Orthodontic Treatment for Teens
For most teens, the ideal time to start orthodontic treatment is between the ages of 11 and 15. This is a crucial window when growth and development can work with a smile, not against it. At Santucci Orthodontics in Wichita, everything is designed to respect your teen’s growth, personality, and potential. With Dr. Santucci personally guiding every case, you can feel confident knowing your teen’s care is in experienced hands.
Meet with a Treatment Coordinator
Your journey begins with a comprehensive consultation. Our treatment coordinator will gather digital scans, photographs, and bite records to understand your current smile architecture. Dr. Santucci personally reviews this data to assess facial harmony, airway health, and alignment patterns, laying the foundation for your custom smile design.
Your Personalized Smile Blueprint
Using our proprietary ten-point framework, known as The Santucci Smile, we create a detailed plan built around structure, balance, and natural beauty. Every treatment recommendation is tied to your facial features, lifestyle, and long-term goals. You’ll review visual models and walk through the process like you’re reviewing architectural plans—clear, intentional, and tailored to you.
Orthodontic Treatment Begins
Whether we use Pitts21® self-ligating braces or Spark™ clear aligners, every phase of your treatment is engineered to follow the natural progression of a well-designed smile.
Smile Arc
Braces or aligners for adults begin fine-tuning alignment and smile flow. We create the signature arc that matches your lower lip and gives your smile a youthful and dynamic flow.
Smile Width
We reduce dark spaces at the corners of the mouth so the smile looks wider, fuller, and more natural. When needed, we use precision tools like TADs or bite turbos for optimal results.
Vertical Tooth Display
We evaluate how much of the tooth shows at rest and in motion. Too little makes a smile look aged, too much can appear gummy. Our goal is a natural, balanced, and youthful display.
Lip Support & Fullness
Your teeth and bite play a major role in how your lips are supported. A properly designed smile enhances facial esthetics by gently lifting and filling the lips in a natural, age-appropriate way.
Facial & Midline Symmetry
Centering your smile within the face creates balance and visual calm. We carefully align the dental midline with the facial midline to anchor the smile.
Tooth Proportion
Ideal smiles have proportionate teeth—neither too long nor too wide. We adjust size relationships for a more balanced and natural esthetic.
Tooth Contacts
We refine how the teeth touch side by side, creating smooth transitions and eliminating visual distractions. It’s a detail that elevates the overall symmetry and flow of the smile.
Gum Shape
We sculpt gum lines for symmetry and balance, ensuring your teeth appear even and well-contoured. This enhances the smile’s overall shape and polish.
Occlusion
The way your teeth come together matters. We fine-tune your bite—adjusting contact points and alignment—to create balance, protect jaw health, and support long-term stability. It’s a subtle part of smile design, but it plays a major role in how your smile functions and feels every day.
Airway & Functional Support
A beautiful smile should also be sustainable. That means creating space that supports healthy breathing, jaw posture, and long-term function. Because true orthodontic care is about more than alignment, it’s about foundation for life.
Celebration!
When your treatment finishes, the real impact begins. You’ll leave with more than just straight teeth—you’ll leave with a smile that functions beautifully, fits your face, and feels entirely yours.
Keep your smile for life
A great result deserves to last. That’s why every new treatment at our office includes our Santucci Smile Assurance program — because we’re committed to helping you protect and maintain the beautiful results you’ve worked for.
Our program provides access to high-quality retainers designed for long-term comfort, retention and durability, ensuring your smile stays just the way you love it.