Dentofacial Orthopedics

Dr. Cohen specializes in "Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics."

Every orthodontist starts out in dental school. Upon completion of dental school, some graduates immediately go into practice as dentists. Others choose to pursue a dental specialty, which requires additional schooling during a two- to three-year residency program. There are nine specialties sanctioned by the American Dental Association.

One of the nine specialties is "Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics." An orthodontist straightens teeth - "ortho" comes from the Greek for "straight" and "dontic" from the Greek for "teeth." "Dentofacial" is "teeth" plus "face" while "orthopedics" is "straight" plus "pedic" from the Greek for "child."

Dentofacial orthopedics involves the guidance of facial growth and development, which occurs largely during childhood. As with Orthodontics, appliances are frequently used – the more familiar braces for orthodontics, and other specialized appliances like headgear and expanders depending on what facial abnormalities are present. Sometimes orthopedic treatment may precede conventional braces, but often the two are accomplished at the same time. Basically if your child gets braces and headgear, he's undergoing orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics!

As Dr. Cohen is skilled at both, he can diagnose misalignments in the teeth and jaw as well as facial structure, and can devise a treatment plan that integrates both orthodontic and dentofacial orthopedic treatments.