Braces, expanders and early treatment for children in Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach. Free consultations with a complete cost breakdown, and an honest answer about whether your child needs anything yet.
The right time for a child to get braces is not the moment their teeth start looking crooked. It is the point where the mouth is ready for the teeth to be moved.
For most kids the full set of braces goes on between nine and fourteen, once enough permanent teeth have arrived. Some children start earlier, because there is room to create or an upper jaw to widen before the permanent teeth have anywhere to go.
If you are a Palm Beach Gardens parent watching a permanent tooth come in sideways and going back and forth on whether it is too early to call an orthodontist, that is the right question at the right time. Dr. Murray checks kids for exactly this, the visit is free, and plenty of those visits end with a plan to wait and watch.
Three-time winner of Best Orthodontist in Palm Beach County. Making Palm Beach County smile since 1991.
Braces for kids at a glance
When kids are ready for braces
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check by age seven. That is early on purpose. By seven, the first permanent molars and front teeth are usually in, which is enough for Dr. Murray to see how the bite is developing and whether the jaws have room for the teeth still coming.
Most children who get checked at seven do not get braces at seven. They get put on a watch list.
Full braces usually go on once most of the permanent teeth have arrived, often between ages nine and fourteen. Braces can only move the teeth that are already in, so starting the full round too early leaves the later teeth still to deal with.
Earlier treatment is a different thing. When there is no room for the permanent teeth that are on their way, or the upper jaw is too narrow, Dr. Murray creates that space first with Phase 1 orthodontics. That work can begin well before nine, and it is done so the permanent teeth have somewhere to come in rather than crowding in wherever they can.
Once your child is past fourteen, the braces for teens page covers what changes.
Does your child need braces, or just a check?
An orthodontic check is not the start of treatment. Most children are evaluated years before anything goes on their teeth, so Dr. Murray can watch how the permanent teeth and the jaws are coming in.
If everything is developing normally, your child comes back in six to twelve months and nothing else happens. Treatment starts when there is a reason to intervene and the timing supports it.
Most parents want a straight answer about timing more than they want treatment booked. That is what this visit gives you. There are seven reasons an early evaluation matters if you want the longer version.
Signs your child may need braces
- Crowding, or permanent teeth coming in behind or in front of the baby teeth
- Front teeth that stick out far enough to catch on the lower lip
- A jaw that shifts to one side when your child bites down
- Upper and lower teeth that do not meet when the back teeth are closed
- Baby teeth lost much earlier or much later than their classmates
- Thumb or finger sucking past age five
- Mouth breathing or snoring at night
- Trouble chewing or biting into food
- Front teeth that keep getting chipped
Any one of these is worth a look. None of them means braces go on next week.
Braces options for kids
Metal braces. The practical choice for most younger children. Stainless steel brackets and wires make them the strongest and most predictable option for a growing mouth, including for kids who play sports, provided they wear an orthodontic mouthguard. Your child picks elastic colors at every visit. Metal braces run $3,000 to $7,000.
Clear braces. For the child who cares how braces look. Ceramic brackets blend with the tooth, and because ceramic is more brittle than steel they suit older kids who are past the roughest years of contact sports. Clear braces run $3,500 to $7,500.
Iconix champagne brackets. For families who want the durability of metal with a softer look. The warm-toned brackets are less noticeable than stainless steel while working the same way. $3,500 to $7,500.
Clear aligners. For the child who will keep them in. Aligners are an option for children, including for Phase 1 when a family prefers that route, and the deciding factor is compliance, meaning whether the trays actually stay in 20 to 22 hours a day. Dr. Murray will tell you straight at the consultation.
Murray Orthodontics uses shape-memory NiTi wires, which apply light steady pressure instead of the heavy tightening older braces were known for. Adjustments are quicker and easier on a kid.
The full breakdown for every option is on the braces cost page.
Phase 1, and when a child needs it first
Phase 1 is a short round of early treatment for problems that get harder to fix if you wait for all the permanent teeth to arrive.
Dr. Murray uses it for a few things. Making room for permanent teeth that have nowhere to erupt, an upper jaw too narrow for the teeth coming in, crowding that will not resolve on its own, and habits like thumb sucking that are actively moving teeth. You can see two of these in our kids' before and after photos: a front tooth stuck in a crossbite and an open bite from thumb sucking, both corrected with Phase 1 braces.
For a narrow upper jaw that usually means a palate expander, and at Murray Orthodontics the expander goes on together with braces. Dr. Murray does not use an expander on its own.
The expander is made from a digital scan, so there are no impression trays. Active expansion runs one to two months with a key turn once or twice a day, and the pressure after a turn passes in minutes. Check-ins are every few weeks.
Phase 1 with braces and an expander runs $3,000 to $4,000, quoted separately from a full round of braces.
Most children who go through Phase 1 have a full round of braces later, once the rest of the permanent teeth are in. That second round is quoted on its own, so a Phase 1 family should plan for two numbers rather than one.
Kids who are not ready yet
Most children Dr. Murray sees at seven, eight or nine are not ready for treatment. Sending them home with "come back in a few years" is not good enough, because the window for some problems opens and closes quietly.
Those kids go into the Growth & Development Program. Dr. Murray sees them every six to twelve months at no charge, tracks how the teeth and jaws are coming in, and starts treatment at the point growth actually supports it.
He would rather plan one well-timed round of treatment than start a young child on something that could have waited. That is also why a child who does need early space creation gets it on time rather than years late.
How much do kids' braces cost in Palm Beach Gardens?
At Murray Orthodontics, metal braces run $3,000 to $7,000, and clear braces and Iconix brackets run $3,500 to $7,500. Phase 1 with braces and an expander runs $3,000 to $4,000, quoted separately, and most children who have Phase 1 go on to a full round of braces later at its own price.
Payment plans are in-office and interest free, with pick-a-payment options, extended monthly plans with a reduced down payment, and a discount for paying in full.
Murray Orthodontics accepts more Florida insurance plans than the average orthodontic practice, and your benefits are checked before your first visit so you know what is left to pay before you decide anything.
Where your child lands in the range depends on how much movement the case needs and how long treatment runs. The number your family is quoted comes from your child's actual case rather than an average, and you get it in writing at the free consultation.
If cost is the thing standing between your child and treatment, there is more on paying for braces in Palm Beach County, including the assistance programs that exist locally.
- In-office payment plans with no interest
- Pick-a-payment options and extended monthly plans with a reduced down payment
- A discount for paying in full
- More Florida insurance plans accepted than the average practice, verified before your first visit
Your child's first visit
The consultation is free and runs about an hour.
Dr. Murray takes X-rays and photos, looks at how the permanent teeth are coming in, and checks how the upper and lower jaws fit together. You see what he sees while he explains it.
Then you get one of three answers. Your child is ready to start, your child needs a short round of early treatment, or your child goes on the Growth & Development Program and gets checked again in six to twelve months.
You leave with a written recommendation and a full cost breakdown. Nothing gets scheduled that day unless you want it scheduled, though same-day treatment starts are available if you are ready.
Consultations happen at the Palm Beach Gardens office on Burns Road, or at Royal Palm Beach if that is the easier drive. There is more on what happens at the first visit.
Living with braces as a kid
Adjustment visits are every six to eight weeks and take about twenty minutes. Dr. Murray sees your child personally at every one of them.
Sports are fine. Your child needs an orthodontic mouthguard rather than a standard one, because a standard guard is molded to teeth that are about to move.
The food rules are simpler than most parents expect. Nothing hard enough to crack a bracket, nothing sticky enough to pull one off. Ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, whole apples and corn on the cob are the usual culprits.
Brushing takes longer than it used to. A kid who was getting away with a rushed ninety seconds has to slow down, and the first month is where that habit gets set. Kids earn tokens for taking care of their teeth, which they trade in for a gift the day the braces come off.
When the braces come off, your child wears retainers at night, starting the first night and continuing long term. Teeth drift for life, and nights are what holds the result.
Why Palm Beach Gardens families choose Murray Orthodontics
Parents want two things from an orthodontist for kids. Confidence that treatment is starting at the right time, and a plan they can actually understand.
Board-Certified Orthodontist. Dr. Murray is certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. Certification is voluntary. It means passing written and clinical examinations developed by other orthodontists, and renewing every ten years rather than earning it once and keeping it forever. He completed a three-year orthodontic residency at the University of Florida after graduating top of his class from Nova Southeastern University, with undergraduate studies at Duke.
The same orthodontist at every visit. Dr. Murray personally examines your child at every appointment. No rotating providers, no assistants making the clinical calls.
Three-time winner of Best Orthodontist in Palm Beach County. Palm Beach County families voted Murray Orthodontics Best Orthodontist in 2023, 2024 and 2026 in the Palm Beach County Community Choice Awards.
A practice that feels like family, not a factory. Murray Orthodontics has been making Palm Beach County smile since 1991. It is independently owned rather than a corporate chain, and several team members have been here 15 to 28 years. Parents tell us they are greeted by name and seen on time.
My 13-year-old just got his braces put on by Dr. Murray. He loves that he can change the color of his bands with every visit. And they give him tokens for when he takes care of his teeth, which he will exchange for a gift when his braces come off. I know with confidence that he is in the best hands. And he does too.
We had been comparing prices. To our surprise, the price was significantly lower than what we were quoted at other orthodontists. Because of the excellent service and fair pricing, I decided to sign my daughter up to start treatment the very same day.
The staff were so kind and friendly. Dr. Murray was confident and precise, and the result was fantastic. My three children now have beautiful smiles.
Read more from Palm Beach County families on our testimonials page.
Questions parents ask
What age do kids get braces?
How long do kids wear braces?
Does my child need Phase 1, or can we wait for braces?
If my child has Phase 1, will they need braces again later?
Do all the baby teeth have to fall out before braces go on?
Can kids get clear aligners instead of braces?
Does insurance cover braces for kids?
What happens if a bracket breaks?
Do you treat kids at both offices?
Braces for kids near you in Palm Beach County
If you have been searching for a children's orthodontist anywhere in Palm Beach County, one of the two offices is a short drive away.
The Palm Beach Gardens office in The Oaks Center on Burns Road is an easy drive for families in Jupiter, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach and Lake Park. The Royal Palm Beach office on Royal Palm Beach Boulevard serves Wellington, Westlake, Greenacres, Loxahatchee and West Palm Beach.
Both offices offer the same treatment, the same free consultation and the same orthodontist. Both are open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
