At Reagin Orthodontics, we know that getting braces is about more than fixing your teeth; it’s about how you feel afterwards. We celebrate with patients every time our treatment/smile plan helps them live the life they want! We want to share some of the amazing stories from our customers with our Smile Story series, starting with Greg L.
Greg says that he came to Reagin originally to look for braces for his daughter. When she was nearing the end of her treatment, Greg said “I wish I had gotten my teeth fixed” at her age. Dr. Reagin pointed out that it wasn’t too late! Many patients at Reagin are over 40 years old, just like Greg.
Greg decided he wanted to start his orthodontic treatment because Dr. Reagin made it ” too easy to pass up.” Greg was able to take advantage of our payment plans and 0% rate to finance his treatment over time. “It was an investment, but they made it so easy.”
We made a plan to help Greg with aligners to coordinate problems with his alignment, arch coordination/symmetry and crossbites. Because Greg was motivated to complete his treatment, even with his frequent travel, we are able to celebrate Greg’s successful treatment.
Where did Greg start?
When we first met Greg, we noticed that Greg had a severe reverse crossbite of the posterior teeth on his right side. Reverse crossbites in the back teeth usually result from a constricted lower jaw or unusually wide upper jaw. This problem could lead to:
- An incorrect position for the lower jaw
- Accompanying facial asymmetry
- Uneven wear of teeth
- Difficulty chewing food
- Poor Esthetics
He also had a traditional crossbite of his upper right lateral incisor, where the upper teeth are inside the lower teeth, and some mild crowding of both upper and lower teeth. There were some challenges with the shape of his mouth. Greg had asymmetric upper and lower arches. The two dental arches (upper and lower) are important because they house the teeth, including the gums and alveolar bone.
Greg had a narrow lower arch and a narrow mid buccal segment (canine, premolar and molar teeth) of the right maxilla (one of the bones that forms your upper jaw). Upon smiling, it appeared that he was missing some teeth especially in his upper right quadrant.
What Was Greg’s Treatment Plan?
Our treatment plan was to coordinate the arches, relieve the crossbite in the front and align the teeth. Our treatment modality was clear aligners. Due to the severity of Greg’s reverse crossbite, we were not sure whether we could correct it without surgery. But with a good diagnosis, plan, and most importantly a compliant patient, we were able to make the needed adjustments and deliver a great smile result for Greg without surgical intervention.
What were some of the unique aspects of this case?
One challenge of Greg’s treatment was that he traveled frequently and would spend months overseas. We would often do virtual visits with Greg while he was overseas to help him keep up with our planned treatment. Greg says, “We were able to check in once a quarter with Facetime to make sure everything was fitting, just like normal” while he was thousands of miles away.
Dr. Reagin is proud that we were able to use the technology available to us to still serve as Greg’s remote orthodontist. We are excited to be the local orthodontist with a physical location for patients, no matter where they live!
What made for a successful treatment?
We had an amazing patient! Greg was very compliant and internally motivated to complete the treatment. Along with a great diagnosis and treatment plan, this made for a great result. Greg attributes the success of his treatment to following the program that Reagin set out for him.
To his team at Reagin Orthodontics, Greg says, “Thank you for your patience! They went above and beyond for me. They did a lot of things for me that they didn’t have to while I was 8,000 miles away. They really care about their patients. They call you by your first name and they ask about your family.”
When Greg looks back at pictures, he says that he notices a huge difference! He wishes he had made this change 20 years ago, but he’s glad that he can now go through life with properly aligned teeth thanks to his successful treatment at Reagin Orthodontics.