Dr. Christopher Brieden has been setting the highest standards of excellence in orthodontics for over 35 years! He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and a Master in Science degree in the specialty of orthodontics from the University of Detroit and has been in private practice since 1981.
Dr. Brieden was selected to Omicron Kappa Epsilon Honor Society for outstanding academic and clinical achievement. He conducted research on bone growth in the facial complex and published his findings in the Angle Orthodontics Journal.
Dr. Brieden is happily married to his wife, Karen, and they have two children, Aaron and Anne. In his spare time, Dr. Brieden enjoys donating time, items and funds to various charitable organizations, sports teams, schools and clubs. Dr. Brieden also enjoys traveling, reading, playing and watching most sports, and spending time with his family and friends.
We are especially interested in making all our patients feel right at home! We put your needs first to achieve efficient, comprehensive treatment. Our staff is exceptionally well trained and skilled in their field, and we strive to provide energetic and fun-loving service to each patient. Each member of our treatment team is state board certified, and our office staff has years of experience in treating patients with the highest level of care. In fact, every member of our team has been with our office for at least 15 years! We strive to stay abreast of the very latest in technology and advances by regularly attending continuing education courses and seminars.
At Brieden Orthodontics, our mission is to help patients in Harrison Township, Algonac, and the surrounding communities achieve gorgeous smiles through quality, convenient orthodontic treatment. Our goal is to place a focus on personalized care, and Dr. Brieden and our team work hard to customize treatment to fit your lifestyle. We're proud to offer a wide range of orthodontic treatments at our office and if you're unfamiliar with what to expect from orthodontics, this page is a great place to start.
At its core, orthodontic treatment is a branch of dentistry that uses high-tech appliances to apply finely-calibrated, gentle forces to the teeth. Over time, the teeth and underlying tissues respond to these forces, and the teeth slowly shift positions, creating a new alignment and a brand new smile. The specifics of the process vary between orthodontic treatments, but the underlying principles are about the same: use gentle, constant force to move the teeth to new positions and achieve a new smile.
Ultimately, all orthodontic treatments work to help patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile but there are a number of specific orthodontic problems, called malocclusions (bad bites), that orthodontics can treat. Malocclusions vary from patient to patient and may be caused by genetics or early childhood habits like prolonged thumb sucking, and it's possible for a patient to have more than one malocclusion at the same time. Here are the most common conditions that orthodontics can treat:
There are several options available for orthodontic treatment, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Treatments vary in convenience, reliability, and appearance, and ultimately only you and Dr. Brieden can decide on the right treatment for your unique situation. We offer a variety of orthodontic treatment methods at our office, including:
At Brieden Orthodontics, our mission is to help each one of our patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime. We combine cutting-edge orthodontic technology with the expertise of our board-certified orthodontist, Dr. Christopher Brieden, to design comprehensive orthodontic treatments that help our patients achieve a dream smile but sometimes, the best way to achieve a lifetime of healthy smiles is to start early. That's where early orthodontic treatment comes in.
For most patients, the best time to start orthodontic treatment is anywhere between the ages of 9 and 14, which is when the baby teeth have fallen out and most or all of the adult teeth are fully grown in. There are some orthodontic conditions where the best way to achieve a beautiful smile is to start earlier:
If you decide to begin early orthodontic treatment for your child, the path to a healthy and beautiful smile can be accomplished in two phases. This treatment plan is designed to provide high quality orthodontic care in the most effective and efficient way possible. Since a child's development can occur at different times, it is recommended that you consult with Dr. Brieden to see when would be the appropriate age to begin orthodontic treatment. After he has determined that it is necessary, he will begin with Phase I treatment.
The goal of Phase I treatment is to ensure that your child's jaw has enough room for when the permanent teeth erupt. Slight adjustments may be made such as widening the upper jaw around the age of 8 since the jawbone has not fully developed. If the problem is severe and the permanent teeth have erupted, then corrective surgery may be needed to prevent overcrowding or other dental issues. During Phase II, we will use traditional metal braces or clear aligners to properly straighten teeth into the correct position. This will align your child's teeth and jaw to create a healthy and beautiful smile.