Free First Orthodontic Check for Harrisonburg Kids
Scanned this from your child's eighth birthday postcard, or from the sign at the Maker City entrance? You are in the right place, and this page is for you.
Your child is old enough for Maker City. They are also right at the age the American Association of Orthodontists recommends for a first orthodontic screening.
So here is the whole thing. Bring them in once, and we will tell you where they stand. That is it. You are not starting a process, and you are not going to walk out holding a stack of new decisions.
- No cost, and no referral from your dentist required
- We look at how your child breathes and sleeps, not only at how the teeth line up
- Most children this age are not ready for treatment, and we will say so
- If your child is not ready, complimentary check-ups continue through our Kids Club program
Two things tend to happen the year a child turns eight
The first is the fun one. They are finally old enough to walk into Maker City, pick up real tools, and build something that is theirs.
The second is quieter. Enough permanent teeth have come in that an orthodontist can finally see how the whole mouth is going to fit together, and how the jaw is growing.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a screening by age seven. Not because most children that age need braces. Because that is the window when a developing problem is easiest to spot and simplest to correct.
Crowding & Spacing
Whether there is room for the permanent teeth still coming in, and whether any are erupting off course.
Bite & Jaw Growth
Crossbites, and an upper or lower jaw growing faster than the other one. Both are far simpler to guide now than later.
Breathing & Sleep
Snoring, mouth breathing, and restless nights. This one gets more attention from us than most parents expect, and there is more on it below.
Snoring is not something a child grows out of
If your child snores, sleeps with their mouth open, or wakes up tired no matter how early they went to bed, that is worth an orthodontist's attention.
Sleep disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea in children usually come down to one of two things. Either something is blocking the airway, like enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or there is not enough room for the tongue because the jaws are narrow or set back.
Age seven or eight matters here more than almost anywhere else in orthodontics. The upper jaw is still in two halves at this age. While it is, we can widen it and open the nasal airway without surgery. Once it fuses, that option closes.
What we ask parents to watch for at home
- Snoring or noisy breathing at night
- Breathing through the mouth, day or night
- Restless sleep and daytime drowsiness
- Waking up tired after a full night
- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- Mood swings and irritability
- Short attention span, or symptoms that look like ADD or ADHD
- Bedwetting past the age you would expect
No single one of these means your child has a breathing problem. Together they form a pattern worth ruling out, and the screening that rules it out is free.
When it is orthodontic, the fix is usually growth-oriented: expanding and aligning the jaw to make room for the tongue and open the airway, often without removing any teeth. When it is not orthodontic, we will say so and point you toward your pediatrician or an ENT for tonsils, adenoids, or allergies.
A check you can do tonight at the kitchen table
Tick anything you have noticed. It takes about a minute, there are no wrong answers, and nothing here is a diagnosis. It only tells you whether there is enough going on to be worth one visit.
Nothing ticked yet
This is a conversation starter, not a diagnosis. Only an exam can tell you what is actually going on.
Most children this age do not need braces yet
A lot of parents put off that first visit because they assume walking into an orthodontist's office means walking out with a treatment plan and a payment schedule.
That is not how this works. Not every child requires early treatment, and plenty come in for a first screening and leave with nothing more than a note to come back next year.
For those children we offer complimentary observation exams every six to twelve months through our Kids Club program, so nothing gets missed while we wait for the right moment.
For the smaller group where something is developing, starting at the right time usually means shorter and simpler treatment later. Sometimes it means avoiding permanent tooth extractions altogether.
Either way, you get to stop wondering about it. Somebody is watching it now, and it is off your list.
What the first visit looks like
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We take a look
A screening exam and digital images, so we can see the permanent teeth that have not come through yet and how the jaw is developing.
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We show you what we see
On a screen, in plain language, with your child in the room. Kids this age are usually very interested in seeing their own teeth from the inside.
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You leave knowing
One of two things will be true when you walk out. Either there is nothing to do yet, and we will tell you when to come back. Or there is something worth starting, and you will know what it is, what it costs and how you can pay for it, and how long it takes, before you decide anything.
If your child is nervous about any of it, ask for Jerry. He is our certified therapy dog, he works most days, and he is very good at making a first visit feel like nothing much at all.
What it looks like when this is handled
A year or two out, the version of this that went well is quiet. Your child stops covering their mouth in photos. They sleep through the night and wake up like someone who slept. Nobody at school says anything about their teeth, which is the entire goal when you are nine.
On your side it is quieter still. Appointments land near things you are already doing. You are not reading about palatal expanders at eleven at night. The thing you were vaguely worried about turned out to be either nothing at all, or something we caught early and finished sooner because of it.
That is what the free screening buys you, even in the years when the answer is not yet.
And while you are here, what about you?
Parents sit in that chair, listen to us talk about their child's teeth, and say nothing about their own. Then on the way out, almost as an afterthought, it comes: I had braces as a kid, but I stopped wearing my retainer.
If that is you, you are the rule, not the exception. Teeth keep moving your whole life. It is not a personal failing and it is not too late.
Adult treatment also does not look like it did when you were fourteen. Clear aligners come out to eat and to brush, and most people will not notice you are wearing them. Plenty of adults finish faster than they expected to.
You do not have to decide anything about it now. Just say something when you are in, and we will look at yours while your child is in the chair. Same visit, no second appointment, still free.
What other parents say
A few of the reviews families have left us on Google.
Very clean office, extremely friendly staff, and Jerry was adorable!! I loved the entire experience for my son!!
Carol F. Google reviewVery informative for our child’s first experience with the process of an expander. 😊
Lauren M. Google reviewWe continue to have an amazing experience with this practice. The staff went above and beyond to make my child feel special and comfortable!
Jennifer F. Google review2505-A Evelyn Byrd Ave.
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm
(540) 433-8814
One visit, and then you will know
Send this over and someone from our front desk will call you to find a time that works around school and work. Booking it is the only decision you have to make today.
Prefer to talk to a person? Call (540) 433-8814, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm.
Giardina Orthodontics is a proud annual partner of Maker City at Explore More Discovery Museum, where children ages 8 to 12 use real tools and materials to build, invent, and solve problems. Learn about Maker City