When Should Your Child See an Orthodontist?
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends every child have an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. At that age, your child has enough permanent teeth for Dr. Marty to identify developing problems, and enough remaining growth to guide the jaw in the right direction.
Bold Bite supports the AAO recommendation that every child be screened around age 7, but Dr. Marty considers age 7 often too early to begin treatment. The age-7 visit is used to establish a diagnostic baseline — when a child can sit still for a 3D CBCT scan and digital impression, those records anchor every follow-up recall. Early interceptive treatment, when it is clinically indicated, is typically started around age 8–9 (interceptive, when indicated). Comprehensive treatment is usually scheduled for ages 12–13 (most girls age 12, most boys age 13), once the permanent dentition is in.
Most children evaluated at Bold Bite Orthodontics do not need immediate treatment. Many enter the Complimentary Growth-Observation Program and are monitored until the right time.
AAO RECOMMENDATION
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends every child have a first orthodontic evaluation by age 7 — even when no treatment is needed. The first permanent molars and incisors are in place by age 7, giving the orthodontist the earliest reliable look at developing bite, jaw growth, and airway. Most 7-year-olds at Bold Bite are placed on a complimentary growth-observation recall rather than starting treatment immediately. Earlier evaluation does not mean earlier braces; it means catching the small number of cases where timing the intervention to the growth window prevents a harder problem at 14.
American Association of Orthodontists — Early Orthodontic Care
What Makes Pediatric Evaluation at Bold Bite Orthodontics Different
Bold Bite’s pediatric evaluation combines specialist orthodontic diagnosis with a whole-mouth perspective most single-specialty practices do not bring. Dr. Marty Greenberg graduated Cum Laude from Boston University School of Dental Medicine and spent 8+ years in general dentistry before his orthodontic residency at Jacksonville University. That general-dentistry background means every pediatric evaluation accounts for hygiene, cavity risk, enamel wear, and restorative implications — not just tooth alignment.
Dr. Trang Cao is ABO Board Certified (Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics — a distinction held by fewer than half of practicing orthodontists), graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston University School of Dental Medicine, and holds a Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics plus a CAGS (Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study) from Jacksonville University. Her ABO board-certified discipline sets the precision and finishing standard for every pediatric case the practice sees. Bold Bite works closely with Jacksonville pediatric dentists — Myers Pediatrics, Weaver & Stratton, and Fishman Pediatrics are the top referring offices — and coordinates ENT referrals with Dr. Angela Black, Dr. Andrioli, Dr. Simonsen, and Dr. Wahl when airway findings warrant.
The doctors at Bold Bite Orthodontics are Invisalign First certified and offer Angel Aligners for children. Angel Aligners has become the preferred aligner system for pediatric cases because the patented Angel Buttons work especially well for Phase 1 mechanics, the Mandibular Advancement option helps severely retrognathic growing patients, and the technician setups finish cases 1/2 to 1/3 faster than Invisalign First based on a direct comparison Dr. Marty ran across 20 matched cases. Invisalign First remains available for families who request it.
A Conservative Approach to Early Treatment
Dr. Marty and Dr. Cao take a highly conservative posture on pediatric orthodontic treatment. Dr. Marty was trained in part by Dr. Peter Buschang — a widely published anthropologist and craniofacial growth-and-development expert — and carries that evidence-first, restraint-first approach into every new-patient consult. Most of the conditions that bring a child into the office for a first orthodontic look do not require immediate treatment. Many will self-correct with growth. Bold Bite recommends early intervention only when not intervening would create a larger, longer, or surgical problem later.
Of the hundreds of pediatric referrals Bold Bite receives each year from Jacksonville pediatric dentists and general-dentistry partners, roughly 75% are placed on complimentary growth-observation recall rather than starting immediate treatment. Families are told up front: if early treatment would not change the final result, Dr. Marty will tell the family to wait.
Complimentary Growth-Observation Program
When a child is not yet ready for treatment, the family is enrolled in the complimentary growth-observation program at Bold Bite Orthodontics. Dr. Marty personally evaluates the child at each recall visit, not a technician, not an assistant, monitoring the specific factors that determine when (and whether) treatment should begin.
What Is Monitored at Each Recall
How It Works
After the free initial consultation that includes a 3D CBCT scan for patients under 18, Dr. Marty recommends a follow-up interval based on the clinical findings, typically every 6 to 12 months. Each observation visit is free for as long as the child is in the program.
When Dr. Marty identifies that the right time has come, treatment begins with full parental agreement. Most children monitored at Bold Bite Orthodontics do not end up needing Phase 1 intervention at all.
Children’s Orthodontic Pricing
Bold Bite uses a transparent, appliance-based Phase 1 pricing model. Each Phase 1 option is priced separately (current fees are on our braces cost page), and part of what a family pays for Phase 1 is credited toward Phase 2 comprehensive treatment if the child goes on to need it. Comprehensive Phase 2 treatment is priced the same across braces and aligners — there is no upcharge for Angel Aligners or Invisalign over metal braces.
Part of what a family pays for Phase 1 treatment at Bold Bite is credited toward Phase 2 comprehensive treatment, offsetting the future out-of-pocket cost. A family that pays for an upper expander, or for expander + Phase 1 braces, is not paying twice when the child is ready for comprehensive treatment at age 12–13. Current fees are on our braces cost page.
Children’s orthodontic pricing at Bold Bite Orthodontics, Jacksonville, FL
| Treatment | Starting Price | Who It’s For |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 Braces | See current fees | Ages 8–9, expander + Phase 1 braces, up to 12 months |
| Phase 1 Angel Aligners | See current fees | Ages 8–11, Phase 1 aligners with Angel Buttons |
| Phase 1 Invisalign First | See current fees | Ages 7–11, early mild correction |
| Comprehensive Metal Braces (Phase 2) | See current fees | Ages 10+, full correction |
| Comprehensive Clear Ceramic Braces (Phase 2) | See current fees | Ages 12+, discreet appearance |
| Comprehensive Invisalign (Phase 2) | See current fees | Ages 12+, removable |
| Comprehensive Angel Aligners (Phase 2) | See current fees | Ages 12+, ages 12–13+, doctor-directed aligners (no upcharge over braces) |
Use the free calculator for a personalized estimate: Braces Cost Calculator · Invisalign Cost Calculator
When Phase 1 Treatment is Actually Needed
Dr. Marty does not recommend early treatment for every child. Most kids are better served by waiting until their permanent teeth come in and doing one comprehensive round. Phase 1 is recommended only when a specific problem will get worse if treatment waits:
A posterior crossbite causing the jaw to shift to one side. Correcting this early prevents asymmetric jaw growth that becomes surgical later. Usually treated with a palatal expander.
A maxilla too narrow for the permanent teeth. Expansion between ages 7–14 works with the growing suture and avoids MARPE or surgery later.
When baby teeth need to be managed to make room for permanent teeth. Early space maintenance can prevent later extractions.
A lower jaw growing ahead of the upper jaw. Reverse-pull facemask therapy between ages 7–10 can redirect growth and reduce or eliminate the need for surgery in the teen years.
Habits actively changing how the jaws develop. Addressed with exercises first, appliances only as last resort. See our tongue thrust protocol.
Airway restriction affecting jaw growth. See our mouth breathing and airway orthodontics programs.
Dr. Marty will tell you to wait. The Bold Bite philosophy is to treat every patient the way the doctors would want their own family treated. Families should leave the first visit with a clear, honest read on whether treatment is needed now, later, or not at all — not with a sales pitch for a plan they did not come in looking for.
Comprehensive Treatment: Ages 12–13
For most patients, Bold Bite schedules comprehensive (Phase 2) treatment once the permanent dentition is in — typically age 12 for most girls and age 13 for most boys. Comprehensive cases run 18–24 months on average and finish the alignment, bite correction, and detailing work in one predictable round. Children who completed a Phase 1 at Bold Bite carry their Phase 1 credit forward, and the same family discount for each additional child still applies on siblings in treatment. Current amounts are on our braces cost page.
Built for Kids
Bold Bite treats every child like one of their own. Bold Bite Orthodontics was designed by doctors who wanted an office they would feel good about bringing their own children to, which is why the practice looks less like a medical clinic and more like a space a kid actually wants to walk into.
The waiting area has a dedicated kids’ zone with a beverage bar, bright seating, and room to move; the clinical bays are open and parent-friendly, so caregivers can sit chairside for every appointment rather than watch through a window.
That environment matters during orthodontic care because treatment lasts months, sometimes years. A child who associates the office with boredom and cold sterile walls fights every visit. A child who looks forward to the beverage bar and the pick-your-color appointment shows up cooperative, and cooperative patients finish faster. Specific touches Bold Bite built in:
Technology Used for Your Child’s Care
Free Vatech Green CT 3D Scan
Every new patient under 18 receives a 3D CT scan at the free consultation, showing teeth, jaws, airway, and developing issues. Dr. Marty reads every scan personally.
iTero and Allied Star Digital Scanner
No goopy impressions. Same-day digital records taken in a private room while your child relaxes. Results are shown on a screen so you see exactly what Dr. Marty sees.
In-House 3D Printing
Retainers, models, and custom appliances printed same-day in our own lab. Faster replacements and better fit than lab-fabricated alternatives.
Insurance & Financing for Children’s Treatment
Bold Bite Orthodontics accepts all major PPO dental plans and files claims on the family’s behalf. Most family plans provide lifetime orthodontic benefits per child, often applied to Phase 1 AND Phase 2 separately (depending on plan).
See the insurance page for a specific plan, or use the cost calculator to estimate out-of-pocket with insurance applied.
