Here is how the facial growth forecasting works:
1. We perform an oral examination of your child and if necessary obtain appropriate diagnostic records including models, photographs and x-rays.
2. The information is then sent through our data center which correlates worldwide growth information. The result is a Facial Print that is unique for every person.
3. Using the Facial Print “formulas,” we can accurately plot the individual’s total facial growth.
4. We will be able to conduct a separate analysis of tooth space, breathing, and possible third molar impaction, as well as the child’s total skeletal height at maturity.
Upon completion of this evaluation process, we will formulate a unique therapy plan designed specifically for your child.
If you have any questions about this or any other orthodontic procedure, please call us at The Orthodontic Center so we can help you.
Posted by Valorie | Comment (0)
Happy New Year!
We at The Orthodontic Center wanted to wish all of our families a Happy New Year!
We wish you all the very best and look forward to seeing you in 2007!
Dr. Christie, Derry and Beth
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The Christie Family
Pictured are Dr. Christie, Eliza, Logan, Janet Christie, Cassidy, and Cole.
Ted E. Bear: Better know as ‘Ted’. Ted is a 2 year old, 95 lb. Goldendoodle, who thinks he’s a lap dog. Teds interests include going to church, going to Nursery School and church youth group, especially when they’re serving pizza. Ted likes to watch tv and likes everyone.
Danny Boy: Danny is a 8 year old Welsh Springer Spanial who lives to eat. He has mastered counter surfing and wags his tail constantly. Having a little stuborn streak, over the years Danny has come to belive his name is “Danny-No!” He also gives a great high-five.
Lily: Lily is a 5 year old miniature Wire-Haired Dachshund. She is a 6 lb. alfa queen. When Lil barks, the 3 male dogs shudder. She rules the kitchen with an iron paw and isn’t afraid of anyone. She likes to get her hair done and go shopping. She loves to go out for ice cream. The entire family trys very hard to please her.
Rocky: Rocky is a 4 year old miniature Wire-Haired Dachshund. Rocky is the tough guy in the kitchen, all 10 lbs of him. He is extremely loving but very territorial. He requires a lot of attention and is our resident bug hunter.
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The Dental Community
We want to welcome the dental community to this website and more specifically to “we are talking.” This is an area where each dentist is welcome to share comments, thoughts, ideas and advice! We look forward to hearing from you!
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Let’s take you on a Tour!
Let us take you on a tour of Dr. Christie’s orthodontic practice. If you come often already, have you noticed the changes to the office? Take a look:
Look for us here at 69 Sherman Street, Fairfield, CT
Come on up!
This is where you normally find Derry who will sign you in with a smile.
You can wait here for Dr. Christie and his staff.
As you walk down the hall to see Dr. Christie, notice the smiling faces!
Thanks for visiting!
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