Norton is a straight shot to either of our offices: north on Cleveland-Massillon Road to Akron, or southwest on SR 21 to Wadsworth. Dietrich Family Orthodontics has been the orthodontic practice for this stretch of southwestern Summit County since 1966, treating children, teens, and adults.
Everything happens under one orthodontist. Dr. Todd Dietrich, DDS, reads your records, writes the plan, and makes the adjustments himself, so nothing gets lost between providers. Braces, Invisalign® clear aligners, interceptive treatment, and retention are all handled in house.
You do not need a referral from a dentist to be seen, and your first exam is complimentary.
Orthodontic Options Available to Norton, OH Families
- Traditional braces. Brackets and archwires stay put and keep working, which is why they remain the first choice for complicated bites and for younger patients. Compare on our treatment options page.
- Invisalign® clear aligners. Best suited to mild and moderate cases with a patient who will genuinely wear them. See Invisalign information.
- Early orthodontic evaluation. Age seven is the right time to look, even when treatment waits years. Read early orthodontic treatment.
- Teen treatment. Timed around Norton City Schools activities where we can manage it. See orthodontics for teens.
- Adult treatment. Crowding that has crept back, a bite that clicks, or a smile you finally want fixed. See adult orthodontics.
- Digital scanning. The iTero system captures records with a wand rather than a tray of impression material.
- Retainers and repairs. Retainer fabrication, replacements, and emergency visits for broken appliances.
What the First Six Months Look Like
Norton parents tell us the unknown is worse than the treatment, so here is the actual sequence:
- Complimentary consultation. Exam, iTero® scan, discussion, and a written plan with the fee. Roughly an hour.
- Placement appointment. Bonding braces takes about ninety minutes; starting aligners is shorter. Teeth feel tender for a few days, and ibuprofen plus soft food handles it.
- First adjustment. Four to eight weeks later, and much quicker than the placement visit.
- Settling in. By month three most patients have stopped thinking about their braces. This is when hygiene habits matter most.
- Progress review. Around month six we compare movement against the plan and tell you whether you are on pace.
Our brushing and flossing and life with braces pages cover the day-to-day details, and our team will walk your child through both at the placement visit.
Why Norton Patients Pick Dietrich Family Orthodontics
- One doctor, every visit. No rotating associates and no handoffs mid-treatment.
- Verifiable credentials. Memberships in the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, and the Ohio Dental Association.
- Numbers up front. Fee, insurance estimate, and monthly payment before you agree to anything. See financial information.
- Choice of two offices. Akron four days a week including Tuesday evenings, Wadsworth on Mondays and Thursdays.
- Sixty years in the community. Some Norton families are on their third generation with us.
- Honest recommendations. If your child is not ready, we say wait. What sets us apart explains the philosophy.
Nearby Communities We Treat
- Norton and the Wooster Road corridor
- Barberton and Clinton
- Copley Township
- Doylestown and Chippewa Township
- Wadsworth and Sharon Township
- New Franklin and western Green
Students from Norton City Schools, Barberton City Schools, and Chippewa Local Schools are regulars here, and early morning appointments keep classroom time intact.
Norton, OH Orthodontic FAQs
How far is the nearest office?
Akron at 1690 W Exchange St is about fifteen minutes north; Wadsworth at 787 High St is a similar drive southwest. Pick whichever suits your week.
Does the free consultation include x-rays or scans?
It includes the exam, the digital records we need to make a recommendation, and the written plan. There is no charge whether or not you start treatment.
Can we start treatment in the summer?
Yes, and summer is a popular window because the first sore days do not collide with school. Book the consultation early; those slots fill first.
What if my child loses a retainer?
Call us. We can usually replace it quickly, and quickly matters, because teeth start drifting within weeks of stopping retainer wear.
Do you treat adults, or mostly kids?
Both. A meaningful share of our patients are adults, several of them parents who decided to go ahead while their child was in treatment.
Will braces interfere with band or wrestling?
Not with the right protection and a little preparation. Tell us the activity at the consultation and we will build the guidance around it.
Adult Orthodontics in Your 30s, 40s, and Later
A sizable share of the patients in our chairs on any given day are adults, and their reasons cluster into a few groups:
- Relapse. Braces in the 1990s, retainers abandoned by sophomore year, and front teeth that have crowded back. Often a shorter, limited case.
- Never treated. Orthodontics was not in the family budget then and is now.
- Function, not looks. Uneven wear on specific teeth, a bite that has drifted after a lost molar, or jaw discomfort tied to how the teeth meet.
- Preparation for other dental work. Aligning a tooth before a crown, an implant, or veneers so the restorative result sits correctly.
- Following a child through treatment. More parents than you would guess decide to go ahead once they see how routine it is.
Adult biology is different in degree, not in kind: no growth to work with, so some corrections need more mechanics, and gum health has to be sound before we start. Beyond that, teeth move at any age. See our adult orthodontics page.
Discretion, If That Is the Concern
Clear aligners are the usual answer for adults who do not want treatment to be obvious, and for suitable cases they work quietly through a workday. Where a case genuinely needs fixed appliances, we will say so rather than promise a result aligners cannot deliver. Being told the truth about your options is worth more than being told what you hoped to hear.
Habits That Keep Treatment on Schedule
Three things account for nearly every case that runs long: elastics not worn as prescribed, aligners left out for hours at a time, and missed appointments that stack up over a busy season. None of them are moral failings, but all of them add months. We track progress against the plan and will tell you when we see the gap opening, early enough to fix it. Our life with braces guidance covers the daily side.
Book Your Free Consultation Today
Call Akron at (330) 864-2101, Wadsworth at (330) 334-1698, or request an appointment online. Norton patients and families from Barberton, Clinton, Copley, and Doylestown are all welcome.
Come with questions. You will leave with a diagnosis you understand, a timeline, and a price, and no one will pressure you for a decision on the spot.