Welcome to the office of Dr. W. Glenn Lewis, a respected orthodontist in your community. With Orthodontist offices in Marietta, Lawrenceville, Kennesaw/Acworth and Cumming, our practice’s top priority is to provide our patients the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment. We offer everything from traditional metal braces, clear braces and Invisalign. Our office utilizes the latest technological advancements in the industry, with services that include:
We are committed to helping you maintain your oral health as an integral part of your overall health and wellness.
INSURANCE & FINANCING
Dr. W. Glenn Lewis Orthodontist in Marietta, Cumming, Kennesaw and Lawrenceville GA
Dr. W. Glenn Lewis is an accredited orthodontist, which means that he is a specialist in orthodontics. In order to become an orthodontic specialist, Dr. Lewis completed an advanced post-doctoral course at Emory University, accredited by the American Dental Association. This program at Emory required Dr. Lewis to undergo three years of specialty training in orthodontics in addition to his four years of General Dentistry education.
MORE ABOUT DR. W. GLENN LEWISWe offer impression-free Invisalign treatment with our state-of-the-art iTero Element 2 intra oral scanner. No more messy impressions. No goop or gag to worry about.
We can virtually obtain impressions of your teeth and immediately show you an outcome simulation of how your teeth will look after treatment.
For more information about the Masterpiece Smiles scholarship, visit our scholarship page.
There is definitely some overlap between a dentist and orthodontist. Think of it this way: all orthodontist are dentists but very few dentists have undergone the extra 2-3 years in a certified orthodontic specialty training program which is required to become a specialist in orthodontics. Orthodontists typically specialize in aligning teeth and jaws, while dentists can help patients achieve a cleaner, healthier smile through cleanings, X-rays, and even surgery.
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Some important considerations that come into play with timing your child's treatment might relate to social and psychological factors. Even though treatment can be accomplished at any age , there are good reasons to choose certain parameters that are related to specific age groups!
One of these is that most orthodontic treatment is recommended at about 9 to 14 years of age for good reason. This age is typically when the majority of patients loose their last primary teeth and also have their second permanent molars also known as the twelve year molars come into the mouth (erupt into the mouth). This allows the orthodontist to place the braces on all the permanent teeth ,therefor making this the ideal time for full orthodontic treatment.
As a result of this most of our younger patients are in treatment at the same time as many of their classmates and friends ,usually during middle school . Because of this it is socially more acceptable at this age. It has been my experience that the majority of patients at this age are actually eager to start in treatment. Those patients that come in at a little older age ...high school age...usually still want treatment but are concerned that a lot of their peers have already finished or are completing their orthodontic treatment.
Another thing that might be important to consider is completing treatment ideally before your child goes off to college. Taking into account that treatment might take 18 to 24 months would mean that orthodontic treatment might need to begin no later then 16 years of age.
Remember however that you are never to old to look your best!!
In general everyone should see their general dentist twice a year for an exam and cleaning. During orthodontic treatment it is recommended that you should see your general dentist every 4 months or 3 times per year since braces require more effort to keep clean. The general dentist will continue to monitor your oral health by examining for cavities, gingivitis (gum inflammation) and helping make sure that you maintain proper dental hygiene during your orthodontic care. He or she will also help prevent you from getting decalcification (white spots on your teeth secondary to poor hygiene). Decalcification is a result of the bacteria in plaque that leaches out the calcium from your teeth. Decalcification is an early sign of future decay if not prevented or treated early.
The dentist or periodontist will also help patients that have a history of periodontal disease that are undergoing orthodontic treatment. Patients in this category are more susceptible to progressive periodontal disease during orthodontic treatment if they are not maintaining the proper protocol given them by their dentist/periodontist. This usually means that they are under a rigorous protocol of cleaning/follow up visits with their dentist to keep and maintain the health of the periodontal/gum tissue.
Good oral health also prevents your gums from becoming swollen or inflamed. Healthy gum tissue allows for better and more efficient orthodontic treatment. Good oral hygiene can also reduce bad breath while allowing the patient to continue to have a beautiful smile while in treatment.
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For those who might be questioning whether to choose aligners or braces to straighten their teeth ,here are some basics that might help in that decision.
Braces have been around for over 100 years and are a highly refined and engineered product. Every bracket is engineered to be placed on the particular tooth that it was designed for with a prescription built into its manufacture to move that tooth in three dimensions of space( degrees of torque ...degrees of tip and degrees of rotation). This prescription is based on years of research that results in an ideal bite (occlusion) together with a resulting pleasing beautiful smile . Braces come in metal or ceramic (clear). The ceramic braces allow for a more esthetic cosmetic look.
Aligner treatment is a more recent developed treatment option. Aligners are essentially made of a molded plastic/resin that is formed from accurate impressions or digital scans of the teeth. The data from these impressions or scans are where the digital information is obtained to allow for 3D printing of molds of the teeth. Essentially the orthodontist will create a treatment plan customized to your particular needs. As a result of this plan a series of aligners for each arch of teeth will be made designed to move the teeth. Initially at the delivery of the aligners the orthodontist will place what are called attachments to the teeth to help the aligners better move the teeth. The attachments are a form of bonding that allow the aligners to help move the teeth. Aligners have the advantage of being removable and clear . Besides being more costly, Aligners are more suitable for less involved problems since they don't provide the same degree of sophistication in tooth movement as do the braces.
In general braces cost less than aligners and result in better more predictable outcomes.
