At Murphy Orthodontics, we are passionate about helping our younger patients experience the life-changing effects of quality orthodontic care. Kids Braces are a tried and true appliance that has been modified over the years to deliver the same flawless results with a sleeker appearance. When a child is put in braces, not only do they benefit from improved aesthetics and health, but also from improved confidence. We offer braces for kids in New Orleans and Metairie, LA. Our own orthodontist is the first to tell our patients how wearing braces vastly improved his confidence and self-esteem. Our skilled team is ready to help your child get the care they deserve to achieve a lifetime of beautiful smiles.
When Should I Consider Taking My Child to See an Orthodontist?
The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children ages seven and older see an orthodontist. While they may not be ready for treatment at this age, signs of overcrowding and misaligned bites become more evident as their adult teeth emerge. Many times your general dentist will be the first to notice orthodontic issues and refer you for treatment, but we understand no one knows your child better than you. Dr. Murphy suggests you look into treatment if you notice that your child:
- Struggles to bite or chew properly.
- Starts losing baby teeth long before they are six or well after they are 13.
- Sucks their thumb after age five.
- Struggles to speak correctly.
- Shifts their jaw when they close or open their mouth.
- Has teeth that don’t meet together correctly.
- Grinds or clenches their teeth.
- Is biting the roof of their mouth or the inside of their cheek often.
- Is showing signs of crowding as their permanent teeth come in.
- Has teeth poking out at incorrect angles in the mouth.
Orthodontist For Kids
We welcome patients with or without dentist referrals to come in for a complimentary consultation so we can identify any orthodontic needs your child may have as well as answer your questions about potential treatment.
Murphy Orthodontics Reviews
Smooth and easy process I was out in about 30-40 mins ! Nice and professional staff. And very knowledgeable!
A few months ago, I initially went for a consult for my daughter who is 10. She is at the in-between age of losing teeth faster than her mouth is growing. Because of this she will develop crowding. Unfortunately, we have to wait and Dr. Murphy will follow her closely and determine if she can start in 6 months or 12 months. In the meantime, I needed to focus on myself. I am a teeth person. I am obsessed with teeth. This is the first thing I notice when meeting people. We get cleanings every 6 months and are very into our teeth. We take care of our teeth! My two sons had braces at the same time, so it was not affordable for me to get braces to fix some minor imperfections. I had braces as a child and unfortunately did not wear my retainer because I left it while evacuating during Hurricane Katrina. My smile is beautiful and I get complimented on my teeth all the time. But some of my teeth have shifted and my gaps are opening up. I found this to be the perfect time to focus on myself, while waiting for nature to take course with my daughter. Murphy Orthodontics is amazing! From the central location on Vets., to the aesthetic, the feel is chill and calm, and the staff was amazing. Following them online, you can clearly see that this is more of a family than a business. They celebrate, birthdays, host, holiday parties, staff, anniversaries, and have even held baby showers for a few staff members. This looks like a wonderful place to work and it seems as if everyone really enjoys their job, this is key for the success of a business and happiness of people. This was my 2nd consult in 3 months, so I have a base line to judge. I am very observant and you can tell that everything was carefully thought out. I was really pleased with everyone's ability to make me feel welcomed and ok with everything. Communication was wonderful from the time we walked in to to time we left. The financial coordinator… really worked with me to make sure that it was affordable for me and I was OK with everything. I really appreciated this because my daughter and O will be in braces at the same time. Being a self paying patient really was a challenge. They do not offer specials often, but they were running a special for the end of May, but you had to get braces as a same-day start. I started and everything was explained to me. The top braces were put on and I have to return in eight weeks to have the lower ones put on.I love that I was able to bring my daughter to wait with me and she was able to come with me wherever I needed to in the office. This is super important because I'm a single mom. I'm so happy to have found Murphy Orthodontics and I see why the practice is thriving. I chose Original metal brackets. Initially, I was gonna go with line, but I'm always very worried about the results. Knowing that I've had braces before, I was not sold on doing something that I was not sure about. I chose the original brackets and then pleased with it. Their motto is… people first, teeth second.Thank you, Murphy Orthodontics for helping to make my smile more beautiful! I usually take pictures of everything, but unfortunately, I did not. I will update my review to a pictures after my next appointment.
Muy buena atención y todo muy bien
Such amazing people and environment there. They talk you through everything so you understand. Also very reasonably!
Amazing people,work, and customer service, high recommended
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5
Average Rating
How Can an Orthodontist Help My Child?
Our field is well-known for creating gorgeous smiles that last. While improved aesthetics is a great benefit of orthodontics, you will find that the benefits of treatment go above and beyond looks. Through braces, your child can enjoy better oral and overall health. Over time, crowded teeth and misaligned bites may affect the way your child chews, bites, speaks, and more. It is also more difficult for them to efficiently clean their teeth when they aren’t in the correct position. Braces can be used to straighten these teeth and realign the jaw so your child can Smile Easy and Live Happy.
Early Treatment
When necessary, early treatment can be a useful tool for creating beautiful and healthy smiles that last for years to come. Younger patients usually enjoy quicker and more successful treatments because their mouths are still growing and much easier to influence. By treating an issue now, we protect them from suffering from bigger orthodontic problems in the future.
While braces can be a great way to protect the future of your child’s smile, we never want to put them in treatment prematurely. Our team will always act in our patient’s best interest and only suggest treatment we think are necessary. During their first appointment, one of our team members will take pictures and X-rays of your smile for our doctor to review. Dr. Murphy will then explain our treatments to you and give his expert recommendation on how to move forward. We want our patients to feel comfortable and well-informed every step of the way, and we welcome questions about orthodontics and our treatment plans.
Treatment Options
We offer various braces options for our family of patients so they can choose which appliance fits best into their lifestyle. Our traditional metal braces are a patient favorite because of their consistently amazing results and durability. For this treatment, we place brackets on each of the teeth and use a wire to connect each of these brackets. Throughout your child’s time in braces, we will adjust the wire, so their teeth have consistent pressure pushing them into the correct position. After we place the wire, we bind it to the brackets using rubber bands that can be personalized to match their favorite colors.
While metal braces have been used for generations, we are proud to offer an appliance that is sleeker and more effective than braces of years past. Instead of steel wires, we use heat-activated NiTi wires that will adjust over time, so your child will only need to come in every eight weeks rather than once a month. This means they can spend more time in class and less time in one of our chairs.
In addition to our metal braces, we also offer clear ceramic braces. This appliance is perfect for our patients who want the same great results of braces while preserving the natural beauty of their smile throughout treatment. Similarly to metal braces, we use brackets, wires, and rubber bands to move your teeth into the desired position. However, clear braces use ceramic brackets that blend with the color of your teeth to give you a more natural look. When deciding which treatment is right for your child, it’s important to note that ceramic brackets are less durable than metal ones and may not be a good fit for everyone.
What to Expect When Your Child Starts
If you and our doctor decide that braces treatment is right for your child, we are able to start them the same day as their first consultation. We understand that it can be difficult to arrange schedules around orthodontic visits, and we don’t want to have your child pulled out of school for a separate appointment. In order to honor your investment of time and money, we have simplified our process and made getting braces put on as easy as possible.
There may be some initial discomfort as your child gets used to having the appliance in their mouths, but children are typically able to adjust to the change faster than any of our other patients. To help ease their discomfort, we suggest using an over-the-counter pain medication or applying braces wax to the areas causing irritation.
