Dr. Marta Baird describes the treatment for several patients treated at her practice, Baird Orthodontics. The treatment plans include an Expander followed by braces or Invisalign(R) treatment. Expansion is best done around age 8 when patients have a lot of growth remaining. Once all of the adult teeth come in, the suture between the right and left sides starts to fuse. By age 12, the force to expand the maxilla is much higher. Expansion is more comfortable at a younger age when less force is needed.