Orthodontic Insights
from Our Specialists.

Several factors influence your timeline: the severity of crowding or spacing, how consistently you wear your aligners (20–22 hours daily is required), and whether you need any refinements mid-treatment. Mild cases can finish in as little as 6 months. More complex cases with significant bite correction can extend to 24 months. The single biggest variable within your control is compliance — patients who wear their aligners as prescribed consistently finish faster and with better results. At Sonrisa, we use the iTero scanner to run a ClinCheck simulation before treatment begins, so you can see your projected finish date before committing to a plan.

Metal braces use stainless steel brackets and archwires. They're the most affordable option, highly durable, and capable of handling even the most complex tooth movements. Ceramic braces use tooth-colored or clear brackets that blend with your enamel, making them far less noticeable. The trade-off: ceramic brackets can stain if you regularly consume coffee, tea, or dark foods, and they're slightly more fragile than metal. For teens, metal braces are often the most practical choice. For adults or professionals who want discretion without the cost of lingual braces or Invisalign, ceramic is a smart middle ground. Both options are included in most orthodontic insurance plans, and both deliver the same level of clinical correction.

The general rule is simple: avoid anything hard, sticky, or chewy. Hard foods — like raw carrots, apples, nuts, and hard candies — can snap brackets off. Sticky foods — caramel, gummy candies, bagels — wrap around brackets and wires and are nearly impossible to clean off. Chewy foods put pressure on brackets that can loosen them over time. Safe options include soft fruits (bananas, grapes, berries), cooked vegetables, yogurt, pasta, soft bread, and lean proteins. Crunchy foods like raw carrots or corn on the cob are fine if you cut them into small pieces first. Carbonated drinks are also worth limiting — the acidity can weaken enamel that's partially covered by brackets, leading to white spot lesions when braces come off. Drink through a straw when possible.

Orthodontic treatment moves teeth through bone by applying controlled pressure over time. When that pressure is removed — when the braces come off — the bone around each tooth is still in the process of fully solidifying in its new position. Without a retainer holding teeth in place during this consolidation phase, they will drift back toward where they started. This is called relapse. In the first 6–12 months after treatment, nightly retainer wear is critical. After that, most patients can transition to wearing retainers a few nights per week for the rest of their lives. At Sonrisa, we include retainers in every treatment plan and offer a lifetime retainer program so you're never left without one if yours is lost or worn out. Your treatment investment is only as permanent as your retention compliance.

By age 7, most children have a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth that gives an orthodontist valuable information about how the jaw is developing and whether early intervention will be beneficial. Early evaluation — called Phase I treatment — doesn't mean every child will need braces right away. In fact, many children are simply monitored until their permanent teeth have fully come in. But for children with specific issues — like a narrow palate, a significant crossbite, or severe crowding — early treatment can reduce the complexity and duration of treatment later. Phase I interventions often involve palate expanders or partial braces to guide jaw growth during the window when the bones are still malleable. Waiting too long can mean more complex, expensive treatment down the road. A screening at age 7 costs nothing and takes 15 minutes. The insight it provides can be invaluable.

A palate expander is a fixed device attached to the upper back molars that applies gentle outward pressure to the two halves of the upper jawbone — widening the arch over a period of weeks or months. This sounds dramatic, but it's actually a comfortable and highly effective procedure when done at the right age. The palatal suture (the joint between the two halves of the upper jaw) remains pliable and open until the mid-teens. Before it fuses, expansion is a non-surgical, painless process. After it fuses, the same correction requires surgery. Expanders are used to correct posterior crossbites, create space for crowded permanent teeth, and address narrow arches that contribute to mouth breathing. Parents often worry about their child's discomfort — but most kids adapt within a week. A small gap between the front teeth during expansion is completely normal and closes on its own after the expander is removed.