Whether you’re new to the Santa Rosa Beach area or you’ve been here a while, you might have reasons to be looking for an orthodontist in Santa Rosa Beach. At M. Scott Runnels Orthodontics in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, we want to help you catch the wave to a brighter smile.
Orthodontic care is more essential to overall good health than a lot of people imagine. While good dentistry and clean teeth are crucial, orthodontics takes things a step further to ensure you have a beautiful smile and healthy teeth. That’s because a nice smile is more than just a cosmetic concern.
A good smile indicates that the bones, teeth, and soft tissues of the jaw and face are all where they should be. A healthy smile happens when you have a good bite, which in turn guarantees that chewing, biting, and speaking are natural and pain-free. Proper orthodontic care preserves your health for a lifetime.
Healthy teeth and a good bite are essential to long-term good health, but achieving that requires a long-term relationship with a qualified professional. You need to work with someone as committed to your health as you are: someone who knows the importance of orthodontics but who also values your time and comfort with the process.
Dr. M. Scott Runnels, DMD, PA has the qualifications and experience you’re looking for. His doctorate in dental medicine and special certificate in orthodontics are just the beginning. He also has decades of experience in the field and keeps up active memberships in the Florida Association of Orthodontists and American Association of Orthodontists as well as the American and Florida Dental Associations.
Dr. Runnels is a Destin, FL native and came back here to commit himself to the health of his hometown and the surrounding areas. With 19 years in the area, at M. Scott Runnels Orthodontics, we have a community reputation and presence that gives you confidence you’re getting the very best possible care.
We know how much a caring staff means to anyone seeking orthodontic treatment. It takes time to make a smile right, and that means it’s important your whole family feel welcome and at ease in our office.
From the Practice Administrator to our certified Orthodontic Assistants and Schedule Coordinators, we’re a mix of native Floridians who love our state and newer arrivals to Florida seeking jobs that involve real, patient-first care. We love getting to know everyone who comes through our doors and being a part of their transformation.
We want your time at the orthodontist’s office to be relaxed and comfortable. Each patient deserves individualized care, and we know you’ll feel at home in our comfortable, conveniently located offices. Your appointment time is always set aside just for you, and we work hard to help you maximize your insurance benefits so you can get the treatment you need.
There have been many advances in orthodontics in recent years, and those looking for an orthodontist in Santa Rosa Beach should have access to all the options from a professional who knows how to recommend the right treatment for the right situation.
Braces are always an important part of orthodontic care, and we offer three kinds of braces to suit every situation. Traditional braces are very strong and durable, making them a great, low-cost option for younger teens and kids who aren’t as worried about aesthetics but who would like to be done with their treatment as quickly and inexpensively as possible.
For those who need the pros of regular braces but don’t like the appearance of metal, we can offer ceramic braces in a wide variety of shades, allowing us to match your natural tooth color.
An even more discreet option, lingual braces are a relative newcomer in the field of braces, and many orthodontists have not gone through the necessary training to fit them. At M. Scott Runnels, we can offer this type of braces. They are made up of the same basic components of regular braces, but their system keeps everything invisible on the back, or lingual, side of your teeth.
We’re proud to offer Invisalign for our adult and teen patients. Invisalign is a series of clear plastic aligners that are custom-designed to go over your teeth. There are no wires or brackets: all you have to do is wear each set for two weeks before moving on to the next.
With Invisalign, you get a discreet option for moving your teeth that requires fewer visits for adjustments and a lot more convenience. Unlike braces, these can be removed when you need to eat or clean your teeth. This means there’s no need to worry about cleaning brackets and wires and no restrictions on what you can eat or drink.
They’re a wonderful choice for anyone who is worried about the aesthetics of braces or whose active lifestyle makes it more likely they might damage the wires and brackets of regular braces.
Retainers are designed to be worn after your initial orthodontic treatment to keep the teeth in their new place. Most people need to wear these for about three months after their treatment, and possibly only at night after that.
At M. Scott Runnels, our retainers are different. We use state-of-the-art 3D digital imaging to design a retainer that’s a perfect fit for your mouth and teeth. Our retainers are also unsurpassed for comfort, extremely durable, and feature no visible metal wire across the teeth like regular retainers.
The Carriere Distalizer is designed to replace the bulky, ugly orthodontic headgear of years past with a simple device that corrects your bite by pushing the teeth to the right place. This is a great way to treat overbites or underbites, and it shortens orthodontic treatment significantly. Most people need the system for just three to five months.
One thing that sometimes keeps people from getting the orthodontic treatment they need is the time commitment. That’s why we’re always interested in things that can speed up treatments. PROPEL not only allows for faster treatment times for severe dental issues, but it often corrects issues that previously would have required surgery.
PROPEL is capable of shortening a treatment by as much as 50%. And when combined with Invisalign, it can treat even very severe cases of orthodontic need. PROPEL requires special training and expertise, so we’re especially proud to be qualified to offer this treatment for anyone needing orthodontics in Santa Rosa Beach.
Coming to the orthodontics office is time-consuming, and your life is hectic. Rather than come in for a detailed analysis, why not take advantage of our Dental Monitoring to find out more? This is a simple app that scans your smile and sends it to us for analysis. We can talk with you live and let you know right away if we notice a problem with your treatment.
This allows us to monitor your treatment from afar while still ensuring you get the best possible care and personalized treatment from Dr. Runnels at all times.
Some general dentists offer braces, and, worryingly, a growing number of online companies offer aligners they claim can fix your teeth. But if you’re seeking treatment without the first-hand application of the advanced training and accreditation of a true orthodontist, you’re putting your smile in the hands of someone who could cause permanent damage. Teeth are nothing to mess around with, and you’ll appreciate the health benefits of a good smile for the rest of your life.
While we offer options like dental monitoring and Invisalign to minimize the number of visits you must make to our office, it’s simply not possible to adjust the jaw, bones, teeth, and soft tissue of the mouth without any in-person monitoring.
The great danger of mail-in aligner offers that claim you can do everything from your home is that you won’t know if your teeth have been ruined until it’s far too late. It’s absolutely essential that your teeth be monitored throughout treatment to make sure everything stays on course.
A common myth about orthodontic treatment is that it’s about nothing more than the way you look. In reality, your teeth and jaws must be aligned correctly for you to bite, speak, and chew properly. When these are out of alignment, it can cause headaches, TMJ pain, cracked teeth, and open you up to greater risk of bacterial infection.
The image of the teen with braces is iconic, and for many teens, having braces is almost a rite of passage. But anyone of any age can benefit from good orthodontic treatment. Young children can have early interventions that will make treatment faster, easier, and cheaper when they do reach their teenage years.
Adults who didn’t get the treatment they needed in their youth now have discreet options for fixing their smiles. And anyone who has suffered damage to the mouth from gum disease, dental work, trauma, or accident can have it fixed at the orthodontist’s office.
Everyone deserves to have good teeth and a healthy mouth, and we plan and customize your treatment plan to meet your needs. Whether you have a fast case that can be treated in just a few months or something more complicated, don’t let fear of the cost stop you from getting the expert care you need (and deserve). We work hard to maximize your insurance benefits and set up plans that you can afford.
And in a time of global pandemic, we’re also taking steps to make sure you get the treatment you need while staying safe. This means careful hygiene protocols, social distancing, and fever checks to make sure we don’t expose you or any other patient to danger.
It’s always tough to change medical providers, but sometimes it’s necessary. We can help you make the transfer as smooth as possible, even if you or your child are currently having treatment.
Once you know you’ll be moving to the area and will need an orthodontist in Santa Rosa Beach, reach out to us. We’ll help you understand what we need from your current orthodontist and set up a treatment plan that will help you continue seamlessly through your treatment schedule for the fastest possible result.
If you’re looking for an orthodontist in the Santa Rosa Beach area, look no farther than M. Scott Runnels. We have the hometown commitment, the training, and the experience you need for the best possible outcome. Visit M. Scott Runnels Orthodontics in Santa Rosa Beach, FL today and get started on a healthy, happy mouth.
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