Dr. Eugene Kulaga has been helping families meet their dental needs since 1985.  A father of three, Dr. Kulaga believes in a  non-extraction approach to orthodontics.  This approach results in broad beautiful smiles WITHOUT unnecessary removal of adult teeth. Our focus is on jaw expansion to create room for tooth alignment. This also contributes to facial esthetics, healthy jaw joints and good airways. Our approach takes advantage of facial growth which is optimal between the ages of 5 to 12. However this does not  preclude those beyond 12 years.

Seventy-five percent of 12-year-olds need orthodontic treatment.  Yet, 90 percent of a child’s face has already developed.  By guiding facial development early with functional appliances, 80 percent of the treatment can be corrected before the adult teeth are present. This could shorted the time the patient is in braces or  preclude the need of braces.

That’s why Dr. Kulaga uses a Two-Phase Treatment approach.

Phase One
Functional Appliances – Ages 5 – 12

Early treatment should be initiated for:
Habits such as tongue thrusting and thumb sucking
A constricted airway due to swollen adenoids and tonsils
Mouth breathing or snoring problems
A bad bite
Bone problems (i.e. narrow or underdeveloped jaws)

Phase Two
Braces – Ages 12 – 14

Teeth are straightened with braces
Braces usually take 1 ½ to 2 years.
(Note this time could be shortened or even eliminated.)