Braces & clear aligners in Woodside, NY
A board-certified orthodontist, free consultations, and an honest answer about whether you need treatment at all.
Orthodontics
Straightening teeth, without the sales pitch
Dr. Elena Marquez is a board-certified orthodontist with a master's degree in the specialty. She has straightened teeth across Queens for more than fifteen years, and she still starts every consultation the same way: by working out whether you need treatment at all.
- Free consultation with a digital scan — no putty impression trays
- Clear aligners for mild to moderate crowding and spacing
- Fixed braces, metal or ceramic, for bite correction and bigger movements
- Early screening from age seven, when problems are cheapest to fix
- Adult treatment, including retreatment after teeth have drifted back
- Retainers — and a frank conversation about wearing them
How it goes
From consultation to retainer
A scan, photographs and a proper look at your bite. You leave with the options, the timeline and a written price — even if you decide to do nothing.
Braces go on in one appointment. Aligners are made from your scan and arrive as a numbered series with clear instructions.
Roughly every six to eight weeks, usually a short visit. We keep them in the same slot each time so they fit around work and school.
Teeth drift back if you let them. We fit a retainer at the end and explain exactly how much wear it actually needs.
Questions
Questions about braces and aligners
How much do braces cost in Woodside?
It depends on how much movement is needed and how long treatment runs. The consultation is free and ends with a written figure and a monthly payment option — not a range. Many insurance plans carry a lifetime orthodontic benefit that we will check for you.
Braces or clear aligners — which is better?
Neither, in the abstract. Aligners are excellent for mild to moderate crowding and spacing and are nearly invisible; fixed braces still do some jobs better, particularly big rotations and bite corrections. Dr. Marquez will tell you which one your case actually needs, including when it is the cheaper one.
How long does treatment take?
Simple alignment can be done in six to nine months. A full bite correction is more often eighteen months to two years. You will get an estimated timeline at the consultation, and we review it as we go.
Am I too old for braces?
No. Teeth move at any age as long as the gums and bone are healthy — a good part of Dr. Marquez's list is adults in their thirties, forties and beyond. If your gums need attention first, Dr. Mehta sorts that out before anything starts.
When should my child be assessed?
Around age seven. Most children will not need anything then, but it is the age where a genuine problem — a crossbite, a badly placed adult tooth — is easiest and cheapest to fix. The screening is part of a normal check-up.
The consultation is genuinely free
Book with Dr. Marquez and find out where you stand — including if the answer is that you do not need treatment.