A board certified orthodontist is an orthodontist who has studied and performed hundreds of additional hours to fully demonstrate the judgment, skills and knowledge required for providing orthodontic services at the highest level of patient care.   They have achieved board certification through the American Board of Orthodontics, the only orthodontic specialty board recognized by the American Dental Association and in affiliation with the American Association of Orthodontists. The chart shown here is from the American Board of Orthodontics.

An orthodontist has not only fully trained as a dentist, including having completed a graduate program in dentistry to receive their DDS or DMD (Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine), but they have also done a competitive residency at a Commission of Dental Accreditation (CDA) approved orthodontic program for an additional 2-3 years to be trained specifically in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. And a board certified orthodontists must renew their certification every 10 years to demonstrate their continuous commitment to excellence. 

Achieving board certification is the final step in a years long and intensive education to ultimately be able to provide the highest quality service to patients. 

Orthodontics is more than just straightening teeth.  Orthodontists understand the complexity of growth development and facial form.  Treatment plans include issues related to the jaw and bite, not just movement of teeth.  There’s a reason orthodontists go to additional years of highly competitive orthodontic school – to learn and perfect their ability in this specialty.  A general dentist is ideal for providing regular oral health check-ups, comparable to your family doctor.  Many dentists offer orthodontic treatment plans, but they do not have the extensive training or education in the area that an orthodontist has.

Although many Dentists offer braces, only 5% of Dentists are Orthodontists, and only 1% have completed their board certification exams to become a Board Certified Orthodontist.

Orthodontists are uniquely qualified in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of orthodontic problems.  They dedicate their professional lives to creating healthy, beautiful smiles in children, teens and adults. Well-aligned teeth are more than attractive: they make it possible to bite, chew and speak effectively. Orthodontic care is often part of a comprehensive oral health plan.

Dr. Taylor has dedicated himself to providing our community with the best in orthodontic care, and is proud to share his qualifications with you.  He attended dental school, then specialized in orthodontics, and underwent the vigorous process to become a Board Certified Orthodontist.

Anyone who is considering braces or orthodontic services can schedule to come in for a FREE CONSULTATION with Dr. David Taylor, a leading orthodontist in South Texas. 

Your Consultation will include any needed X-rays and an exam by Dr. Taylor. Based on this, Dr. Taylor will discuss with you all possible options to straighten your teeth and give you a beautiful smile. 

Whether you are looking at traditional braces, clear braces or Invisalign, Dr. Taylor will tell you exactly what you need to do, answer all your questions and together you will finalize the best course of treatment. 

We will also check out any dental insurance you may have to see exactly what kind of coverage you can get for your treatment. If you need to co-pay or if you don’t have dental insurance, we can work with you and your finances to establish a low downpayment and low monthly payments that can fit your budget.

If you are looking for Medicaid coverage, please understand that Medicaid does not cover braces or orthodontic treatment unless it is deemed to be medically necessary. If Medicaid offered coverage, we would certainly utilize this, but unfortunately it does not.

However, we do offer affordable payment plans that are interest free and require no credit checks. 

Dr. Taylor is a Board Certified Orthodontist and an Elite Provider for Invisalign. He’s gentle, caring and highly skilled. Call us to schedule an appointment. We are even open most Saturdays. Come in for a FREE CONSULTATION to get your teeth examined, discuss all of your options, find out exactly what you will need as a treatment plan and work with us on any financing to make it as easy as possible for you. 

Quite often people wonder whether or not Medicaid will cover the cost of braces for children or adults. For several years this was the case, but after spending over 700 million just for braces alone in Texas from 2008 to 2011, this all changed. 

For the last couple of years, Orthodontics (braces) are no longer covered by the CHIP/Children’s Medicaid program or Medicaid for Texas, including McAllen, Edinburg and the Rio Grande Valley. The only exception to this is if there is a severe alignment problem where health is threatened, such as a cleft palate which requires surgery and braces as part of the treatment.

For children enrolled in Medicaid, the dental coverage ranges from relief from pain and infection to regular checkups. States must provide orthodontic services to children “to the extent necessary to prevent disease and promote oral health, and restore oral structures to health and function.”

Here’s a quote from the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) manual:

“Orthodontic services for cosmetic purposes are not covered.”

If Medicaid is not an option – What to do?

Without help from Medicaid, we understand that you need excellent options and here at A Perfect Smile Orthodontics, we offer in-house, very low interest financing that means braces can cost as little as $99 a month.

We also offer a no-cost consultation here at A Perfect Smile Orthodontics where Dr. Taylor will check out you or your child’s teeth and determine if you will benefit from braces or other orthodontic treatment.. 

Many PPO insurance plans offer some orthodontic benefits. The amount covered by insurance varies depending on the insurance plan. If your insurance plan does not cover the full amount for affordable braces, we offer no-interest financing and low monthly payments to make the balance affordable. To find out if you or your children can benefit from affordable dental braces just call us and schedule a FREE CONSULTATION and we will work with you to find solutions that work for you.

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The word dentist means a specialist in teeth. “Dent” meaning tooth and “ist” meaning someone who specializes. So a Dentist is someone who specializes in tooth care. Other specialists all have “dontist” as part of their title, referring again to someone who specializes in teeth. The designation at the beginning of the title describes in what way they specialize. An endodontist refers to someone who treats problems within a tooth (endo meaning within), performing such procedures as a root canal. “Perio” means around, so a periodontist deals with issues around the tooth, primarily the gums.

“Ortho” is orthodontist comes from the greek word “orthós” meaning straight, upright, correct. So an orthodontist is someone who sees to teeth being straight, upright and in correct alignment. 

The educational backgrounds of a dentist vs an orthodontist or any of the other dental specialists are different. Both require extensive schooling before practicing. A dentist must complete 8 years of higher education while an orthodontist has to complete 10 or 11 years in order to specialize. Other specialists, such as a periodontist or endodontists, similarly are first trained as a dentist and then receive further education as a specialist. 

A dentist will examine, diagnose, treat and manage your overall oral health care. This includes routine dental work like check-ups, cleaning and X-rays. But a dentist will also remove or repair problem teeth with fillings or crowns. Many dentists will also perform root canals, although this is often done by an endodontist. A periodontist deals with problems related to your gums such as periodontal disease and also places dental implants.

An orthodontist specializes in the alignment of your teeth and jaws using non-surgical procedures. They will examine and analyze your bite and treat malocclusions or bad bites as well as addressing and handling teeth that are out of alignment (crooked teeth, gaps, overlaps, etc.).

So you should see an orthodontist if you have an overbite, underbite, crooked teeth, gaps or overcrowded teeth. Your orthodontist will determine which treatment will straighten your teeth and retrain your mouth muscles best. You should also see an orthodontist if you have jaw problems or pain (usually referred to as TMJ) or if you grind your teeth, as often these can be caused by some form of malocclusion. 

An orthodontist will work in tandem with your dentist to address any problems in his field of speciality to help achieve your best overall dental health.