Meet Your Jacksonville Family Orthodontist
Dr. Jason Rice has been drawn to the arts and sciences his whole life and was originally interested in pursuing architecture and orthodontics, both of which require an eye for detail, puzzle-solving, and artistic ability. After spending two years in an orthodontist’s chair, undergoing treatment, he knew that the field of orthodontics was going to be a combination that would allow him to work helping others while allowing him to blend the art and science side of dentistry.
Dr. Rice takes great pride in ensuring quality treatment, building strong relationships with patients and their families by listening to their desires and concerns, and providing an overall positive experience in his offices.
Orthodontic care for patients of all ages
Age shouldn't matter when it comes to orthodontic treatment. Everyone deserves to have a beautiful, straight smile that they can feel proud of, and everyone deserves to receive quality care from our team of orthodontics specialists. That's precisely why we offer a number of orthodontic treatments including braces and Invisalign, for children, teens, and adults at our office in Jacksonville.
Orthodontics for children
It surprises many parents to learn that the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children get a check up by an orthodontist no later than age 7. This is because we want to make sure that your children are as healthy as they can be, and it's important that their teeth and jaws are aligned properly so that they will have a healthy bite.
Your child's teeth will have developed enough at that point that we will be able to identify any small problems that may exist within their growing teeth and their jaw. Getting a check-up with the team of experts at Rice Orthodontics doesn't mean that your child necessarily needs braces right away. It could be determined that your child's bite looks great or we may also recommend that we continue to monitor it, in which case we could begin treating your child at the appropriate age. Still, each smile is different and in some cases, early treatment might be necessary.
Early treatment allows our team to monitor the growth and development of your child's jaw, meaning we can catch and begin treating problems while they're still in the early stages. This can cut down the length of treatment considerably.
Orthodontic care for teens
The most common question teens have for us is how long they'll have to be in braces. The truth is, each person's smile is unique, meaning each case is unique, so there's not one set answer to the question. Your teen can take comfort knowing that our team will do everything possible to make sure that they will have their most beautiful smile. More good news? Today's braces are vastly superior to those that their parents or grandparent may have worn. Not only do today's braces come in several different styles, materials and colors, they are also smaller, more sleek, and much more comfortable than previous generations.
Teen treatment doesn't end with traditional metal braces, either. They also have the option to choose our clear, ceramic braces which are designed to blend in discreetly with their teeth but work the same way as their metal counterparts. If your teen wants to avoid wires altogether, they can also opt for treatment using clear aligners such as Invisalign to straighten their teeth gradually using a series of clear, removable trays designed to fit over their teeth.
Adult orthodontics
You may be surprised to learn that adults make up roughly 20 percent of all orthodontic patients these days. With more adults than ever looking to achieve their beautiful, forever smiles, orthodontic treatment is clearly not just for children and teens.
Adults often choose to pursue orthodontics later in life because they realize how important maintaining their oral health is or they want to feel better about the way their smile looks. Other times we see adults who received orthodontic treatment when they were younger, but need a "touch up" to restore their former smiles.
Get the Smile Your Family Deserves
At Rice Orthodontics, we recognize that children, teens, and adults will all have different dental needs and need different levels of attention and care. We're committed to working diligently with each patient to ensure that they receive the most appropriate treatment and in the most inviting environment in Jacksonville.
Schedule a free consultation with us today to get started.