My teenager does not want braces
You are not the only parent typing this. A teenager digging in about braces is one of the most common conversations we have, and it almost always comes down to one of three things: not wanting to stand out, being scared it will hurt, or not wanting to be told what to do. All three have good answers. The options are far more discreet than they were, the discomfort is a few days rather than months, and the first visit at Milk is a free conversation with our Treatment Coordinator, not a commitment. Nothing gets decided that day unless your teenager wants it to.
4.9 from 75 Google reviews · Specialist orthodontist · No referral needed · Newmarket and Albany
Reviewed by Dr Shaz MacAvoy, Specialist Orthodontist. Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (Orthodontics), registered with the Dental Council of New Zealand.
What is usually behind the no
Ask, and listen to the answer, because each one has a different fix.
Looks
Photos, socials, the ball, a first job. This is the big one, and it is the easiest to solve. Tooth-coloured clear braces are far subtler than metal, LightForce custom braces are lower profile still, and Angel Aligners are near-invisible. Most teens tell us their friends barely notice.
Pain
Braces are tender for three to five days after fitting and for a day or two after each adjustment. That is real, and it is also short. Soft food, wax and ordinary pain relief see most teens through, and by the second week they forget the braces are there. We explain this to them directly, not through you.
Control
Teenagers want a say, and they should have one. Which appliance, whether the braces are clear or coloured, when to start, whether to wait a year: all of these can be theirs to choose. Hearing the options from someone who is not their parent often changes the conversation entirely.
Things that help
From parents who have been through it, and from watching thousands of teenagers change their minds.
What the first visit is actually like
We talk to your teenager, not over them
A 20 minute free Smile Assessment with our Treatment Coordinator at Newmarket or Albany. We look at the teeth and bite, take a few photos, and explain what we see in words a teenager understands. They can ask anything. You can be in the room or not; many teens open up more when a parent steps out.
An honest answer, including maybe not yet
Sometimes the answer is that waiting a year or two is perfectly fine, and that takes all the pressure off. Sometimes there is a bite that is best treated while the jaws are still growing, and we say that plainly too. Either way, nothing is booked on the day unless your teenager wants it to be.
If they truly want to wait
For most cases, waiting is fine. For a few, it costs something. We tell you which.
When waiting is fine
Crowding, spacing and most bites can be treated just as well at 15, 16 or 17 as at 13. A teenager who starts a little later, wanting it, does far better than one who starts early resenting it. See is 15, 16 or 17 too late for braces.
When it is worth pushing gently
A lower jaw well back, a narrow upper jaw or front teeth sticking far out and at risk of a knock respond best while growth is still happening. If that is your teenager, we explain why to them, and what the choices are. We would still rather they chose it.
The options nobody notices
Clear braces, LightForce custom braces and Angel Aligners. For a teenager whose whole objection is how braces look, seeing these on real patients is usually the moment the no turns into a maybe. See our guide to invisible braces for teens, then let them decide.
Answered honestly
Can I make my teenager get braces?
You could, but we would not recommend it, and we would rather wait than start with a teenager who is dead against it. Braces need daily care, elastics worn, food avoided and appointments kept, and a resentful patient gets a slower, poorer result. A free no-pressure visit usually moves things further than an argument.
Will waiting a year or two make it worse?
For most cases, no. Crowding, spacing and most bites can be treated just as well at 15 to 17. A few jaw-related problems do respond best while the jaws are still growing, and if that is your teenager we tell you both clearly, so the decision is an informed one.
Do braces hurt?
The teeth feel tender for three to five days after fitting and for a day or two after each adjustment, because they are moving. It is mild and short. Soft food, wax and ordinary pain relief make it easy, and by the second week most teens forget the braces are on.
Are there braces nobody can see?
Angel Aligners come closest: near-invisible, removable trays most people never notice. Clear braces are tooth-coloured and far subtler than metal, though visible up close. LightForce custom braces are lower profile again. We show your teenager all of them at the assessment.
What if my teenager will not wear aligners properly?
Then clear braces are the better choice, and we will say so. Aligners only work for about 22 hours a day of wear. For a teenager who might leave them in a drawer, fixed clear braces get a reliable result without the daily decision.
Can my teenager talk to you without me in the room?
Yes, and many prefer it. We will tell you what we found and what we suggested afterwards, and we always speak to you before anything is decided or booked.
Can they choose the colours, or have none?
Yes. Coloured bands on metal braces are a genuine draw for some teens, and for others the whole point is that nothing shows, so clear brackets with clear ties. It changes nothing about the result, so it is entirely their call.
Can my teenager pick when to start?
Yes, within reason. After the ball, after the season, after exams, in the holidays: a start date they have chosen is a start date they own. If there is a medical reason not to wait long, we explain it to them directly.
A first visit with nothing to decide
A free 20 minute Smile Assessment at Newmarket or Albany. Your teenager hears the options from us, asks their own questions, and leaves with an honest answer. No referral, no obligation, no pressure.
Related: invisible braces for teens, orthodontics for teens, is 15, 16 or 17 too late and the first week with braces.