{"id":2501,"date":"2026-09-26T20:55:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T20:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/?p=2501"},"modified":"2026-09-26T20:55:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T20:55:59","slug":"braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/","title":{"rendered":"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"757\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png\" alt=\"Little girl with braces smiling\" class=\"wp-image-2502\" style=\"width:297px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png 757w, https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4-300x245.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 757px) 100vw, 757px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parents often assume braces are something that happen after all of a child\u2019s baby teeth have fallen out. But in some cases, orthodontic treatment can begin earlier. Phase 1 orthodontics, also called early orthodontic treatment, can help guide the development of a child\u2019s smile while they still have a mix of baby and permanent teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, can a child actually get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/phase-one-orthodontics.html\">braces<\/a> on their baby teeth? In certain situations, yes. The goal isn\u2019t necessarily to straighten every baby tooth. Instead, early treatment focuses on creating healthier conditions for the permanent teeth and guiding the growth of the smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Phase 1 Orthodontics?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phase 1 orthodontics is orthodontic treatment that takes place while a child is still growing and developing, often before all of their permanent teeth have erupted. It may involve braces, expanders, or other orthodontic appliances, depending on the child\u2019s specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every child needs Phase 1 treatment. An orthodontist may recommend it when there are concerns that could become more complicated if treatment is delayed. Crowding, crossbites, significant spacing, or certain jaw-development concerns may be addressed during this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The timing is individualized, which is why an orthodontic evaluation can be helpful even if your child still has plenty of baby teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does Phase 1 Treatment Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first step is an orthodontic evaluation. The orthodontist will look at your child\u2019s teeth, bite, jaw development, and the position of incoming permanent teeth. X-rays or other diagnostic records may also be used to get a better understanding of what is happening beneath the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If early treatment is appropriate, the orthodontist will create a plan based on your child\u2019s development. Braces may be placed on some teeth, while an appliance such as a palatal expander may be used to address specific concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phase 1 treatment is generally followed by a period of observation as the child continues to grow and their permanent teeth erupt. Some children may eventually need a second phase of orthodontic treatment once their permanent teeth are in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can Early Orthodontics Help With?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest benefits of Phase 1 orthodontics is that it can address certain orthodontic concerns while a child\u2019s smile and jaw are still developing. Depending on the situation, early treatment may help create space for permanent teeth, correct problematic bites, improve tooth positioning, or guide the development of the jaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It may also make future orthodontic treatment more straightforward in some cases. However, every child develops differently, and early treatment isn\u2019t automatically better for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you notice crowding, an unusual bite, teeth that seem to be erupting in an unexpected position, or other concerns about your child\u2019s developing smile, an orthodontic evaluation can provide helpful answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early evaluation can give your child\u2019s smile room to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serenity Orthodontics provides orthodontic care for children, teens, and adults, including Phase 1 orthodontic treatment for children who may benefit from early intervention. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/meet-the-orthodontists.html\">The orthodontic team<\/a> takes a personalized approach to evaluating developing smiles and creating treatment plans suited to each patient\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Call us at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?gs_ssp=eJwFwUsKgCAQAFDaBh0haNPa8VOoR-gSIdNUEmiohN6-9_qBXYxzDBCyfHfo7AxV63MxeDgiXDloY6EaIkUOpRbKCClxGzMlCr60KaZyxyOG4jFPn8eHUvsBQkQbeg&amp;q=serenity+orthodontics+vickery&amp;rlz=1C1HKFL_enUS1203US1203&amp;oq=serenity+ortho&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgCEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTINCAIQLhivARjHARiABDINCAMQLhivARjHARiABDINCAQQLhivARjHARiABDIGCAUQRRg8MgYIBhBFGDwyBggHEEUYPNIBCDQ4NDVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;source=chrome.ob&amp;ie=UTF-8#\">(678) 879-3006<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/contact-us.html\">schedule your appointment online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parents often assume braces are something that happen after all of a child\u2019s baby teeth have fallen out. But in some cases, orthodontic treatment can begin earlier. Phase 1 orthodontics, also called early orthodontic treatment, can help guide the development of a child\u2019s smile while they still have a mix of baby and permanent teeth. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can children get braces while they still have baby teeth? Learn how Phase 1 orthodontics works and how early treatment can help guide a developing smile.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Can children get braces while they still have baby teeth? Learn how Phase 1 orthodontics works and how early treatment can help guide a developing smile.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"serenityortho\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0d1cf60425220ee39c381ee6f55cae2f\"},\"headline\":\"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-26T20:55:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-26T20:55:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":531,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/image-4.png\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/\",\"name\":\"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/image-4.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-26T20:55:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-26T20:55:59+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0d1cf60425220ee39c381ee6f55cae2f\"},\"description\":\"Can children get braces while they still have baby teeth? Learn how Phase 1 orthodontics works and how early treatment can help guide a developing smile.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/image-4.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/image-4.png\",\"width\":757,\"height\":619},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Serenity Orthodontics Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.serenityortho.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0d1cf60425220ee39c381ee6f55cae2f\",\"name\":\"serenityortho\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile","description":"Can children get braces while they still have baby teeth? Learn how Phase 1 orthodontics works and how early treatment can help guide a developing smile.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile","twitter_description":"Can children get braces while they still have baby teeth? Learn how Phase 1 orthodontics works and how early treatment can help guide a developing smile.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/"},"author":{"name":"serenityortho","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0d1cf60425220ee39c381ee6f55cae2f"},"headline":"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile","datePublished":"2026-09-26T20:55:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-26T20:55:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/"},"wordCount":531,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/","url":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/","name":"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png","datePublished":"2026-09-26T20:55:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-26T20:55:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0d1cf60425220ee39c381ee6f55cae2f"},"description":"Can children get braces while they still have baby teeth? Learn how Phase 1 orthodontics works and how early treatment can help guide a developing smile.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-4.png","width":757,"height":619},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/braces-and-baby-teeth-how-to-support-your-childs-growing-smile\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Braces and Baby Teeth: How to Support Your Child\u2019s Growing Smile"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/","name":"Serenity Orthodontics Blog","description":"","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0d1cf60425220ee39c381ee6f55cae2f","name":"serenityortho"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2501"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2503,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501\/revisions\/2503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenityortho.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}