San Diego Braces

Dr. Chris Cruz is an orthodontist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Braces.


Q. Can one be too old for braces?

A. Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. Plus, adults have more treatment options than children. For example, Invisalign is a wonderful alternative for straightening teeth without having to wear braces.

Q. How much do braces cost?

A. The treatment time and what a patient’s individual treatment consists of is what we take into consideration when presenting a fee for treatment.  In an effort to keep orthodontic fees down, while maintaining the highest level of professional care, we have established this financial policy.

•    If full payment is made at the onset of treatment, we will offer a fee discount. (If you have insurance, we will offer a discount for payment of your portion of the fee that will not be covered by insurance.)

•    To fit your individual needs, financial arrangements can be made to extend your payments over a period of months, with no finance charges.

•    For your convenience, we accept payment by Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.
 
Q. When will one begin to see changes in his/her teeth after the braces are put on?

A. Even though straight teeth won’t happen over night, one may notice positive changes in their smile within a week or two.

Q. Will one need to have teeth extracted for braces?

A. I try as much as possible to eliminate crowding without having to extract perfectly healthy teeth. However, in some cases, I do recommend extraction of teeth prior to orthodontic treatment.

Q. How long will it take to complete the treatment?

A. Considerations such as degree of crowding and treatment time can take one to three years, depending on the growth of the patient’s mouth and face and the severity of the problem. Patients grow at different rates and will respond variously to orthodontic treatment. Interceptive, or early treatment procedures, may take as few as six months.

Q. Can a person wear braces even though that person may have crowns and missing teeth?

A. Crowns or missing teeth do not interfere with our ability to provide orthodontic treatment.

Q. How can I prevent my child from being embarrassed by wearing braces?  

A. My advice to help prevent your child from being embarrassed by wearing braces is to explain all of the fantastic benefits: getting to design their braces with a choice of 20 different colors, picking different ones every time they have an appointment, or having the choice of going clear so that the brackets are less noticeable and of course, the ending result, a future to smile about.

Q. How to contact Dr. Cruz if we have further questions?

A. We are located at:
Cruz Orthodontics
1415 Ridgeback Road #3
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Contact us at  (619) 421-5060 or email us through our website www.cruzorthodontics.com