Orthodontist for Teenagers, Wellington FL

Murray Orthodontics treats teenagers from Wellington at our Royal Palm Beach office, roughly ten to fifteen minutes from most Wellington neighborhoods. Dr. Jonathan Murray is a Board-Certified Orthodontist, consultations are free, and you’ll know the actual cost before you commit to anything.

By the time your child is twelve or thirteen, most of the permanent teeth are in and the jaw is often still growing. That combination is why so much orthodontic treatment happens during the teen years.

If you’re a Wellington parent trying to work out whether it’s time, that’s a fair question to be asking. Your teenager is busy. Their schedule is already full of practice, rehearsal, homework, and a social life that feels non-negotiable to them. Adding two years of orthodontic appointments to that sounds like a lot.

It’s usually less than parents expect. Here’s what teen treatment actually looks like at Murray Orthodontics, what it costs, and how families in Wellington fit it around real life.

Why the teen years work well for orthodontic treatment

Orthodontic problems rarely improve on their own. A bite that’s off at thirteen is usually still off at thirty, and by then the enamel may have been wearing unevenly for years.

Treating while the jaw is still developing can give Dr. Murray options for correcting a bite rather than only aligning teeth. Teenagers also tend to adapt to appliances quickly.

There isn’t one correct age for every patient, though. If your teen is already sixteen, you haven’t missed anything. That’s what the evaluation is for. Dr. Murray will tell you whether now is the right time or whether waiting makes more sense for your child.

Braces vs. Invisalign for teenagers

This is the first real decision, and the honest answer is that it often depends more on your teen than on their teeth. Many teen cases can be treated either way, though not all of them.

Braces don’t depend on your teenager remembering to put something back in. Once they’re on, they’re working. There’s still real responsibility involved, brushing carefully, staying off certain foods, and wearing elastics if Dr. Murray prescribes them, but the appliance itself isn’t going anywhere. That matters more than parents expect. If your teen loses retainers, forgets mouthguards, and has never once remembered to bring their water bottle home, braces remove the daily aligner-wear question entirely. Adjustment visits run every six to eight weeks. Beyond metal, there are clear ceramic braces and Iconix champagne brackets, both of which are far less noticeable in photos.

Invisalign is removable, which is the advantage and the catch. Aligners come out for eating, brushing, and playing a wind instrument. They also come out for lunch and sometimes don’t go back in. Aligners need to be worn about twenty to twenty-two hours a day to stay on schedule, and Dr. Murray checks progress every eight to twelve weeks. For a teenager who is organized and motivated by how treatment looks, it works beautifully.

Dr. Murray will tell you which option he’d pick for your child and why. If both are reasonable, he’ll say that too, and let your teenager weigh in. Teenagers who choose their own treatment tend to take better care of it.

For a deeper look at either option, see our pages on braces near Wellington and Invisalign in Wellington.

Fitting teen orthodontic treatment around a Wellington schedule

Between Wellington High, Palm Beach Central, Polo Park Middle, and Wellington Landings, most families here are already running a tight calendar. Add club soccer, lacrosse, the barn, and whatever else fills the afternoons, and the last thing you want is an appointment every other week.

You won’t have one. After the braces go on, adjustment visits are every six to eight weeks and most take twenty minutes. Invisalign check-ins are every eight to twelve weeks. Over a full two-year case in braces, that’s roughly fifteen visits total. Invisalign runs closer to ten or twelve. Spread across two school years, it’s a handful of afternoons.

A few things Wellington parents ask about specifically:

Sports. Your teen can play everything they play now. They’ll need an orthodontic mouthguard, which is built to fit over brackets. A standard drugstore mouthguard isn’t designed for braces and isn’t a substitute for one.

Wind instruments. Most band students adjust within a few weeks. It’s worth mentioning at the consultation so Dr. Murray can plan around it.

Photos. Yearbook, homecoming, senior portraits. Tell us the dates. If timing matters to your family, we’ll factor it into the plan from the start rather than discovering the conflict halfway through.

Retainers. When the braces come off, retainers are worn at night only, starting from day one. No full-time retainer phase to manage on top of everything else.

Where a case lands in that range depends on how much correction it needs and how long treatment takes. A mild crowding case treated in six months sits near the bottom. A complex bite correction over twenty-four months sits near the top.

More on payment options is available in our guide to paying for braces in Palm Beach County.

What happens at a teen orthodontic consultation?

The consultation runs about an hour and there’s no charge and no obligation.

Your teenager gets X-rays and photos so Dr. Murray can see what’s happening below the surface, including any teeth that haven’t come in yet. Then Dr. Murray personally examines their teeth and bite. Not an assistant, not a treatment coordinator. He’ll explain what he sees, what he recommends, roughly how long it will take, and what the alternatives are.

Then we go over the money. Insurance, payment plan options, the total. If you’re ready, treatment can start the same day. If you want to think about it or get a second opinion, that’s a completely reasonable thing to do and nobody will pressure you.

Every teenager is different. What Dr. Murray recommends depends on your child’s bite, where they are in their growth, how their oral hygiene looks, and how consistently they follow instructions. That’s why the exam comes before the recommendation, not after it.

Read more about what to expect at your first visit.

Why Wellington families choose Murray Orthodontics

Dr. Jonathan Murray is a Board-Certified Orthodontist. That certification is voluntary. It requires passing written and clinical examinations developed by other orthodontists, and it has to be renewed every ten years. Plenty of excellent orthodontists practice without it. The ones who pursue it are choosing to be examined by their peers on an ongoing basis.

He earned his undergraduate degree at Duke, his DMD at Nova Southeastern where he graduated at the top of his class, and completed a three-year orthodontic residency at the University of Florida.

He’s also a three-time winner of Best Orthodontist in Palm Beach County, recognized in 2023, 2024, and 2026.

What parents mention most in reviews, though, isn’t the credentials. It’s that Dr. Murray explains things clearly and doesn’t rush. This is a boutique practice, not a chain. Your teenager sees the same orthodontist at every visit, and the front desk tends to know their name by the second or third one.

You can read what other Palm Beach County families have said on our testimonials page or look through actual results in our before and after gallery.

Common questions from Wellington parents

What’s the right age to bring my teenager in?

Most teenagers are ready for a full evaluation somewhere between eleven and fourteen, once the permanent teeth have come in. If your teen is older than that, it isn’t too late. Bring them in and Dr. Murray will tell you honestly whether treatment now makes sense or whether waiting is the better call.

How long does teen treatment take?

Most teen orthodontic treatment at our practice runs between twelve and twenty-four months. Dr. Murray gives you a specific estimate at the consultation based on what your teen actually needs, not a generic range.

Will my teenager be embarrassed?

Less than you’d expect. Braces are common enough in middle and high school that they barely register socially. If your teen is worried about it, clear ceramic braces, Iconix champagne brackets, and Invisalign all exist for exactly that reason.

What if my teen doesn’t wear the aligners?

It’s the most common reason Invisalign cases fall behind. We track wear at every check-in and will tell you if progress is slipping. If aligners aren’t working out, we can switch to braces. It’s better to make that call early than to finish treatment six months late.

Do you take our insurance?

Murray Orthodontics works with a wide range of Florida dental plans that include orthodontic benefits. We verify your specific coverage before your appointment so the numbers you hear at the consultation reflect what your plan actually pays.

How much do braces for teenagers cost near Wellington?

Metal braces run $3,000 to $7,000. Clear ceramic braces, Iconix champagne brackets, and Invisalign all run $3,500 to $7,500. Where your teen’s case lands depends on how much correction is needed and how long treatment takes. You’ll get your exact treatment fee at the free consultation, along with the insurance benefit we expect to apply and your interest-free payment options.

Can both of my kids be treated at the same time?

Yes, and it’s common. Talk to us about the financial side if you’re starting two children at once. There’s usually a way to structure it that works.

Looking for general orthodontic information rather than teen-specific? Visit our Wellington orthodontist page.

Reviewed by Jonathan Murray, DMD, MS, ABO-Board Certified