Who We Treat
Dr. Roy Gonzalez, Jr. and his team have helped patients in Alamo Heights, Castle Hills, and the greater San Antonio area for generations. We recognize that kids, teens, and adults have different needs. Furthermore, patients of all ages require varying levels of attention, care, and treatment. When you become an Alamo City Orthodontics patient, our team will ensure that you receive orthodontic treatment that is individualized, appropriate, and meets your needs.
Early Intervention
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that parents schedule an orthodontic screening by age 7. With early orthodontic treatment, we help your kids with the foundation they need to have a healthy smile that will last for years.
Taking your children in for an initial orthodontic screening when they are young will give us an advantage when planning the ideal development of their smile. It’s important to note that this first examination does not necessarily always call for immediate treatment.
Early orthodontic intervention is more focused on understanding clearly how your child’s smile is developing and what risks they can face in the future. Once Dr. Gonzalez identifies those risk factors, he can begin creating a personalized orthodontic treatment plan for the coming years that can fix existing issues or prevent other conditions that may arise.
We recommend that you schedule your child’s first orthodontic appointment by age 7 because most children’s first adult molars come into the mouth around age 6. In addition to their adult teeth coming in, many other developmental markers begin to show themselves during this time of rapid growth and change. Identifying these markers is essential in providing effective, preventive orthodontic treatment.
Teens
While we treat patients of all ages, the most common time for our patients to receive braces or clear aligners is during adolescence. If you are a parent wondering whether it’s time to schedule a consultation for braces or which option is the best orthodontist treatment for teens, here are a few things to consider.
As it turns out, there’s a good reason that the adolescent and teen years are such a common era for braces, as it helps make treatment more effective and convenient for our patients for the following reasons:
- Permanent Teeth: For starters, by adolescence, the permanent teeth have either grown incompletely or are almost finished growing. This means adolescence is the first time in a patient’s life when we can change all the adult teeth.
- Metabolism: Teens also tend to have higher metabolisms because they’re growing so fast. We can take advantage of the growth spurts of teenagers to speed up orthodontic treatment, helping our patients achieve a new smile while spending less time in braces.
- Popularity: Because braces are so typical for teens, most teenagers aren’t opposed to wearing them –some patients even tell us they want braces just to fit in with their friends! This added social element can ease teens’ anxiety around braces, helping make the treatment process more pleasant.
Adults
Many adults who are unhappy with the appearance of their smile often think that it’s too late for them to do anything to fix it since they did not have braces as children or teenagers.
A common misconception is that orthodontics is exclusively for the young, but adult orthodontics treatment is possible and, sometimes, necessary. The good news is that healthy teeth can be moved at any age with proper treatment, so there’s no such thing as being too old or too late to get braces and a new smile.
Do you need an orthodontist for teens, kids, or adults?
If you need a kid, teen, or adult orthodontist, contact Dr. Roy Gonzalez at Alamo City Orthodontics, call 210-344-9295, or message us online. We’ll work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that meets your needs and determine which treatment method would be best for you. We look forward to helping you achieve a healthier smile!
