Fairlawn sits just up W Market Street from our Akron office, which makes Dietrich Family Orthodontics one of the closest orthodontic practices to home for families in the village. We treat children, teens, and adults with metal braces, Invisalign® clear aligners, growth-guiding early treatment, and retainers, and you do not need a referral from your dentist to book.
Dr. Todd Dietrich has been straightening smiles in this part of Summit County since our practice opened in 1966, and plenty of Fairlawn parents in our chairs today wore braces here themselves. That continuity is the whole point of a single-doctor family practice: one orthodontist plans your case, watches it, and finishes it.
If you have been putting off that first appointment, request an appointment online for a complimentary consultation. There is no cost, no obligation, and no sales pitch waiting for you.
Orthodontic Services for Fairlawn, OH Patients
Every mouth arrives with a different problem to solve, so we keep a full range of options on the table rather than pushing one appliance:
- Metal braces. Still the most versatile tool we have. Brackets and wires can correct crowding, deep bites, open bites, and rotations that removable trays struggle with, and they work whether or not a busy student remembers them. See our treatment options for the full picture.
- Invisalign® clear aligners. A discreet, removable alternative for Fairlawn teens and working adults. Our Invisalign information page walks through wear time, cleaning, and what aligners can and cannot fix.
- Early orthodontic evaluation. Bring your child by age seven and we can catch crossbites, narrow arches, and crowding while the jaws are still growing. Read more about early orthodontic treatment.
- Teen treatment. Braces and aligners timed around Copley-Fairlawn sports seasons, marching band, and testing weeks. Details on our orthodontics for teens page.
- Adult treatment. Relapse after a lost retainer, a bite that has started wearing unevenly, or a smile you never got around to fixing. See adult orthodontics.
- iTero® digital scanning. A handheld wand replaces impression putty and produces a 3D model in a few minutes. More on the iTero digital impression system.
- Retainers and repairs. We build retainers, replace lost ones, and handle loose brackets and poking wires. Instructions live on our retainer page and emergency care page.
Why Fairlawn Families Stay With Dietrich Family Orthodontics
- One orthodontist, start to finish. Dr. Dietrich, DDS, personally diagnoses, plans, and adjusts every case. You are never handed to a rotating associate you have not met.
- Professional standing. He holds membership in the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, and the Ohio Dental Association.
- Costs quoted before you commit. You leave the consultation knowing the total fee, the monthly figure, and what your benefits cover. Our financial information page explains how we handle insurance and payment plans.
- Sixty years in the same community. A practice that has served Summit County since 1966 is not experimenting on your child.
- A calm first appointment. Our office visits page shows exactly what happens, which helps nervous kids and nervous parents alike.
- Two offices, one record. Akron and Wadsworth share the same team and the same chart, so an appointment near work is as easy as one near home.
Neighborhoods and Districts We Draw From Near Fairlawn
Fairlawn patients come to us from across the west side of Akron and the townships around it, including:
- Fairlawn Heights and the Ghent Road corridor
- Montrose and the Summit Mall area
- Copley and Copley Township
- Bath and Bath Township
- West Akron and Wallhaven
- Richfield and northern Summit County
We see students from Copley-Fairlawn City Schools, Revere Local Schools, and several private and parochial schools nearby, and we are glad to schedule siblings back to back so one trip covers the family.
Fairlawn, OH Orthodontic Questions We Hear Often
Is Dietrich Family Orthodontics accepting new Fairlawn patients?
Yes. We take new patients of every age and there is usually an opening within a week or two. The first visit is complimentary, so a family can find out where they stand before spending anything.
Do I need my dentist to refer me?
No. You can call us directly. We do keep your general dentist in the loop with records and progress notes, because cleanings and checkups need to continue while you are in treatment.
What will braces or aligners cost?
The fee depends on how much tooth movement is required and how long you will wear appliances, so we do not quote blind numbers over the phone. At your consultation you get an exact figure, an insurance estimate, and monthly payment options in writing.
How early should a Fairlawn child be seen?
Around age seven. Enough adult teeth are in by then to show us whether the jaws are growing in proportion. Most seven-year-olds simply go on a watch list and start treatment years later, at the right moment.
Can I be treated in Fairlawn if I work in Wadsworth?
Yes, and you can mix the two offices. Some patients start in Akron and take routine adjustments at 787 High St in Wadsworth when that is the shorter trip that month.
What happens if a bracket comes off over the weekend?
Call (330) 864-2101 and leave a message. Loose brackets are almost never urgent, and we will get you seen quickly. Orthodontic wax over the sharp spot keeps things comfortable until then.
Signs a Fairlawn Child Should Be Seen Sooner
Parents rarely know what an orthodontist is looking for, and dentists do not always flag it early. Any of the following is worth a complimentary exam rather than a wait-and-see year:
- Baby teeth lost very early or very late. Both change how the permanent teeth find their place.
- Adult teeth erupting behind or in front of the arch. A sign there is not enough room, which is far easier to create at nine than at fourteen.
- Upper and lower front teeth that do not meet when the back teeth are closed, or lower teeth that sit outside the uppers.
- Jaw shifting to one side to close. Usually a crossbite, and one of the few findings we prefer to address early.
- Mouth breathing, persistent thumb sucking, or speech changes past the toddler years.
- Chewing difficulty, biting the cheek, or clicking when opening.
None of these guarantee treatment. Roughly half the young children we evaluate go onto a watch list, come back once a year, and start at the moment that gets the best result with the least appliance time.
Keeping the Result After Braces Come Off
The finish is not the end. Teeth carry a lifelong tendency to drift, and the only reliable defense is retainer wear. We fit retainers the week the appliances come off, ask for nightly wear indefinitely, and check the fit at annual visits. Replacing a retainer costs a fraction of retreating a relapsed case, so call us the day one cracks or goes missing. Our retainer instructions cover cleaning and storage, and yes, the dog really is the leading cause of retainer loss in this practice.
Book Your Complimentary Consultation
Ready to start? Call our Akron office at (330) 864-2101, call Wadsworth at (330) 334-1698, or request an appointment online. Fairlawn patients, along with families from Copley, Montrose, Bath, and West Akron, are welcome at either location.
Your first visit takes about an hour:
- A conversation about what bothers you and what you want changed
- A clinical exam plus an iTero® scan and any images we need
- A written recommendation with timeline, fee, and insurance estimate
You can take the plan home and think about it. Nobody at Dietrich Family Orthodontics will chase you for a decision, and we would rather you start when you are ready than because you felt pushed.