Children’s & teen orthodontics in Cheshire
Straightening a child’s teeth is a different conversation from straightening an adult’s. The timing matters, the growth matters, and the decision is usually yours rather than theirs.
Dr Devesh Shelat is a Specialist Orthodontist – a dentist who completed three further years of university training in tooth movement and facial growth, and who treats nothing else. For a child, that specialism is the difference between treating the teeth in front of you and planning around the face they are growing into.
The first check, ages 7 to 9
The British Orthodontic Society recommends that every child has an orthodontic check at around age 7. That surprises most parents, because very few seven-year-olds need braces. The point is not to start treatment – it is that by 7 the first adult teeth are through and a specialist can see how the jaws are developing.
A handful of problems are far easier to correct while a child is still growing than to fix later: a crossbite pulling the jaw to one side, a severely protruding front tooth at risk of being knocked, teeth that are blocked out because there is not enough room for them, or a habit that is moving teeth as it goes.
Most first assessments end with Dr Dev telling you there is nothing to do yet, and asking to see your child again in a year. That is a good outcome, and the assessment costs you nothing.
Children’s treatment, and what the two phases mean
Children’s orthodontics is often staged, and the vocabulary can be confusing, so it is worth being plain about it.
- Phase 1 is early treatment, carried out while your child still has a mix of baby and adult teeth. It uses growth to make room, guide the jaws, or correct a bite problem before it becomes entrenched. It is not a full set of braces on every tooth.
- Phase 2 is the full course of braces or aligners, once all the adult teeth have come through. This is what most people picture when they think of a child in braces.
Plenty of children need only one of the two. Some need Phase 1 and then nothing further; many need no early treatment at all and go straight to Phase 2 in their teens. Which applies to your child is exactly what the first assessment is for.
Teenagers
By the teenage years all the adult teeth are through, growth is still on your side, and the treatment itself is straightforward. It is also the point at which your child starts having opinions about it – which is worth taking seriously, because a brace only works if it is looked after.
- Fixed braces – £3,500. The most predictable option, and the one that handles the widest range of cases. Nothing to remember, nothing to lose.
- Clear aligners – £3,850. Removable and much less visible, which matters a great deal to some teenagers. They work only if worn 20 to 22 hours a day, so they suit a teenager who will genuinely stick to that.
Dr Dev will tell you honestly which of the two he thinks will work for your teenager, rather than simply selling you the one you ask for.
What it costs
Phase 1 treatment is £2,995 and Phase 2 is £3,995. Teen fixed braces are £3,500 and clear aligners for teens are £3,850. Where a child needs both phases and they are booked together, Dr Dev quotes the fee after assessing your child, because it genuinely depends on the case.
Every fee includes 18 months of follow-up once treatment finishes, and the cost can be spread over up to 12 months, interest-free.
Dr Dev explains
The questions parents ask most, answered on camera by Dr Dev himself.
Questions parents ask
What age should my child first see an orthodontist?
Will my child definitely need braces after an assessment?
What is the difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2 treatment?
How much does children’s and teen treatment cost?
Can teenagers have clear aligners instead of fixed braces?
Is treatment available on the NHS?
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