Dr. Kelly is more than just a Chicago dentist that treats children’s teeth – he also looks at your child’s facial development – its balance, its form and its contribution to a clear airway.
Proper Child Facial Development with Your Chicago Dentist
Orthodontists in Chicago mostly concentrate on how straight and even they can get your child’s teeth without concern for other developmental and functional factors. They will show you models of straight teeth, but if those teeth are not functioning appropriately, or placed within the growth of the child (a gummy smile, narrow arch, dark triangles between the teeth and gums, recessed chin), orthodontists in Chicago are missing the big picture. 
Not the case with Dr. John Kelly. At your Chicago dentist’s office, you can be certain that your child’s growth and development is our main objective. Because an uncompromising airway is essential for proper growth and overall development, we focus on breathing patterns. The way the tongue, teeth and lips are held at rest is called oral posture and when altered, your child can develop crooked teeth and unfavorable facial growth. Breathing through the mouth rather than the nose frequently causes altered oral posture. We try to find the reason someone is a mouth-breather and change the pattern to nose-breathing.
Sleep Disorders and Your Child
Dr. Kelly also treats sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnea. As a sleep apnea treatment professional, he is one of Chicago’s strongest advocates for the prevention and treatment of child sleep apnea. He works with your growing child as soon as problems are identified and helps guide the proper growth of the jaws to accommodate the teeth, while increasing the airway.
Dr. Kelly will never extract teeth to alleviate crowding, or prescribe headgear and retract the face. For the best child facial development in Chicago, a broad smile and a forward face holds the key. Not only are they more attractive but they also accommodate the teeth while keeping the airway from being compromised. So as well as straightening teeth, your Chicago dentist helps children reach their true growth and genetic potential. These are larger goals than those that traditional orthodontists in Chicago seek to accomplish, but these are the results we are giving Chicago’s kids.