Have you ever looked closely at your child’s habits of chewing, swallowing, walking or sleeping?

Children’s poor habits often stem from discomfort in the body. Because the body is one and all its structures are connected, looking at a child’s body comes before orthodontic treatment.

The aim of ALF Therapy for growing children is to watch, with small forces and small supports, the direction in which the child’s mouth and body are growing, and to find together the position that suits each child’s own face.

During treatment we build up, together, the experience of noticing how the body is connected, so that the child can go on looking after their own body after treatment ends.

We look at concerns like these together.

ALF appliances are custom-made from light, flexible wire and sit on the inner side of the teeth.

Treatment can start at any time once all the baby teeth are in and the first bite has settled; we see ages 4 to 6, when children are not afraid of the dentist, as a good time.

Dr. Oh uses small forces while watching how the child’s body responds.

During ALF Therapy for growing children (ALF Phase 1 treatment), we also look at how the ALF appliance responds to the tongue and the tissues of the mouth as they move in swallowing.
Dr. Oh palpates the head and neck region by hand and, from the perspective of cranial osteopathy, combines diagnosis with appropriate treatment.
During the growing years, arch expansion is also done slowly, with small forces.