Dr. Bar Nguyen is Katy's premier board-certified orthodontist. We offer functional, airway-focused and cosmetic orthodontic treatment in a compassionate and friendly environment.
We offer orthodontic treatment for children, teens, adults, and seniors. It's never too late for a healthy smile you feel proud to show off. If you have questions about braces or clear aligners, contact our Katy, TX dental office to learn about your options.
Clear aligners are all the rage today. In some cases, however, good old-fashioned braces are still the best option for many reasons. While some people shy away from braces because they are visible, we find that our patients grow accustomed to them pretty quickly and many people even think they look cute when they smile.
Dr. Bar is our in-house orthodontic specialist, and he will help you decide which path will suit your beautiful smile best – braces or clear aligners.
Why choose traditional braces:
Both traditional orthodontics and clear aligners can correct the following issues:
Traditional braces are often advised for complex cases of malocclusion (a bad bite) or teeth that need extensive treatment to achieve results.
Children’s Orthodontic EvaluationUnlike just a few decades ago when kids had their first orthodontic evaluation in their teens, we now evaluate children’s development around age four. This is because the jaw is still growing and developing. Interceptive orthodontics can guide the growth of the jaw to better accommodate their adult teeth. One of the main benefits of interceptive, or Phase I orthodontics, is that we can often avoid extracting perfectly healthy teeth because of overcrowding.
When children have developmental orthodontics, guiding the jaw and palate properly can also improve the profile, facial structure, and overall appearance for the child.
Phase II orthodontics can often be shorter, less complex and more comfortable for kids.
You will see more adults than ever with braces because people are realizing that having a straight smile is about more than just good looks. Properly aligned teeth are healthier and easier to keep that way. In many cases, you can enjoy fewer headaches and less jaw pain because the alignment of your teeth plays a role in your jaw function. For our adult patients, you often have a choice between traditional metal brackets and wires and ceramic brackets and wires that blend in more with your smile.
Brackets are bonded to teeth and the teeth movement is guided with an adjustable wire. Eating the wrong foods can result in popping off a bracket or breaking a wire. It’s best to avoid sticky or overly crunchy foods. Cut up apples and carrots before eating them and avoid things like corn on the cob.
Keeping braces clean requires just a bit of extra work, but is essential to preventing gum disease and tooth decay while undergoing treatment. To make it easier, special floss threaders or interproximal brushes can help.
If you are wondering whether clear aligners or traditional braces are right for you, contact Dr. Katie To, Center for Integrative Wellness and Cosmetic Dentistry, to book an orthodontic evaluation and take a big step toward a healthy, show-stopping smile.
If you want to improve the look and feel of your smile, then any age can be a great age to see the orthodontist. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child’s first Orthodontic check-up no later than the age of 7. Orthodontist can spot problems with jaw growth and erupting teeth while baby teeth are still present. Some problems are easier to correct if they are found early. Orthodontic treatment is not exclusive to children and teens, it can be successful at any age. Everyone wants a beautiful and healthy smile. More orthodontic patients today are adults.
The amount of time spent in braces will vary depending on the individual patient, because every smile responds differently to treatment. Actual treatment can be affected by rate of grwoth and severity of the correction necessary. Treatment length is also dependent upon patient compliance. maintaining good oral hygiene and keeping regular appointments are important in keeping treatment time on schedule.
The placement of bands and brackets on your teeth does not hurt. Once your braces are placed and connected with the arch wires, you may feel some soreness of your teeth for one or four days as your teeth begin to straighten. Your lips and cheeks may need one or two weeks to get used to the braces on your teeth.
Yes! In fact patients receiving orthodontic treatment may visit their dentist every 3 months depending on how well the patient take care of the braces. With braces, food may be caught in places that your toothbrush can't reach. This causes bacteria to build up that can lead to cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease. Your dentist will work closely with your orthodontist to make sure that your teeth stay clean and healthy while wearing braces.
Dr. Bar Nguyen grew up in Houston, TX and graduated from Klein Forest High School at the top of his class. He went on to study at Texas A&M University where he graduated as valedictorian with a major in biomedical sciences. Dr. Nguyen was accepted into Dental School at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) where he later graduated summa cum laude with distinction in research and multiple awards in orthodontics. Upon receiving his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, Dr. Nguyen was elected into the ...
Are you looking for a straight smile without the braces?
In today's society, great emphasis is placed on physical appearance. But the benefits of having a straight, healthy smile are not just aesthetic. If you know you look great, you’ll feel more confident, and interacting with others will be a joy again. When you feel good about the way you look, you feel more confident, and you will have that air of confidence that makes people want to get to know you better.
Dr. Bar Nguyen is our in-house orthodontist and will be more than happy to discuss all of your options. He works closely with Dr. Katie to help you enjoy ideal health and a confident smile.
Many of our adult patients can’t imagine how to fit bracket and wire braces into their busy lifestyles. This is one of the reasons we offer a convenient alternative to traditional braces at Dr. Katie To, Center for Integrative Wellness and Cosmetic Dentistry.
Clear braces and clear aligners, known by popular name-brand companies like Invisalign and ClearCorrect, are orthodontic treatments that are appropriate for older teens and adults.
If you have only minor misalignment of the front teeth that show when you smile, generic clear aligners are an economical alternative to Invisalign. The process is not lengthy, and the cost of treatment can be significantly less than with brand-name aligners like Invisalign.
Clear aligner orthodontics is a popular alternative to braces because the aligners work quickly and are easy to wear. The smooth plastic aligners are clear, so most people won’t notice you’re wearing them. At Dr. Katie To, Center for Integrative Wellness and Cosmetic Dentistry, we make this process even more streamlined and affordable by using a 3-D printer right in our Katy, TX dental office. We use it to create custom clear aligners, rather than relying on a dental lab for fabrication of the oral appliances.
We know you’ll love the fact that clear aligner braces are removable. You can avoid worrying about food getting caught in wires and brackets; just remove the aligners before you eat! Since you can remove them, effective oral hygiene is also much easier than with traditional braces.
At our Katy dental office, Dr. Bar wants to partner with you in your oral care. After treatment planning your case and designing your aligners, we rely on you to comply with a few basic guidelines during treatment.
If you lose or damage a set of your aligners, please contact us right away.
Choosing to have orthodontics without the supervision of a qualified dentist can not only give you less-than-stellar results, but it could also be dangerous to your health. Incorrect movement of teeth can lead to jaw and bite issues as well as bone loss, which can ultimately lead to tooth loss.
Don’t trust your smile to just anyone. Dr. Bar has years of experience helping patients achieve straighter teeth and improved health with orthodontics.
If misaligned teeth impact your life because they mar your smile, we can help you find the solution you need. Please contact our Katy dental office to arrange a consultation with Dr. Bar, and learn how we can transform your smile.
What a great way to kick off the new year by introducing Light Force! No, this is not a Star Wars reference. Dr. Bar has discovered a new bracket system that offers the ultimate custom fit!
Dr. Bar is always looking for ways to improve our patient’s quality of care and ...
Whether you are young or older, there is never a bad time in your life to invest in the health of your teeth. As technology advances, there are now more options than ever to give you a visually appealing look while still provided you with the teeth straightening you seek. ...
We are having so much fun with out Orthodontic patients! We love to see the changes in their smiles and how happy they are with the results! If you are wondering if Orthodontics are right for you, give us a call to schedule your complimentary consultation. Our Board Certified Orthodontist ...
