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Early Orthodontic Treatment
Kendall Early Orthodontist Care: A Head Start for a Straight Smile

As a specialized Miami orthodontist, we provide early evaluations to ensure your child’s dental health is on point from the start. By identifying structural concerns early, we can guide the development of a healthy smile in Kendall and potentially reduce the need for braces later.

Specialized orthodontist providing early orthodontic treatment in Kendall and Miami for a healthy family smile.
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Early Orthodontic Treatment: Phase One & Phase Two Care

As a specialized Kendall orthodontist, I believe that early intervention is the foundation for a lifetime of oral health. While proper hygiene is essential for children, structural issues like crowding or malaligned teeth can make thorough cleaning nearly impossible, increasing the risk of decay. By identifying these concerns early, we can guide the development of a child’s smile in Miami and prevent more invasive braces or surgical corrections in the future.

 

Planning orthodontic treatment for your child typically occurs in two specialized phases:

 

Young patient receiving a Phase One early orthodontic evaluation from a Kendall specialist.

Phase One Treatment: Interceptive Care

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first evaluation by age seven. At my Kendall office, I utilize this 'mixed dentition' stage to provide a personal clinical evaluation of skeletal discrepancies and predict future eruption patterns. The goal of Phase One is foundational. I focus on creating sufficient space for permanent teeth, correcting harmful oral habits, and managing jaw malformations like a narrow palate. By addressing these issues early, I can often help you avoid dental impactions or ectopic eruptions.
 
 
Clinical Benefits of Phase One Intervention:
Guided Jaw Growth: Corrects structural skeletal shifts and promotes facial symmetry.
Habit Correction: Addresses thumb sucking or pacifier use that affects jaw shape.
Trauma Reduction: Proactively protects protruded front teeth from potential injury.
Space Management: Reduces the need for permanent tooth extractions or jaw surgery later.
Predictable Outcomes: Simplifies and often shortens the time required for teenage braces in Miami.
Improved Esthetics: Enhances a child's self-esteem during key developmental years.

 

 

Phase Two Treatment: Comprehensive AlignmentTeenager with braces completing Phase Two orthodontic alignment at Martinez Orthodontics in Miami

Phase Two begins once most permanent teeth have emerged, typically during the early adolescent years. As your orthodontist in Kendall, I personally oversee this stage to ensure every tooth is precisely coordinated for optimal bite function and facial harmony. This final phase utilizes a full set of braces to refine alignment and finalize the structural integrity of the occlusion, with an average treatment time of 18 to 24 months.
 
The two-phase approach is ideal during the transitional stage when a child is moving from primary to permanent dentition. While many patients who undergo Phase One will require Phase Two, the initial intervention often simplifies the second stage, making it shorter and more predictable.
 
Clinical Planning & Transparency:
• Retention Phase: Between the two active stages, we typically implement a 12-month retention phase to monitor growth.
• Honest Recommendations: Not every child requires two phases. If a condition is mild, I will recommend waiting until more permanent teeth have erupted to reduce the total time your child spends in braces.
• Financial Investment: The cost is determined by the complexity of the case and the appliances needed, not just the number of phases. My goal is to provide the most efficient path to a stable, aesthetic smile for my Miami families.

Schedule Your Clinical Evaluation
Choosing early orthodontic care is an investment in your child’s future. As a specialist, I provide the diagnostic insight necessary to determine the exact timing for intervention. Contact Martinez Orthodontics today to schedule your personal clinical evaluation in Miami.

The Benefits of Timely Orthodontic Care for Miami Families

I provide a personal clinical evaluation to deliver honest treatment recommendations and determine the optimal timing for your orthodontic journey.

Phase I: Interceptive Care

As your Kendall orthodontist, I personally guide jaw development during Phase I to prevent future complications. This early intervention in Miami creates necessary space for permanent teeth and often simplifies future clinical needs.

Phase II: Comprehensive Alignment

During Phase II, I utilize braces to finalize dental alignment and bite function for our Kendall families. This stage ensures long-term stability and aesthetic harmony for a healthy Miami smile designed to last a lifetime.

The Best in Miami: A Perfectionist Approach

The Best in Miami: A Perfectionist Approach

Stop looking around and go here first and save yourself a lot of trouble. I have been looking for the best ortho in Miami and believe me it has been quite a journey. Dr. Martinez is so through you have to see for yourself to know what I mean. He showed me and my son the process and walked us through it step by step. He is a perfectionist and it shows in the interaction I had with him. My son had his braces removed yesterday and hasn’t stopped smiling and taking selfies. His whole demeanor has changed. I am so happy for him and the process we had with Dr. Martinez hands down he is the best. — Jazon Ozza

Frequently Asked Questions

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child's first evaluation occur around age seven. At Martinez Orthodontics in Kendall, Dr. Jesus Martinez looks for early signs of jaw development and tooth eruption issues that are much easier to address when caught early.

For parents in Kendall, an early screening at age seven allows Dr. Martinez to create a custom "Map" for your child's dental future. Don’t be concerned if they aren't ready for braces yet; many consultations simply serve as a baseline to monitor growth. This visit is the best way to ensure your child starts treatment at the absolute optimal time for the best results.

Beyond moving teeth, Dr. Jesus Martinez also focuses on Dentofacial Orthopedics, which involves guiding the actual growth of the jaw and facial structure. By using specialized appliances like Palatal Expanders, Herbst appliances, or Headgear, we can proactively create the necessary space for permanent teeth and improve the alignment of the upper and lower jaws while a child is still growing. Addressing these structural needs during a child's "growth spurt" in Kendall often leads to a more balanced profile and can prevent the need for more complex procedures later in life.

We invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation at our Kendall office, where Dr. Martinez will personally review your child’s development and answer any questions you have about their future smile.

In the Miami area, it is common to see young children in braces, but at Martinez Orthodontics, we believe in treatment only when it is biologically necessary. Phase I (early treatment) is specifically intended to correct significant skeletal or developmental issues—such as crossbites, severe crowding, or jaw discrepancies—that would be much harder to fix later.

Dr. Jesus Martinez follows a conservative philosophy: if your child does not have a functional problem that requires immediate intervention, we will simply monitor their growth during complimentary check-ups. Our goal is to avoid unnecessary treatment and ensure that if Phase II (full braces) is needed later in their teens, it is as efficient and short as possible. We only recommend early intervention when it provides a clear, long-term benefit to your child’s dental health.

Choosing an orthodontist is a significant long-term decision for your family’s health. At Martinez Orthodontics, we provide a specialized, doctor-led experience where Dr. Jesus Martinez personally oversees every aspect of your treatment. From the initial evaluation to every individual adjustment, you will receive the consistent care and direct attention of the same specialist at every visit.

Our philosophy is rooted in sincere feedback and clinical necessity. We prioritize the long-term health of your teeth and gums, recommending intervention only when it provides a clear biological benefit. By focusing on quality over volume, we ensure that every patient in our Kendall office receives a customized treatment plan designed for stability, health, and a precisely aligned result.

We invite our Kendall neighbors to experience the difference of personalized specialist care. Please contact us to schedule a private evaluation for your family.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Jesus Martinez, Orthodontist in Kendall Miami

Dr. Jesus Martinez DMD
Orthodontist

Dr. Jesus Martinez Leon is a Columbia-trained orthodontic specialist with over 35 years of clinical experience. After earning his dental degree from the University of Puerto Rico in 1991, he served with distinction for four years in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. Following his military service, Dr. Martinez completed an elite postdoctoral residency in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 1999, followed by a specialized fellowship in 2000.

As a solo practitioner, Dr. Martinez is dedicated to a personalized clinical model. He personally evaluates ...

Early Orthodontic Treatment Technology

Dr. Martinez in Miami reviewing a digital panoramic X-ray with a patient to evaluate dental development.

Panoramic X-Rays

When planning your treatment, it is essential to visualize the entire dental anatomy in a single view. A panoramic X-ray provides a comprehensive look at the teeth, jaws, and surrounding structures, allowing Dr. Martinez to:
Evaluate the health of the teeth and supporting bone.
Monitor the positioning and development of permanent dentition in children.
Identify potential issues before they become serious clinical problems.
Coordinate care with your general dentist to ensure optimal conditions for treatment.
 
Ready to see the full picture? Contact Martinez Orthodontics in Miami for your personal clinical evaluation.
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