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Peddicord Family Dentistry

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Ankeny, IA
Peddicord Family Dentistry

Dr. Erika Peddicord. Providing excellent dental care to Ankeny and the greater Des Moines area! www www.peddicordfamilydentistry.com
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08/28/2026

If you have ever asked any of these questions, this post is for you.

Why are my kid’s teeth so crowded?
Why does my child snore?
Why does my child have a gummy smile?
Why is my child always so tired?

These are not random concerns. They are connected. And they are all pointing to the same thing — a jaw that may not be developing to its full potential.

Here is what most parents don’t know:

◆ Crowded teeth are a symptom, not the problem. The jaw didn’t grow wide enough to accommodate every tooth. That is what we address.

◆ Snoring in children is not normal. It is a sign the airway is smaller than it should be. A child who snores is a child who is not sleeping well — and growing children pay a steep price for poor sleep.

◆ A gummy smile tells us the jaw grew downward instead of forward. This is a clinical sign of vertical facial growth and it affects the airway, the profile, and long term health.

◆ A child who is always tired may not be getting the oxygen they need while they sleep. Mouth breathing disrupts sleep quality in ways that add up over years.

And here is what makes all of this urgent:

Children only grow once.

By age 6, eighty percent of jaw growth is already complete. The window to gently guide the jaw forward and wide, to create space for every tooth, to open the airway, is childhood. Once that window closes the options change dramatically. What can be done with a non-invasive, custom orthotropic appliance in a young child may require invasive intervention in an adult.

I share this not to create fear. I share it because knowing it changes everything.

If your child is between 3 and 12 and you are asking any of these questions, please come in. Even if it is just to look and ask questions. The consultation is the first step.

Pure Facial Development serves Central Iowa families. We are one of only a handful of practices in the state offering this care.

Link in bio to book.

📲 Follow us on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric airway, facial development, and sleep health.

07/29/2026

This is a mother of one of my orthotropic patients. She wanted me to share her story. Because she wants other families to have the information she never had.

She sat in my chair recently and said something I haven't been able to stop thinking about:

"I will never be able to get rid of my double chin."

She's right. And it's not her fault. And it's not about weight.

But I want to be clear. This post isn't about how she looks. It's about what her face is telling us about her health.

When the jaw doesn't develop the way it should, forward and wide, with enough room for the airway, the tongue, and every tooth, the consequences go far beyond appearance. The airway is smaller. Breathing is harder. Sleep is compromised. The chin falls back not because of genetics but because the jaw never grew into the position it needed for optimal function.

Her teeth are straight today. But as a child, permanent teeth were removed to make room for the ones that were crowding. Here is what I want every parent to understand about that:

Those teeth were not the problem. They were the symptom.

The jaw didn't develop the way it should have. And instead of asking why, instead of addressing the breathing, the growth pattern, the airway, the solution was to remove healthy teeth and make the arch fit the problem instead of solving it.

That cause never went away. It shows up in the face. In the profile. In the airway. In decades of compromised breathing and sleep that nobody connected to what happened in childhood.

This is what drives everything I do at Pure Facial Development.

We are not here to straighten teeth. We are here to ask why the teeth are crowded in the first place, and to address that cause while the jaw is still growing and responsive. To create space so that every tooth has room to come in. To guide the jaw forward and wide so the airway is open, breathing is efficient, and the face and jaw reach their fullest potential.

When we do that, the teeth come in straight on their own. The profile strengthens. The airway opens. The child sleeps.

That is what success looks like.

If your child has crowded teeth, a narrow arch, mouth breathes, snores, or has been told they need teeth removed to make space, please come in before any teeth are taken out. What is removed cannot be given back. And there may be far more we can do than you have been told.

Link in bio to book a consultation.

📲 Follow us on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric airway, facial development, and sleep health.

07/18/2026

This is what orthotropics actually does.

Not just straight teeth. Not just a prettier smile.

Look at the difference in this child's face.

Before: a gummy smile, cheeks that appear pushed in, eyes that look heavy and tired, a chin that sits back, a profile that isn't where it should be.

After: the gummy smile is gone. The cheekbones have lifted. The eyes are open and bright. The chin has come forward. The profile is strong.

This is not cosmetic. Every single one of those changes happened because the jaw grew forward and wide — the way it was always supposed to grow.

When the jaw develops correctly, the face follows. The cheekbones rise because the upper jaw is in the right position. The eyes open up because the facial structure is supporting them properly. The gummy smile resolves because the jaw is no longer growing downward. The chin comes forward because the lower jaw finally has somewhere to go.

And underneath all of that — an airway that is open. A child who breathes through their nose. A child who sleeps.
This is what we are actually doing when we guide facial development early. We are not straightening teeth. We are helping a face become what it was always meant to be.

The window to do this is childhood. Once growth is complete, these changes require surgery.

If your child is between 3 and 12 — come in. Even if it's just to look and ask questions. The consultation is the first step.
Link in bio to book.

📲 Follow us on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric airway, facial development, and sleep health.

07/02/2026

Freedom looks a little different to us this time of year.

Freedom from tooth pain. Freedom from restless nights. Freedom from watching your child struggle and not knowing why.

That's what we work toward every day — for every family that trusts us.

Happy Fourth of July from Peddicord Family Dentistry and Pure Facial Development. We are grateful beyond words to serve this community.

Our office will be closed July 2nd and 3rd. We'll see you back on Monday, July 7th.
Enjoy every moment with your people this weekend. 🤍

06/26/2026

I get asked the same questions about orthotropic treatment all the time — so let me answer them all at once.

Does it hurt?
The appliances feel unusual at first — a little pressure — but not painful. Most kids adapt quickly, and many actually enjoy seeing the changes happen.

How long does it take?
Every child’s case is different, so treatment length varies. What I can tell you is that changes often happen faster than people expect, and the earlier we start, the more efficiently we can guide growth. We’ll give you a clear picture of your child’s specific timeline at the consultation.

Do they have to wear it all the time?
Yes — most appliances are worn full time (except for eating and cleaning). Consistency is what drives results.

How much does it cost?
Treatment is an investment, and we offer payment plans to make it accessible. The better question might be: what does it cost to wait?

Why doesn't everyone do this if it works?
Honestly — this is a very specialized field. There are only a handful of providers in all of Central Iowa, and most states have none. It requires years of additional training beyond dental school, and ongoing mentorship. It's not taught in most dental programs.

Any other questions? Drop them below — I genuinely love talking about this.

📲 Follow our airway practice on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric breathing, facial development, and sleep health.

06/12/2026

This is my son.

This photo was taken a few years ago — before I understood what I was actually looking at.

Do you see his mouth? Open during sleep. It looked peaceful to me at the time. Just a little boy surrounded by his stuffed animals, finally resting.

But mouth open during sleep means he was breathing through his mouth instead of his nose. And that matters more than most people realize.

Mouth breathing changes the way a child’s face grows. The jaw narrows. The palate rises — and since the roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose, a high narrow palate actually reduces the nasal airway. Which makes nose breathing harder. Which makes mouth breathing worse.

It becomes a cycle.

My son’s story has a happy ending. After orthotropic treatment his arch widened, his airway opened, his posture improved, and he finally started sleeping the way a child should.

But I think about the parents who are looking at a photo just like this one right now — and don’t know what they’re seeing.

If your child sleeps with their mouth open, snores even lightly, bed wets, has frequent night waking, night terrors or wakes up tired — please come in. There may be more going on than you realize, and there may be more we can do than you’ve been told.

📲 Follow our airway practice on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric breathing, facial development, and sleep health.

06/08/2026

This month, we're celebrating two people who make everything we do possible.

Jessica and Becca — thank you.

Jessica is the kind of person who makes everything run smoothly before you even realize something needed to happen. From the moment you call or walk through our door, she makes you feel welcome and taken care of. Behind the scenes she keeps our entire practice organized and on track — and honestly, she keeps me on track too. Detailed, thoughtful, and genuinely warm with every single patient. We are so lucky to have her.

Becca brings something rare to her work. She is wickedly smart, deeply knowledgeable, and has the kind of calm wisdom that puts even the most nervous patients at ease. Her clinical skills as a hygienist are exceptional — but what sets her apart is how she makes people feel. Seen. Comfortable. Cared for. That combination of talent and heart is not easy to find.

What we do in this office takes more than clinical skill. It takes patience, warmth, and a genuine love for every person who walks through our door. Jessica and Becca bring all of that, every single day.

We are so lucky to have you both. This office wouldn't be what it is without you.

If Jessica or Becca has ever made your visit feel a little easier — leave them some love in the comments. They deserve to hear it. 🤍

06/05/2026

This is one of my favorite things to show people.

We had a patient whose permanent canine tooth was almost completely blocked out — there was simply no room for it to come in. The common answer would have been wait and unravel later. Extract a tooth to make space. Maybe more intervention down the road.

Instead, we expanded the arch.

That's it. We created space — gently, gradually — and within a few months, that canine started moving on its own. Down into exactly the position it was always meant to be in. Her treatment isn't complete but we can see the changes happening already.

No extraction. No waiting until later.

Teeth want to be in the right place. They just need room to get there. And the earlier we create that room, the less force it takes — because growing bone is responsive in a way that adult bone simply isn't.

This is why I keep saying: the window matters. Don't wait.

If you've been told your child can wait until later, I'd encourage you to come in for a second opinion. There may be more we can do — and sooner — than you realize.

📲 Follow our airway practice on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric breathing, facial development, and sleep health.

05/29/2026

Look at this smile. Adorable, right?
But look closer.
Do you see spaces between those baby teeth? No — and that's actually something we need to pay attention to.
Baby teeth are supposed to have gaps between them. Those spaces are nature's way of reserving room for the larger permanent teeth that are coming in behind them.
When there are no spaces — when the teeth are touching or crowded together — it tells us the jaw is already too narrow. And a narrow jaw doesn't just affect the teeth. It affects how a child breathes, how they sleep, and how their entire face develops.
This is one of the most common things I see in my practice. And it's one of the most misunderstood. Parents see tight, even baby teeth and think everything looks great. But what we're actually seeing is a jaw that needs more room.
The good news: when we catch this early — before all the permanent teeth come in — we can gently guide the jaw to grow the way nature intended. No force. No braces. Just space, and the teeth do the rest.
Does your child's smile look like this? Come in for a consultation. We'd love to take a look.
📲 Follow our airway practice on Instagram for weekly education on pediatric breathing, facial development, and sleep health.

Address

3720 N Ankeny Boulevard, Suite 200
Ankeny, IA
50023

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 3pm
Tuesday	8am - 3pm
Wednesday	8am - 3pm
Thursday	8am - 3pm

Website

http://www.peddicordfamilydentistry.com/

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