Treatment Options to Fit Your Needs
We will explain your treatment and show you what your teeth will look like when your braces come off.
When you’re ready to explore the many options available in orthodontics, choosing a specialist is the first step. Orthodontists are trained to move teeth in a safe, healthy way. Choosing a specialist committed to offering the correct patient-friendly options available is an important second step. That is why so many residents from Anchorage and beyond choose Murray Orthodontics.
No matter your age, we have options that can be custom tailored not only for your teeth – but for your life.
We are also committed to making the very best treatment affordable. We want to make sure you never have to compromise between quality and affordability. Murray Orthodontics has a number of payment options available to fit your family and your budget.
Our team is experienced with maximizing any insurance benefits you may have available to you.
Anchorage Braces Success Story: The Horning Family - Video
Treatment for Younger Children - See us at age 7….and beyond!
The AAO (American Association of Orthodontists) recommends and Murray Orthodontics encourages parents to bring their child for an initial orthodontic exam at age 7. Rarely does Dr. Murray perform any orthodontic treatment on a child this young. However, your child is a story, and every time Dr. Murray sees your child for an exam, he is “reading” another chapter of that story.
In some cases (about 10% of the time), Dr. Murray will recommend Early, Interceptive Treatment, frequently referred to as Phase I Treatment. Children are usually 9 or 10 at this time.
With Early Treatment we can take the least invasive approach to address any skeletal deficiencies or tooth crowding issues your child may have while developing. Addressing these issues early helps avoid a more invasive approach in the future, such as the removal of permanent teeth. However, the vast majority of children do not need Early Treatment.
That's why we've created our Growth & Development Program better known as “Murray’s Musketeers/Kid’s Club”. If your child is in this program, that means they are not in need of orthodontic treatment at this time, but we’re monitoring them in case treatment is needed in the future. These very important growth and development evaluations will be scheduled every 6 to 12 months. They are free. They allow us to monitor your child's dental development and give you peace of mind that you're making the right decisions for your child's oral healthcare.
Early Orthodontic Treatment Success Story: Andrew Butcher
"Trusting Dr. Murray with Andrew's smile was a really good decision!" Andrew has tried many different colored braces. He tried everything from blue to pink!
Wasilla Teen Braces Success Story - Destany Mervyn
Options for Adolescents
Between the ages of 11 and 15 is the most common timeframe for orthodontic treatment. And for good reasons. By age 12, most, if not all, of the permanent teeth are in place. Crooked teeth, gaps and bad bites are highly visible. We can often take advantage of the remaining skeletal growth to make the necessary orthodontic corrections to create an exceptional smile for your child without being too invasive. Orthodontic treatment is usually shorter during this stage of development.
Most of the time, adolescents LOVE sharing the braces experience. After school visits at Murray Orthodontics are busy and fun. Many patients see their friends from school, church and various sports teams!
Anchorage Braces Success Story - Ruth Ann Bushue
Teen & Adult Treatment
At Murray Orthodontics the options for teens and adults include Invisalign - for straight teeth without braces, clear braces - when fast, efficient treatment also needs to be discreet and, of course, metal braces - with colorful elastics. So whether you want to show the world your braces or you’d prefer an option that gets the job done less visibly, we have both the technology and the experience to make it happen.
Treatment options today are faster, more comfortable and require fewer visits to our office so you can enjoy your time in treatment almost as much as you’ll enjoy having your beautiful new smile.
We have many options for colored bands to make your braces stand out and show off your personality. Visit our colored bands page to learn more about braces colors.
Dr. Murray is committed to using technological advances in orthodontics to make the patient experience better and more enjoyable. Every patient that chooses braces also receives:
precision bracket placement to make tooth movement more efficient and precise through the use of “indirect bonding”; a procedure perfected in our lab.
thermal wires that move teeth using the natural heat of your body
digital scanning of all teeth to minimize having to take impressions
digitized x-rays
digitized photographic images
TYPES OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT
Why Choose Early Orthodontic Treatment?
Orthodontic issues can be fixed, such as teeth that are crooked, crowded or turned; a bad bite, gaps between the teeth, jaw growth problems, and teeth protruding can be inherited or caused by a mouth injury, early or late loss of baby teeth, or thumb sucking habits.
Orthodontic Treatment: Metal Braces
These are the metal brackets and wires that most people picture when they hear the word "braces." Metal Braces are used in orthodontics to align and straighten teeth and help fix a person's bite, while also aiming to improve dental health. Braces can also fix gaps.
Orthodontic Treatment: Clear Braces and Invisalign
Clear braces are aligners (trays) and are virtually invisible. They are removable for easy cleaning of the aligners and your teeth. This design allows teeth to move independently and with much less required pressure.
Orthodontic Treatment: What are Space Maintainers?
Space Maintainers are devices that fill the space left by a missing tooth. They are custom fitted to your child’s mouth, and they keep teeth in position so permanent teeth can come in where they are supposed to.
Orthodontic Treatment: What is a Herbst Appliance?
The Herbst is an orthopedic appliance that encourages the lower jaw to grow and catch up with the size of the upper jaw and face, eliminating a patient’s overbite. This eventually leads to an ideal bite and can help your child avoid jaw surgery later in life.
Orthodontic Treatment: What is an Expander?
The palatal expander is used to widen the upper jaw. Patients who require this appliance are identified at an early age because of a crossbite or severe crowding of the upper teeth. The appliance itself attaches to upper permanent teeth.
Orthodontic Treatment: What are Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners come as a set of multiple aligners. Each aligner will make slight adjustments to tooth position, and are made of a smooth, comfortable, plastic that won't irritate your mouth.