Types of Treatment | Progressive Orthodontics

Early Treatment

It’s never too late for orthodontic treatment — but for kids, earlier can be better. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first screening by age 7. Early evaluation doesn’t always mean early treatment; in many cases, we simply monitor your child’s growth to begin treatment at the right time for the best results. By age 6, most children have their first adult molars, allowing us to assess bite alignment and check if there’s enough space for permanent teeth — helping prevent future issues. Early visits can detect problems like crowding, overbites, underbites, or jaw irregularities. Intervening at the right time can reduce the need for complex treatment later. It also gives kids more time to develop confidence in their smiles. Monitoring growth patterns ensures we act when it’s most effective. Some early treatments can guide jaw development or maintain space for adult teeth. Overall, it sets the foundation for a healthier, straighter smile.

When Earlier Is Better

Orthodontic treatment usually begins between ages 9–14, once most permanent teeth are in. However, some issues are much easier to treat earlier, while a child’s growth is still active.
For example, Severe Crossbite can be corrected with a palatal expander, which gently widens the upper jaw. Delaying treatment may require surgery later. Severe crowding can also benefit from early action, using expansion or tooth removal to help permanent teeth come in properly. This can shorten future braces time. Other early concerns include Protruding Teeth, which risk damage and affect confidence, and underbites, which may cause serious bite issues. Early use of braces or headgear often avoids the need for surgery.

Early intervention takes advantage of natural growth and leads to simpler, more effective treatment.

Problems to Watch for in Childern Ages 6-8

Correcting Habits

At some point, anyone may develop a bad habit, but certain ''parafunctional (outside normal function) habits in children'' can significantly affect the growth and function of their teeth, jaws, and mouth. Common examples include ''persistent thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, and mouth breathing.'' While thumb sucking is a natural reflex in early childhood and usually fades between ages 2 and 4, if it continues beyond that, the constant pressure on the front teeth and upper jaw can cause the teeth to separate and the jaw to change shape, leading to an orthodontic issue called ''open bite'', which may also affect speech. Similarly, tongue thrusting — when the tongue pushes forward against the teeth — can create the same problem. ''Mouth breathing'', another harmful habit, involves breathing primarily through the mouth, which alters tongue and facial muscle function and may cause abnormal jaw growth and serious orthodontic complications. Although mouth breathing might begin due to physical issues, it can easily turn into a difficult-to-break habit. Fortunately, ''early orthodontic intervention'' can help correct these habits and prevent long-term damage — another important reason to schedule an early orthodontic screening for your child.

Adolescent Treatment

Braces are a common part of adolescence — and for good reason. Around ages 11 to 13, most kids have lost their baby teeth and have all or most of their permanent teeth, making it the perfect time to begin orthodontic treatment. Correcting issues like misalignment, spacing, or bite problems during this stage is often easier and more effective because the body is still growing. Appliances like braces or expanders can guide teeth and jaws into better positions with shorter treatment times compared to adults. Delaying treatment can make problems harder and more costly to fix later, once the jawbones are fully developed.

There’s also a social upside — many teens wear braces, so you’re not alone. It’s a shared experience that can even boost confidence during and after treatment. Best of all, the results — a healthier, straighter smile — can last a lifetime.

The Treatment Process

What can you expect when you come in to our office for treatment? It all depends on what kind of treatment you need. The first time you come in, we will take pictures and radiographic (X-ray) images of your mouth, and possibly make a model of your bite. Then, we'll develop a treatment plan. It may involve regular braces, with or without elastics (rubber bands). We might also recommend that you use a specialized appliance for a period of time. Here are some of the most commonly used orthodontic appliances:

Other orthodontic appliances may be recommended in some cases, where major tooth or jaw movement is needed. They can range from small devices that fit inside the mouth to external headgear. But don't worry: You'll get used to them, and they're temporary — but they provide a long-term benefit in a short time.

How Long Will I Wear Them?

There's no one answer that fits everyone: It all depends on what we need to do in your individual situation. Generally, however, the active stage of orthodontic treatment lasts 6-30 months. Afterwards, you will wear a retainer for as long as recommended. When your orthodontic treatment is complete, the new smile we've worked together to create will be yours for a lifetime.

Adult Treatment

More adults are choosing orthodontic treatment, thanks to discreet options like clear braces and aligners. A straighter smile can boost both confidence and professional image. Healthy teeth can move at any age, but adult treatment differs from kids'. Since jaw growth is complete, structural changes aren't possible with appliances alone. Gum health is also crucial — periodontal issues are more common in adults and must be managed before and during treatment to ensure long-term success. Regular cleanings and good oral hygiene are essential throughout the process.

Types of Appliances

All orthodontic appliances work essentially the same way: by employing light, constant force to move teeth into proper alignment. But how we apply these forces can vary, as numerous innovations have become available in recent years. Less visible orthodontic appliances have been designed to blend more easily into an adult's personal and professional lifestyle. Types of orthodontic appliances include:

After Treatment

Wearing a retainer after orthodontic treatment is crucial, no matter which type of appliance you choose and what age you happen to be. Teeth that are not held in place by a retainer long enough for new supporting bone to develop around them can drift back to their original positions, and that's certainly not something we — or you — want to see happen. We will make sure to instruct you on how to retain your new, more beautiful smile so that it continues to make you look and feel great for years to come.

Metal Braces

Need no introduction. But you might be surprised to find they're smaller and lighter than ever. They may even offer some customized options, like colored elastic ties on the brackets.

Clear Braces

Feature brackets made of ceramic or composite materials which blend in with your teeth, making them harder to notice. They're suitable in many situations, but they cost a little more.

Clear Aligners for teens

These are clear, removable trays worn 22 hours a day to gradually straighten teeth. Once only for adults, they're now suitable for some teens thanks to features like wear-time indicators. Best of all — they’re nearly invisible!

Lingual Braces

Offer the most unnoticeable form of orthodontic treatment because they are attached to the back (tongue side) of the teeth, where they cannot be seen at all.

Six Month Smiles

Many adults are not happy with the way their teeth look; in fact, they’re very self-conscious about it. Some even reflexively bring their hand up to their mouth when they smile to hide misaligned teeth. If this describes you, please let us help you smile freely again. Giving you a smile you can be proud of may take less time and be less expensive or intrusive than you think. That’s because orthodontic treatment no longer has to involve metal braces in every case. Some treatment options are virtually invisible. One of those options is Six Month Smiles®. Yes, it’s actually possible to have straight teeth in six months if you are a candidate for this modern, innovative form of orthodontic technology, which we are happy to offer here. Six Month Smiles is less expensive than Invisalign®, takes less time, and can achieve beautiful results. Yet it is almost as invisible as clear aligners.

How It Works

Six Month Smiles is like traditional braces in that it makes use of brackets and wires to apply gentle forces to your teeth, moving them into a better alignment. But in this case, the brackets are clear and the wires are tooth-colored (click here to view a patient wearing Six Month Smiles®). The forces used to move your teeth are actually lighter than with traditional braces, making Six Month Smiles a comfortable, low-risk orthodontic treatment. The reason results can be achieved in so short a time is that Six Month Smiles moves only the teeth that show in your smile. It is not designed to realign your whole bite, as traditional braces and Invisalign clear aligners are designed to do. Six Month Smiles offers a result that is purely cosmetic, but that may be all you need to achieve the smile of your dreams. Of course, as with any form of orthodontic treatment, you will need to wear a retainer for some period of time afterward to solidify your new and improved smile.

Early Orthodontic Evaluation

Early detection of orthodontic problems in young children

How Thumb Sucking affect the bite

Thumb sucking can actually block the front teeth from erupting fully and can also push the teeth forward

Magic of Orthodontics

Proper alignment of the teeth is basic to "Smile Design."

Moving Teeth with Orthodontics

Moving teeth orthodontically is a fascinating process.

Clear Aligners for teenagers

Teens who regard traditional braces as restrictive, confining.

Orthodontics for Older Adult

Healthy teeth can be moved at any age, so there's no such thing as "too old" for braces.

Clear Orthodontic Aligners

Orthodontic treatment using clear aligners consists of a series of aligners..

The importance of orthodontic Retainers

We used to believe that if we moved teeth into the "right" positions with the correct angulations,

Types of Treatments

Early Treatment

When Earlier Is Better

Problems to Watch for in Childern Ages 6-8