McElroy Orthodontics

Phase 1 orthodontic treatment happens between ages 7 and 10, while your child still has a mix of baby and permanent teeth. This is not about cosmetics at this stage. It is about guiding jaw development, creating space for incoming permanent teeth, and correcting bite problems before the jaw finishes growing.

Phase 1 often makes Phase 2 treatment shorter, simpler, and less expensive. In some cases it eliminates the need for extractions or jaw surgery later on. If your child is in this age range and has not had an orthodontic evaluation yet, now is a great time.

The teenage years are actually the ideal time for orthodontic treatment.

Most permanent teeth are in. The jaw is still growing, which means teeth move more efficiently. And finishing treatment before adulthood means your teen enters their 20s with a smile they are confident about. Plus, braces are so normalized among teenagers that most kids in treatment barely think twice about it. What does bother teens? Being the only one in their friend group who never did anything about their smile.