Orthodontics in Monroe, MI
Straightening teeth for kids, teens, and adults at a neighborhood practice that already knows your family. No pressure, no scripted speeches about your smile.
Straightening Teeth Without the Runaround
Orthodontics in Monroe MI usually means one of two things at Frenchtown Smiles: a teen who needs their bite corrected before it becomes a bigger problem, or an adult who finally has the time and the budget to fix something that has bothered them for years. Both are handled in the same building by the same people who clean your teeth twice a year.
We focus on clear aligner treatment with Invisalign. It works for the majority of cases we see, from mild crowding and spacing to more involved bite corrections. Dr. Kyle Lambert and Dr. Danevin Putrus handle planning and follow-up in-house, so you’re not driving to Toledo or Ann Arbor for every check-in.
If you’re not sure whether you or your child actually needs orthodontic work, we’ll tell you straight. Some bites can be watched. Some shouldn’t wait. The consultation is where we figure out which one you’re looking at.
How Aligner Treatment Moves Teeth at Frenchtown Smiles
Invisalign uses a series of clear plastic trays that shift teeth a small amount at a time. You wear each set for about a week or two, then move to the next one in the sequence. The trays come off for meals, brushing, and flossing, and they go back in for the rest of the day and overnight. Most patients land somewhere around 22 hours of daily wear to stay on track.
We start with a digital scan of your teeth instead of traditional impression material. That scan becomes a 3D plan showing each step of movement from where your teeth are now to where they need to end up. You see the projected result before you commit to anything.
Treatment length depends on what we’re correcting. A minor spacing case might wrap up in six months. A full bite correction can run eighteen months or longer. Check-ins happen every six to ten weeks so we can confirm the teeth are tracking with the plan and hand off the next batch of trays.
For patients who aren’t good candidates for clear aligners, we’ll say so during the consultation and point you toward a specialist who can help. We won’t push you into a treatment that’s the wrong fit just because it’s what we offer.
Who's a Good Candidate for Orthodontic Treatment
Most teens and adults with crowding, spacing, crossbites, overbites, or mild-to-moderate underbites can be treated with clear aligners. Compliance matters more than age. If a teenager won’t keep the trays in, treatment stalls. If an adult is committed, results tend to be predictable.
Younger children are usually too early for orthodontic treatment in our office. We watch their growth at regular family dentistry visits and flag anything that needs attention from a pediatric orthodontist. Sometimes the right call at age eight is just to keep an eye on things and let the adult teeth come in.
There are also patients who would do better with traditional braces or with a specialist’s involvement: severe skeletal bite issues, complex rotations, or cases involving jaw surgery. We’ll be honest about where the edge of our scope sits. If you want a deeper comparison between options, our page on clear aligners versus brackets walks through both.
What's Included from Consultation Through Retainers
Your first visit is a sit-down conversation and an exam. We look at your bite, take a digital scan, talk through what’s bothering you, and lay out whether aligners make sense. If they do, we walk through the projected timeline, the cost, and what your insurance is likely to cover before you sign anything.
Once treatment starts, your aligner package includes:
• The full series of custom trays from start to finish• Check-in visits every six to ten weeks with Dr. Lambert or Dr. Putrus• Mid-treatment adjustments if teeth aren’t tracking as planned• A final set of retainers to hold the new position• Coordination with your regular cleanings and exams so nothing falls through the cracks
Retainers are part of the deal, not an upsell at the end. Teeth want to drift back toward where they started, especially in the first year after treatment, so wearing retainers as directed is what protects the work you just paid for. We go over the wear schedule before you leave the office with them.
What Orthodontic Coverage Usually Looks Like
Orthodontic benefits are their own line item on most dental plans, separate from preventive and restorative coverage. Many PPO plans include a lifetime orthodontic maximum, often in the $1,000 to $2,500 range, that applies once per patient. Healthy Kids Dental covers orthodontic treatment for eligible children when there’s a qualifying medical need, which we can help document.
We work with Delta Dental, Cigna DPPO, Healthy Kids Dental, and other plans. Before you commit, our front desk will run the numbers on your specific policy so you know what’s covered, what the monthly payment looks like, and what financing options exist if you want to spread the balance out. No surprise bills halfway through treatment.
If you want the full insurance breakdown before you come in, the dental insurance page covers what we accept and how billing works.
Why Straightening Teeth Is Worth the Time
Straight teeth are easier to clean. That’s the practical case. Crowded teeth trap food and plaque in spots a toothbrush can’t reach well, which leads to more cavities and gum inflammation over the years. Correcting the alignment now means fewer fillings and less periodontal work later.
Bite correction also takes pressure off the jaw joints and the teeth themselves. A bite that hits unevenly wears enamel down in specific spots, cracks teeth over time, and contributes to jaw soreness. Fixing the bite isn’t just cosmetic, even when the cosmetic result is the part patients notice first.
And yes, people like how their teeth look afterward. We won’t oversell that part. You’ll see the change in the mirror, and you’ll know whether it was worth it. Most patients tell us it was.
Come In for a Straight Answer
Book a consultation at Frenchtown Smiles and we’ll tell you whether orthodontic treatment makes sense for you or your child, what it would cost with your insurance, and how long it would take. No pressure either way.