No, it is not. Many of our patients are referred by their family dentist, yet many others take the initiative to schedule an examination on their own. Some dentists are under the misconception they must wait until all the permanent teeth are in to make an orthodontic referral. It is quite the opposite with today’s techniques, the sooner the better! Since Dr. Shah is a specialist in growth and development, the decision of when to start treatment is best placed in his hands.