Missed the ideal age for braces? You have not missed your chance. Teeth can be moved at almost any age, and treatment for teens and adults is more discreet than most people expect.
No. The biology that lets teeth move does not switch off after childhood — healthy teeth and healthy bone can be repositioned in adulthood the same way they can at fourteen. What changes is the context. Adult jaws are no longer growing, so certain bite corrections that could be guided with growth in a child may need a different approach, and adults are more likely to have existing dental work, gum recession or a history of grinding that has to be factored into the plan. None of that rules out treatment; it just means the plan is built around what is actually in your mouth today, which is why the consultation and records visit matters more than any average timeline you will read online.
For teenagers, the timing is usually simpler. By the early teen years the permanent teeth have generally erupted and comprehensive treatment can address crowding, spacing and bite problems in one phase. If your child had early interceptive orthodontics as a younger kid, this is often the follow-up phase that finishes the job — and it is frequently shorter because of the groundwork already laid. Teens also tend to care a great deal about how treatment looks, which is why ceramic and lingual brackets and clear aligners come up so often in those conversations.
The most common reason adults tell us they waited is that they assumed treatment would mean two years of obvious metal braces. That is no longer the only path. Clear aligners are removable and hard to notice, ceramic brackets blend with tooth color, and lingual braces are bonded behind the teeth. What matters more than the appliance is whether the plan is right for your bite, and whether you are going to follow it — aligner cases in particular live or die on consistent wear.
Teeth can be moved at almost any age — what matters is the health of your teeth, gums and supporting bone, not the number on your birthday.
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Insurance-friendly office
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Orthodontic treatment is an investment, and we would rather talk about cost openly before treatment starts. We offer flexible payment options and will review your insurance benefit with you.
See real patient success stories.
Parents in treatment and kids in treatment can be seen in the same practice, often on the same trip — with pediatric dentistry and orthodontics both in-house.
Clear aligners, tooth-colored ceramic brackets and braces bonded behind the teeth all keep treatment low-profile at school and at work.
Dr. Lu is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, so your plan is built and managed by a specialist, not referred out mid-treatment.
We examine your teeth, bite and gum health, take a digital scan and any needed X-rays, and talk through what is bothering you — whether that is crowding, an old relapse or how the bite feels.
Dr. Lu lays out which options can actually correct your case — braces or clear aligners — with an estimated timeline and cost for each, plus what your insurance is likely to contribute.
You will come in periodically for adjustments or new aligner stages. When the teeth are where they should be, a retainer holds the result — for adults especially, retention is what protects the investment.
No. Teeth respond to steady, controlled pressure at any age — the biology does not expire. What changes with age is context rather than possibility: adult bone remodels a little more slowly, so treatment can take longer, and existing dental work, gum health or missing teeth may shape the plan. Dr. Tiffany Lu, our board-certified orthodontist, will tell you at the consultation what is realistic for your particular bite.
It depends on how far teeth have to move and which appliance is used — mild crowding can finish in well under a year, while a bite correction takes considerably longer. You will get an estimated range at your consultation once records are taken, not a guess beforehand, and consistency matters: aligner cases in particular run long when wear time slips.
Several. Clear aligners are removable and hard to notice; ceramic braces use tooth-coloured brackets; and lingual braces sit behind the teeth so nothing shows from the front. Each suits different cases, and Dr. Lu will explain which of them can actually achieve your result rather than only which looks best.
Yes, and this is the part people underestimate. Teeth drift back toward their old positions after any orthodontic treatment, so retainers are what protect the result you paid for — usually full-time at first, then nights indefinitely. We will fit yours and show you how to care for it before treatment finishes.
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