Frequently Asked Questions

An orthodontist is a dental specialist who went to 2-3 years of additional specialty training after completing dental school. Orthodontists focus on diagnosing and treating problems related to the position of teeth, relation of jaws, and how the teeth come together (“occlusion” or your “bite”). Orthodontists are also experts on growth/development of the jaws and eruption of permanent teeth. Orthodontists typically use braces or Invisalign to correct these issues, leading to an improvement in your overall oral health and smile/facial esthetics.

Orthodontists pursue several years of additional specialty training specific to the diagnosis and treatment of malocclusions (improper alignment of the teeth and bite related issues). They are experts on growth/development and ensuring that any changes to your teeth, bite, or facial structures are done in a healthy manner. They solely focus on orthodontic treatment, rather than a variety of dental procedures.

Though there are many general dentists who offer orthodontic treatment, they have not received this advanced training and are not licensed as an orthodontic specialist. Would you want your family doctor performing your heart surgery?

Board Certification by the American Board of Orthodontics is a voluntary credential that represents an orthodontist’s personal and public commitment to the highest standards of speciality practice and lifelong learning. The ABO certification process requires rigorous study and the completion of peer-developed, externally validated written and clinical examinations. 

Board Certification is confirmation of an orthodontist’s personal commitment to providing the highest quality of patient care.

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that all children be seen for their first orthodontic examination at age 7. By this age, your child typically will have the permanent first molars and all four incisors in both the upper and lower arches. Seeing an orthodontist for a check-up at this age allows the early identification of any problems that may warrant limited intervention to prevent them from becoming bigger and more complex problems later on. Most of the time your child will simply be placed on yearly recall observation, allowing Dr. Bates to make recommendations that are best timed with your child’s unique growth and development.

NO! Just give us a call or visit us online to schedule your complimentary consultation.

We do ask that you continue to see your regular dentist for regular examination/cleanings throughout your orthodontic treatment however.

Your teeth and their surrounding structures are very intricately related. The teeth have nerves and blood vessels inside of them, are connected to the bone around them by the periodontal ligament, and are surrounded by a band of soft tissue called gingiva (your “gums”). Additionally, your teeth fit together in a very specific way and prior to orthodontic treatment, the position of your teeth is often a compensation for the relationship of your jaws. Orthodontic treatment is the purposely decompensation and rearrangement of the teeth in a very specific way. In order to ensure the health of your teeth, their surrounding structures, and your jaw joints, it is important that this process be done under the care of an orthodontic specialist who is monitoring clinically and radiographically (with x-rays).

While the fancy marketing of these mail-order aligner companies is alluring, for most cases, it is ill-advised to attempt to treat yourself from home. We have had to “rescue” many patients from their failed at-home treatments messing up their bite. This often leads to lengthier and more costly treatment overall, which is typically the primary reason the mail-order treatment was pursued. For minor touch-ups, you’d be quite surprised at the efficiency and affordability of treatment with your orthodontist due to improvements in technology.

While aspects of orthodontic treatment are cosmetic in nature, there is much more benefit to orthodontic treatment. Though Dr. Bates will certainly design your smile to improve your facial aesthetics, aligning your teeth and correcting your bite can lead to significant improvements in your dental health, function of your teeth, and prevention of long-term issues. You only get one set of permanent teeth so it’s important to take care of them so you can keep on enjoying your favorite foods for a lifetime! At Bates Family Orthodontics we believe in honesty and transparency so rest assured that Dr. Bates will let you know if the benefits of your treatment will be purely cosmetic, however MOST of the time there are much more benefits to pursuing orthodontic treatment.

At Bates Family Orthodontics, Dr. Bates will focus on designing your smile to best fit your unique facial esthetics. He is focusing on the smallest details to ensure that your orthodontic treatment doesn’t simply result in straight teeth, but rather a beautiful and pleasing smile. In addition to improving your alignment and bite, Dr. Bates also focuses on the aesthetic aspects of your smile, which include the width of your smile, your smile arc (how the upper front teeth gradually follow the curvature of your lower lip when you smile), midlines, tooth shape, and even the shape of the gum tissue around your teeth.

We feel that orthodontic treatment is a health benefit that should be attainable for everyone. We offer flexible financing plans and are transparent with our fees so that there are as few barriers as possible to you being able to start your smile journey. The cost of your orthodontic treatment is determined by a number of factors such as case complexity and length of treatment. Once Dr. Bates makes a treatment recommendation, we will present you with a detailed breakdown of the cost of your individualized treatment plan and work with you to find a payment plan that fits your monthly budget. We do offer discounts for paying for 50%, 75%, and 100% of treatment up front.