Most people know that orthodontists straighten teeth, but did you know that they also assist in changing the shape of the facial bones and jaws? The specialty of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics is an additional 3-year residency program after completing 4 years of dental school. Our team is led by Dr. Ben Fishbein, who was selected for this specialty immediately after completing dental school.

While orthodontics involves tooth movement, dentofacial orthopedics includes the guidance and development of facial bone growth that occurs during childhood. Common appliances used during this time period include expanders (for increased width of the jaw), Herbst and Mara appliances (for mandibular advancement), and reverse pull headgear (for maxillary advancement). We sometimes use these appliances before braces, but also they can also be used during full braces treatment.