The most common treatment, he said, is providing teenagers with bracing to straighten their smiles. Dr. Higham said this has to do with younger people’s metabolisms making it easier to correct their bite.
“When you are younger and you are growing, both those things make orthodontics more successful and a little easier,” he said. “There is some aspect of bone metabolism that makes the teeth easier to move.”
Dr. Higham said while kids and teenagers are the most common braces patients, he also sees a lot of adults who want to correct something in their smile that has bothered them for many years.
In addition to standard braces, they also offer Invisalign and the Damon bracket system. Dr. Higham said the Damon braces are usually a little more comfortable and tend to result in a broader smile.
Another service offered is complimentary consultations for kids when there are concerns about tooth eruption and how it can affect their sleep.
“Parents are concerned about their airway,” Dr. Higham said. “A lot of times kids in that age, they’re snoring at night and they may need consultation with the ENT. They may have a really narrow palate, and they may need to have that expanded to make it so their tongue and their upper airway is more open and they’re able to breathe better.”
“Sometimes there are people who have excess gum tissue that can make their teeth appear a little shorter,” Dr. Higham said. “If that is the case after analyzing, we take a laser and we’ll sculpt it. And that’s just part of treatment, but that is a service that we offer that I think is like an added benefit to the normal braces that I think makes people feel good about their smile, especially if that’s something they’ve thought about.”
Dr. Higham said people who choose East Idaho Orthodontics can expect a friendly staff who will treat you like family and remember the important details.
The practice was first opened by Dr. Dwight Baker as Baker Orthodontics. Dr. Higham started working with Dr. Baker in 2021 and eventually bought the practice.
Dr. Higham grew up in Shelley and attended Utah State University. Afterward, he went on to dental school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He then completed his orthodontic residency and earned his master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife Libby now live back in Southeastern Idaho with their four children, Teddy, Wally, Lucky, and Percy.