When braces are simply thebetter tool.
For significant crowding, bite correction, and growing kids, fixed braces still do things aligners can't. They also can't be left in a drawer, which for some patients is the deciding factor.
- Kids and adults
- Bite correction
- Nothing to forget
How it works.
Records and plan
Scans, X-rays, and a bite analysis before anything is bonded.
Bond the brackets
One longer appointment, no drilling involved.
Adjust monthly
Short visits that guide the teeth along the plan.
Remove and retain
Off in one visit, then a retainer to hold it.
Straight teeth are the goal. Braces are sometimes the only honest way to get there.
Clear aligners get most of the attention now, and for good reason: comfortable, removable, hard to see. They are also not right for every case, and a practice that only sells aligners has no reason to say so.
We treat with braces, Invisalign, and Myobrace. Dr. Beau Sparkman is a member of the American Orthodontic Society and has done orthodontics since finishing at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry in 2011. Because all three live under one roof here in Fort Smith, your recommendation comes from your bite rather than our inventory.
Fixed brackets do not depend on you remembering anything
Braces are usually the stronger choice for large rotations, teeth that must move a long way vertically, meaningful bite correction, precise control over root position, and complicated crowding involving extractions.
They are also better for a specific human reason. Aligners only work while they are in your mouth, 20 to 22 hours a day. Some teens will do that. Many will not. If you are a parent already predicting the trays will live in a backpack, braces remove compliance from the equation. That is not a criticism of your kid. It is a design difference.
Modern brackets are smaller than the ones you remember, and tooth-colored ceramic brackets are an option for adults. Appointments run every six to ten weeks and most are short. Treatment commonly takes 12 to 24 months, with soreness for a few days after placement and adjustments, more pressure than sharp pain.
Myobrace treats the habits causing crooked teeth, not only the teeth
This part of our program is for growing children.
Crooked teeth in kids are frequently a symptom. If a child breathes through the mouth instead of the nose, the tongue drops out of its resting position against the palate. The upper arch is shaped in part by the tongue pressing against it from inside, so when that pressure disappears the arch narrows and there is less room for the permanent teeth. Add a swallowing pattern where the tongue thrusts forward against the front teeth, and you have a jaw developing in a shape that will not fit the teeth arriving in it.
Braces on a case like that straighten the teeth. They do not change why the teeth came in that way, which is one reason relapse happens.
Myobrace is a series of removable appliances worn one to two hours during the day plus overnight. Alongside them, a child does short daily exercises for nasal breathing, correct tongue posture, lip seal, and swallowing pattern. The appliance guides the arch and the teeth while the exercises retrain the habits underneath. Treatment usually starts between ages 3 and 15, and starting earlier works with growth rather than against it.
This connects directly to myofunctional therapy, offered here by Laura Williams, a registered dental hygienist and practicing myofunctional therapist with more than ten years of experience. It overlaps with our pediatric dentistry and airway work too, because mouth breathing, restless sleep, and snoring in children belong in one conversation.
Myobrace requires daily consistency from child and parent, and results vary. Some children still need braces or aligners afterward, usually shorter treatment. We give you a candid assessment rather than a promise.
Records first, then a plan with a number attached
The first appointment covers photos, a 3D scan, X-rays, CBCT imaging when the bite or airway calls for it, and an evaluation of the jaw joints, breathing, and bite. For children we also check tongue posture, lip seal, and tonsil size, because those often explain what the teeth are doing.
Braces at our Fort Smith office typically run $6,500 to $9,500, and you get a written plan and fee before treatment starts. Fees follow complexity and treatment length, not a package price.
Many dental plans include an orthodontic benefit, often as a lifetime maximum rather than an annual one, and it usually applies to braces the same way it does to aligners. We check yours first. Note that our Smile Savers plan excludes orthodontics, and we would rather say that here than let you find out later. CareCredit, Cherry, and Proceed Finance apply to the balance, with Proceed extending to 96 months from 3.99%.
The Retainers and Ortho Warranty, because teeth drift
Teeth move for the rest of your life. That is not a failure of treatment. The most common reason people end up in orthodontics twice is a retainer that broke or sat in a drawer.
Our Retainers and Ortho Warranty is $50 a month. It covers up to three replacement retainers over five years, quarterly checkups, 80% off minor re-treatment of up to four teeth, and 50% off moderate re-treatment of five to ten teeth. It is open to patients who finished braces elsewhere.
What it costs.
Priced by treatment length and complexity. Orthodontic insurance benefits usually apply, and we spread the balance across the treatment period.
- Full fee quoted before we start
- Orthodontic benefits applied where available
- Monthly payments across treatment
What patients say.
4.9 out of 5 across 1,139 Google reviews at our two offices.
Common questions.
Am I too old for braces?
No. Teeth respond to steady pressure at any age. Adult treatment sometimes takes a little longer and requires healthy gums and bone first, so we check for gum disease before starting. Tooth-colored ceramic brackets and Invisalign are both options if visibility is your concern.
Braces or Invisalign for my teenager?
It depends on the case and on the teenager. Aligners handle crowding, spacing, and mild bite issues well, but only while they are being worn 20 to 22 hours a day. Big rotations, complex bite correction, and honest doubts about compliance all point to braces. We offer both, so we will tell you what your child's bite actually needs.
At what age should my child be evaluated?
Around age seven for a general orthodontic evaluation, which is when enough permanent teeth are in to see how the bite is developing. For Myobrace, earlier is often better, since it works alongside growth. If your child snores, breathes through the mouth, or sleeps restlessly, bring them in sooner regardless of age.
Does Myobrace replace braces?
Sometimes, and sometimes it reduces what braces have to do later. It is not a guaranteed substitute. What it does that braces cannot is address the breathing, tongue posture, and swallowing habits that contributed to the crowding, which is the part that tends to drive relapse.
How much do braces cost in Fort Smith?
Braces typically run $6,500 to $9,500, depending on complexity and how long treatment runs. We quote your case in writing after records, check your orthodontic insurance benefit first, and offer financing through CareCredit, Cherry, and Proceed Finance.
Request your appointment.
Four questions. Our care team calls you back within one business day. If you are in pain right now, call the office directly and we will get you seen.