Ages 7 to 11 Years

This age group still has baby teeth in place. In the x-ray above, you can see the baby teeth with the permanent teeth underneath them. Usually there is no good reason to straighten baby teeth that are going to fall out soon. Straightening baby teeth will do nothing to make the permanent teeth grow in straight.

Call our office to schedule a FREE EXAM with Dr. Droel.  With all his years of experience, he can answer your questions about your child’s teeth and growth.  He will help you choose the most simple and cost-effective way to proceed.

Nine times out of ten, Dr. Droel will tell you NOT to do an early “Phase 1 Treatment.”  Early treatments might also be called “Orthodontic Expander,” “space maintainer,” “Herbst Appliance,” or various other names.

Instead, you will most likely be advised to schedule periodic recall or “wait and see” appointments to monitor growth and tooth eruption.

Recall appointments are also FREE of charge.  There is no charge until treatment actually begins.

Ages 12 to 16 Years

This age group has all or most of the permanent teeth in place.

Sometime in this time period, a child who needs treatment will be ready.

Call our office to schedule a FREE EXAM with Dr. Droel. He will use his years of experience to help you choose the optimal time to start treatment. The goal is to have braces only once and to finish treatment within 24 months or less. With our state-of-the-art personalized retaining system, we expect the patient’s beautiful smile to last a lifetime.

At Dr. Droel’s office, we hope that once you have come in for your first exam, you will feel that you have “a friend in the orthodontic profession!”