Dr. Aurora Sordelli is a board certified specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. "Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics" is one of the nine specialties. Essentially, while orthodontics entails the management of tooth movement, dentofacial orthopedics involves the guidance of facial growth and development, which occurs largely during childhood. 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. Dentofacial orthopedics is the process of normalizing the growth of a patient’s bone structure and repairing any imbalances of the face and jaws. This process often involves a two-phase treatment and may begin when the patient is around 7 or 8 years old.