Megan has to laugh when she realizes how much she’s going to miss bringing her son to Smiles for Life Orthodontics — even though she drives 40 minutes each way to get there. “My other kids look forward to playing video games in the waiting room,” she said. “But my son with the braces has never played them since he always gets in to see the doctor so quickly.” Megan loves the way they’re all treated like family and is thrilled with the transformation of her son’s smile. “Luckily, I have three more kids,” she said. “Is it wrong to hope they need braces, too?”
That wouldn’t be unusual. Dr. Irelia Machado often treats one child in a family, then treats their sister or brother — and even their parents. In fact, about 40% of Smiles for Life patients are adults. “For my adult patients, braces are often about more than a gorgeous smile,” Dr. Machado said. “Many of them need their teeth aligned to make way for restorations such as crowns and implants. We can give them fully functional teeth that are also beautiful.”
It’s with those adults in mind that Dr. Machado has expanded her practice to include technology such as Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) which consist of mini-implants temporarily placed into the bone of the jaws to facilitate tooth movement and Wilckodontics, where Dr. Machado collaborates with an oral surgeon or a periodontist and through a combination of oral surgery and traditional orthodontics, offers beautiful, straight smiles up to four times faster than with traditional braces alone.
Of course, Dr. Machado hasn’t forgotten about her young patients. She sees kids as young as six who require expansion to create space for permanent teeth. “The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends all children be seen by an orthodontist no later than age seven,” she said. “They may not need braces then — or ever — but this allows us to determine whether intervention will be needed and when.” For Dr. Machado and her staff, the relationships with their patients and patient families are the best part of the job.
It’s with all these patients in mind that they offer a full menu of orthodontic services including Damon Smile with metal and clear braces, clear aligners, early intervention, and surgical orthodontics. “I love learning about new, leading-edge technology that makes my patients’ experience even better,” Dr. Machado said. “And I love watching my patients achieve that beautiful smile they deserve.”
Dr. Machado’s own son and daughter will soon be joining her in her chosen field. “My daughter is graduating from dental school in May and will be practicing general dentistry,” she said. “My son is continuing on to his orthodontics degree so he can eventually join me in my practice.”
Find out more about achieving the confident, beautiful smile you’ve always wanted at SmilesforLifeOrtho.com.
“I love learning about new, leading-edge technology that makes my patients’ experience even better. And I love watching my patients achieve that beautiful smile they deserve.”
