Orthodontics For Kids In Louisville, CO

Q: Does my child need braces if they still have baby teeth?

Sometimes. Phase 1 works while baby and adult teeth are both present and the jaw is still growing. It can address a crossbite, narrow palate, or tooth trapped in bone.

Q: Does Health First Colorado cover braces for kids?

For members 20 and younger who meet state criteria, with prior authorization. Clear aligners and clear brackets are considered cosmetic and are not covered. Health First Colorado is not on our accepted plan list. Dental Aid in Louisville accepts it at (303) 665-8228.

Mini Miners Pediatric Dentistry treats Louisville families from our office in Erie, at 61 Erie Pkwy. Dr. Alison Grover is a Board-Certified Diplomate Pediatric Dentist, and she screens for orthodontic problems during routine checkups. Phase 1 orthodontics, Invisalign and traditional braces all happen in the same office your child already visits. No referral, no second practice.

Most 7-year-olds do not need braces yet. This page covers how the decision gets made, what the research actually supports, and what Colorado pays for.

Age 7 Is When Someone Looks, Not When Treatment Starts

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic evaluation by age 7, and its own consumer guidance is direct about what that means: not all early visits result in treatment. In July 2025 the association built an annual campaign around the distinction, Smiles at 7 Day, held every July 7.

By 7, enough permanent teeth have arrived to read how the bite is developing. Three outcomes are possible. Nothing needed, come back in 6 months. A problem better handled later, so we monitor it. Or a problem where waiting makes the fix harder, and that one we start now.

At Mini Miners the screening happens during a routine cleaning and exam your child already has scheduled, which is what a dental home is for.

What Early Treatment Actually Changes, by Condition

"Early treatment means simpler treatment" holds for some conditions and not for others. Here is what the randomized evidence says.

Two of those rows argue against treatment a practice could bill for. They belong on the page anyway.

The finding most likely to be argued with. The Cochrane review of orthodontic treatment for prominent upper front teeth pooled 27 randomized trials. Children treated early had new front-tooth trauma at 19%, against 30% for children who waited and had one course as teenagers. Final overjet came out the same either way. The authors' conclusion: "There appear to be no other advantages of providing early treatment when compared to late treatment." Read the review.

Trauma prevention is a real reason to start early. It is one reason, not five.

Sources for the other rows: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Orthodontic treatment for posterior crossbites, 2021 (Ugolini and colleagues), and Interventions for the cessation of non-nutritive sucking habits in children, 2015 (Borrie and colleagues).

The 6 Findings That Qualify a Colorado Child for Covered Early Treatment

Health First Colorado covers interceptive orthodontics for members 20 and younger, with prior authorization. It uses a checklist, not a point score. One finding is enough.

From the state's Orthodontic Criteria Index Form for interceptive treatment, covering codes D8050 and D8060:

Two or more of teeth 6 through 11 in crossbite, photographed at 100% incisal overlap
Bilateral crossbite of teeth 3/30 and 14/19, with the cusp completely in the fossa or fully buccal or lingual
Bilateral crossbite of primary teeth A/T and J/K, documented the same way
Crowding with a radiograph showing a bony impaction of a tooth in 6 through 11 or 22 through 27 that needs serial extractions or surgical exposure
Crowding with a radiograph showing 25% root resorption of an adjacent permanent tooth
Unilateral crossbite with a functional shift

Clear brackets and clear aligners are treated as cosmetic upgrades and are not covered on a Medicaid case. Full-course treatment runs on a separate state form and a higher standard.

Where Mini Miners fits. Our published insurance list covers private dental plans, and Health First Colorado is not on it. If Medicaid is your child's coverage, Dental Aid has an office in Louisville that accepts it, and their details are further down this page.

If you are pursuing a Medicaid case anywhere, do not walk into a consult asking whether you "qualify." Ask which Colorado index form the office is submitting, whether your child's finding sits on the interceptive checklist, and whether that office is enrolled with the state as an orthodontic provider. Confirm the current packet with Health First Colorado before signing anything, because state forms get revised.

What We Use, and What Each Option Cannot Do

Phase 1 runs while baby teeth and permanent teeth are both present, roughly ages 6 to 10. That window is set by when your child's adult teeth come in, not by their birthday. Treatment at Mini Miners typically runs 9 to 18 months, depending on what is being corrected.

Invisalign for Kids. Clear aligners built for younger patients. Removable, so your child takes them out to eat and brush, with no food restrictions and no brackets to break during sports. Removable also means they only work while they are in the mouth, which is a real question about an 8-year-old rather than a footnote.
Removable appliances. For a simple crossbite, an appliance your child takes out to eat and brush. Shorter treatment and easier hygiene than anything fixed.
Traditional braces. In Phase 1 these usually go on a few teeth rather than a full arch, aimed at one problem. Used when the movement has to be precise in a way an aligner or a plate cannot manage.
What the aligner marketing leaves out. A systematic review in Progress in Orthodontics, published 30 April 2026, pooled 15 studies and 776 growing patients at a mean age of 8.68. Against conventional expanders, clear aligners produced 1.77 mm less expansion between the molars and 1.75 mm less arch perimeter. Aligners handle mild transverse deficiency and front-tooth alignment well. A narrow palate is a different problem. Dr. Grover will tell you which one your child has before you choose.
Braces carry a risk that rarely appears on an orthodontics page. Brackets are plaque traps, and decalcification can leave permanent white spots on the enamel after the brackets come off. Published prevalence after orthodontic treatment sits around 50%, and lesions can become visible within a month of bonding, against roughly 6 months for ordinary decay (Lopatiene and colleagues, 2016). Hygiene and fluoride are the defense, and they start at bonding, not at debond.

Comfort, and Children Who Need More of It

Getting braces placed does not have to be a bad day. For children who feel anxious about it, we offer nitrous oxide during braces installation, which most orthodontic offices do not provide.

Our team works with children who have sensory processing differences or additional needs, adjusting the approach to match your child's comfort level. Your child can watch a movie on our ceiling-mounted TVs during the appointment and pick something from the prize tower afterward. Our "no scary words" policy applies to the whole team, throughout treatment.

What This Costs, and How Families Pay for It

We take most dental insurance, including Aetna PPO, Anthem, Cigna, Delta Dental, MetLife, United Concordia and United Healthcare, among more than 80 plans. We do not accept Aetna DHMO.

For families without dental insurance, the Mini Miners Membership is built to work around high premiums and waiting periods. We accept CareCredit, HSA and FSA cards, all major credit cards, checks and cash, and we offer in-office payment plans for children who need extensive work. Your portion is collected on the day of service, so you know the number before treatment starts rather than after.

About Dr. Alison Grover, and One Distinction Worth Stating

Dr. Alison Grover established Mini Miners Pediatric Dentistry in 2017. She holds a DDS from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, completed a 2-year pediatric dental residency at UCLA, and is a Board-Certified Diplomate Pediatric Dentist. Her undergraduate degree is from Wellesley College.

Mini Miners is a pediatric dental practice that provides Phase 1 orthodontics. It is not an orthodontic specialty practice, and pediatric dentistry and orthodontics are 2 separate recognized specialties. Dr. Grover's board certification is in pediatric dentistry.

What a pediatric dental office brings to Phase 1: your child's full dental history already lives here, the team already knows what they tolerate in a chair, and the orthodontic screening happens at a visit you were coming to anyway. When a case belongs with an orthodontic specialist, we say so.

Getting Here From Louisville

Our office is at 61 Erie Pkwy, Unit 101, Erie, CO 80516, at the corner of Briggs Street and Erie Parkway in the Erie Commons shopping area, between I-25 and 287. Parking is easy.

One scheduling detail worth knowing. Louisville sits inside Boulder Valley School District. Our office is in Erie, and most of Erie is served by St. Vrain Valley Schools. The 2 districts do not share a calendar, so BVSD late starts and non-student days regularly fall on mornings when Erie schools are running normally. Mention your child's school when you book.

Louisville families see the same team for everything else too. Here is the full picture of what we do as a pediatric dentist for Louisville, CO families.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should my Louisville child first be evaluated?

By age 7, per the American Association of Orthodontists. At Mini Miners it happens during a routine checkup, so there is no separate appointment and no referral needed.

Does my child need braces if they still have baby teeth?

Sometimes. Phase 1 works precisely because baby and adult teeth are both present and the jaw is still growing. It is the right window for a crossbite, a narrow palate, or a tooth trapped in bone. It is the wrong window for mild crowding with a normal bite.

How long does Phase 1 take?

Typically 9 to 18 months, depending on what is being corrected.

Will my child still need braces as a teenager?

Not every child who completes Phase 1 does. Early treatment sometimes resolves the issue outright, and where a second phase is still needed it is usually shorter and less complex than it would have been. Any office promising no further treatment is overselling.

Does Health First Colorado cover braces for kids?

For members 20 and younger who meet the state criteria, with prior authorization. Interceptive treatment uses a 6-item checklist where any one finding qualifies. Clear aligners and clear brackets are treated as cosmetic and are not covered. Health First Colorado is not on our accepted plan list. Dental Aid in Louisville accepts it, at (303) 665-8228.

What if we cannot afford private fees?

We offer the Mini Miners Membership for uninsured families, CareCredit, and in-office payment plans. Beyond that, Dental Aid in Louisville accepts Health First Colorado and CHP+, and the Colorado Orthodontic Foundation at (720) 984-2310 places qualifying families with volunteer orthodontists. We will point you to both rather than only offering financing.