People are living longer, and proper alignment of our teeth helps us maintain healthy teeth for life.

A mis-aligned bite, or malocclusion, can cause abnormal wear, as well as difficulty in chewing and speaking. Likewise, crowded teeth are hard to clean, contributing to gum disease, decay and tooth loss. These issues cause excess stress on the mouth, often leading to painful jaw problems. Orthodontic treatment can help children and adults bite, chew and speak more effectively.

Orthodontics is the specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions. A malocclusion can mean that teeth are simply crowded, or where the top teeth protrude out over the lower teeth (an "overbite"). When the lower jaw is just beyond the upper teeth, this is an "underbite".

Orthodontics addresses these alignment issues, using braces and directional forces to correct the way that teeth and jaws fit together for better chewing, digestion and oral care.

Orthodontic treatment can do a lot more than just straighten your teeth. It can redefine your smile and change the look of your face. Straight teeth make for a beautiful smile, inspiring many patients to smile more often and feel more confident about talking and laughing in public.