The Little Elm family guide to braces.
Little Elm has grown to more than 60,000 people, and a lot of them are kids heading toward braces. This is the practical version: when to go, how it fits around school and sports, what it costs, what to do if you moved here mid-treatment, and which nearby office is easiest to reach.
- Board-certified orthodontist
- Free first visit
- 3 offices around Little Elm
- Same two doctors every visit
By Dr. Kevin Baharvand, DMD, MS · Board-certified orthodontist · Reviewed October 2026If you live in Little Elm, the nearest board-certified orthodontist is Elate Orthodontics. For most of town the two closest offices are West Frisco on FM 423 and The Colony on Highway 121, with North Frisco on 380 as a third option up north. Here’s which one fits your part of town.
Full disclosure: Elate is our practice, and this guide is written by its co-founder, Dr. Kevin Baharvand. Everything here still applies if you end up somewhere else.
Braces around real Little Elm life.
School calendars, sports seasons, a recent move. Orthodontic treatment runs alongside all of it, so these are the guides built around that.
Moved here mid-treatment?
What records to grab, how transfer fees usually work, and how to avoid a long gap between adjustments.
Read the guide → 02 · ParentsBraces and the school year
Summer starts, band, picture day, and appointments that don’t wreck the school week.
Read the guide → 03 · AthletesSports in braces
The mouthguard question, and what to do when a bracket breaks at a Saturday tournament.
Read the guide → 04 · Next stepThe free consultation
What actually happens in the first visit, start to finish, and when a second opinion makes sense.
Read the guide →Schools: Little Elm ISD guide for parents · Is Little Elm Elementary closing?
Start with who needs treatment.
The first orthodontic check
What the orthodontist looks for at seven, and why most kids don’t need anything yet.
Read → TeensBraces or clear aligners
The honest trade-offs, including which teens do well with aligners and which don’t.
Read → AdultsStraightening teeth as an adult
Crowns, gum health, and a full work calendar all change the plan.
Read → CostWhat drives the price
Insurance, HSA and FSA money, payment plans, and what a quote should include.
Read →A dentist who offers braces isn’t the same as an orthodontist.
Search “braces Little Elm” and most of what comes back is general dental offices. That’s allowed. A general dentist can legally straighten teeth, and plenty do. It’s still worth knowing the difference.
Four years of dental school.
Orthodontics is usually learned through weekend courses or aligner-company training. Often fine for simple spacing or mild crowding. The real question is whether they’ll recognize a case that isn’t simple.
Dental school, then a 2 to 3 year residency.
Full-time training in nothing but moving teeth and guiding jaw growth, then voluntary written and clinical exams with the American Board of Orthodontics, renewed over a career. What to check before you choose.
Why we send Little Elm families to Elate.
We’re biased, and we’ve said so. So here are the specifics, and every one of them is checkable.
The same two orthodontists see patients at all three offices, so the drive is the only thing that changes. Records follow you if you switch. Elate has been family-owned since 2019.
- Best of Texas 2026, Guide to Texas
- Living Magazine Readers’ Choice 2026
- BusinessRate Top 3, Denton County 2026
- Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite
See real Elate cases in the before-and-after gallery, or read more on Elate’s Little Elm page.
Dr. Kevin Baharvand, DMD, MS
Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Boston University, then his orthodontic residency at Jacksonville University. AJO-DO cover clinician, Orthotown editorial board member, and a national lecturer on clear aligners. D Magazine Best Dentist 2026 and DFWChild Mom Approved 2026.
Dr. Julia Kang, DMD
Dental degrees from Seoul National University and Boston University, with a clinical externship at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. JCO Resident of the Year finalist. Named to topDentists for the Dallas area five years running, a list chosen by other dentists.
Three offices, one phone number.
West Frisco
5605 FM 423, Suite 600, Frisco, TX 75036
Closest for most of central Little Elm. Shares a building with Tribute Family Dentistry.
The Colony
4713 Highway 121, Suite 304, The Colony, TX 75056
Closest for the south end of town and the Little Elm ISD campuses in The Colony.
North Frisco
2155 W University Dr, Suite 110, Frisco, TX 75033
An option for the north side of town near 380. Across from Cook Children's.
Common questions
Is there an orthodontist in Little Elm, TX?
A few offices in Little Elm offer braces, and several are general dental practices rather than orthodontic specialists. Elate Orthodontics, which publishes this guide, has offices just outside town on FM 423, US 380, and Highway 121.
What is the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist who does braces?
An orthodontist completed two to three extra years of full-time residency training in orthodontics after dental school. A general dentist can legally offer braces or aligners in Texas, usually after shorter courses.
At what age should my child first see an orthodontist?
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check by about age 7. Most children do not need treatment at that visit.
Is the first orthodontic visit at Elate free?
Yes. The first visit at Elate Orthodontics is free and includes digital scans and photos, an exam by Dr. Baharvand or Dr. Kang, treatment options, and exact pricing with an insurance breakdown.
Talk to a board-certified orthodontist near Little Elm.
The first visit at Elate Orthodontics is free. Scans, an exam with the doctor, and exact pricing.