Orthodontics
- Straighten your smile with treatment for every age
- Get personalized care from an experienced orthodontist
- Choose from braces, aligners, and more in one office
$159 New Patient Exam & Teeth Cleaning
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Orthodontic Care for Children, Teens, and Adults
A straighter smile changes more than a photograph. It changes how comfortably teeth come together, how easily they stay clean, and how confidently a person speaks, eats, and laughs. Orthodontic treatment at Dental Center of Jacksonville brings that outcome within reach for patients as young as six and for adults who have spent decades waiting for the right moment. Every case begins with a conversation, a set of digital records, and a plan built around what the patient actually wants to change.
Care is directed by Dr. Shreya Iyengar, who holds a Master of Dental Surgery in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics and completed her orthodontic residency at Jacksonville University. She is a Fellow of the Indian Board of Orthodontics and holds Membership in Orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, credentials earned through examination rather than attendance. Her clinical focus includes functional correction, extraction and non extraction treatment planning, temporary anchorage devices, and impacted canines, a category of case many general offices refer out.
Meet Your Orthodontist and Dental Team
Orthodontics at this practice sits inside a full service dental office, which means treatment planning happens alongside the restorative, surgical, and preventive care a case may also require. Patients who need a frenectomy, a premolar extraction for crowding, or surgical exposure of an impacted tooth are treated in the same building by doctors who already know the case.
Dr. Shreya Iyengar, BDS, MDS, MOrth RCS (Glasgow) is the practice orthodontist. Beyond her residency at Jacksonville University, she completed the Aligner Intensive Fellowship and a Jacksonville University Orthodontic Fellowship. She has published peer reviewed research on airway space and temporomandibular joint disorders and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Advances in Medicine. Before relocating to Florida she owned a private orthodontic practice, served as an Associate Professor of Orthodontics, and treated cleft lip and palate patients through charitable hospital work.
“Orthodontics is not only about how teeth look at the end. It is about where the jaw sits, how the airway behaves, and whether the result will still be stable in ten years. That is what a specialist is trained to see.” – Shreya Iyengar, BDS, MDS, Orthodontist
Dr. Jignesh Patel, DMD is the practice owner and a graduate of Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine. With more than a decade in practice and over 10,000 procedures performed, he brings surgical experience in extractions and oral surgery directly to orthodontic cases that require them. He completes more than forty hours of continuing education annually through Spear Education and is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
“Patients tell me they put off braces for years because they assumed it meant a separate office, a separate schedule, and a separate bill. Having a specialist here means none of that is true anymore.” – Jignesh Patel, DMD
Dr. Antal Barbela, DMD graduated from Nova Southeastern University and brings more than fifteen years of clinical practice, with particular depth in clear aligner therapy, digital prosthodontics, and full mouth rehabilitation. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Dr. Dipti Kanchan, DMD earned her dental degree from the University of Saskatchewan, where she received the AGD Senior Student Award for Clinical Excellence. She has practiced for more than a decade across Canada, India, and the United States, and works frequently with patients seeking straightforward alignment correction.
What Comprehensive Orthodontic Treatment Involves
Comprehensive orthodontics means treating the whole bite rather than the front teeth alone. That distinction matters, because a smile that looks straight while the molars meet incorrectly tends to relapse, wear unevenly, or strain the jaw joint over time.
Treatment begins with a full diagnostic record set, including digital scans, digital radiographs, photographs, and a clinical examination of the jaw joints and airway. From there, Dr. Iyengar builds a movement plan that accounts for growth in younger patients and for existing restorative work in adults. The practice provides comprehensive care beginning at age six, the point at which the American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first evaluation, because early intervention can guide jaw growth while the bones are still developing and often reduces what full treatment must accomplish later.
Services and techniques offered include:
- Braces: Metal and ceramic bracket systems for comprehensive correction at any age.
- Clarity Aligners: Removable clear trays that correct alignment and bite without fixed brackets.
- Orthodontic Appliances: Expanders, space maintainers, and habit appliances for growing patients.
- Temporary Anchorage Devices: Mini implants that create precise anchor points for difficult movements.
- Impacted Tooth Exposure: Surgical uncovering and guided eruption of canines and other impacted teeth.
- Extractions for Crowding: Premolar and other extractions performed in office when space requires it.
- Wisdom Teeth Removal: Third molar surgery coordinated with orthodontic timing and treatment goals.
- Frenectomies: Release of restrictive tissue attachments that affect spacing, speech, or function.
Explore the individual treatment pages for more detail:
Clarity Aligners for Patients Who Want Treatment to Go Unnoticed
Clarity Aligners, manufactured by Solventum and previously carried under the 3M name, are the clear aligner system used for orthodontic treatment here. The system pairs a trimmed, low profile tray with precision grip attachments engineered to hold the aligner where it needs to sit, which improves control over rotations and other movements that clear trays have historically struggled to deliver. For patients, the practical differences are the ones that matter. The trays are removable for meals and for brushing, they carry no dietary restrictions, and they are difficult for anyone to notice in conversation or in photographs. Because the practice plans every aligner case digitally, patients see a projected outcome before the first tray is ever worn.
Clarity is not the right system for every case, and that judgment is part of what a specialist consultation provides. Complex bite correction, significant crowding, and cases involving impacted teeth may call for braces or a combination approach, and Dr. Iyengar will say so directly rather than fitting a case to a product.
Digital Orthodontics With 3D Scanning and No Impressions
Traditional orthodontic records meant a tray of impression material held in the mouth until it set, followed by stone models poured in a lab and stored on a shelf. None of that happens here.
- 3D Intraoral Scanning: A handheld wand captures the full arch in minutes without impression material.
- Digital Radiography: Low dose digital imaging produces diagnostic films instantly at the chair.
- Digital Treatment Planning: Movement is simulated and reviewed before any appliance is placed.
- No Physical Models: Records are stored digitally, which removes model pouring and storage entirely.
The benefit is not only comfort, although patients with strong gag reflexes notice that immediately. Digital records are more accurate than stone models, they transmit to laboratories the same day, and they can be revisited at any point in treatment without asking the patient to return for new impressions.
“The scanner changed the first appointment completely. Children who used to dread records now watch their own teeth appear on the screen while it happens.” – Shreya Iyengar, BDS, MDS
Why Patients Delay Orthodontic Treatment, and What Changes That
Most adults who arrive for a consultation have been thinking about it for years. The reasons for waiting tend to repeat themselves, and each one has a practical answer.
- Cost Concerns: Monthly payment plans begin at $200, and the practice participates in all PPO plans.
- Appearance During Treatment: Clarity Aligners and ceramic brackets make adult treatment visually discreet.
- Time Away From Work: A free virtual consultation replaces the first in office visit entirely.
- Uncertainty About Candidacy: A specialist evaluation confirms what is possible before any commitment.
- Fear of the Process: Digital scanning eliminates impressions, the step most patients disliked most.
- Multiple Offices Involved: Surgical and restorative needs are handled in the same building.
What to Expect, From Free Virtual Consultation to Same Day Start
New patients begin with a free virtual consultation with Dr. Iyengar, scheduled at a designated time and held over Zoom or FaceTime. It is a real conversation with the orthodontist rather than a form or an automated photo review, and it covers the concern that prompted the call, the likely treatment options, and the general investment involved.
Patients who decide to move forward schedule their in office consultation on a Friday, when full diagnostic records, treatment planning, and the start of treatment can all happen in a single appointment. That means a patient can arrive Friday morning without braces and leave that afternoon with treatment underway, provided the case is straightforward and the plan is agreed upon that day.
From there, appointments are spaced according to the treatment plan, typically every several weeks for braces and at longer intervals for aligner therapy. Every case concludes with retention, because teeth that are not retained will drift regardless of how well they were moved.
Orthodontic Insurance, Payment Plans, and Financing
Orthodontic treatment is a planned investment, and the financial conversation happens before treatment begins rather than after.
- PPO Participation: The practice participates in all PPO insurance plans and files claims on your behalf.
- Monthly Payments: Braces and aligner therapy both begin at $200 per month, depending on the case.
- Aligner Down Payment: Aligner therapy requires a modest down payment before treatment begins.
- Paid in Full Discount: A 5% discount applies to balances paid in full by cash, credit, or debit.
- Third Party Financing: Outside financing is available, though the 5% discount does not apply to it. a consultation. You can also make an appointment online.
Common Questions About Orthodontics
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The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an evaluation by age seven, and this practice provides comprehensive orthodontic care beginning at age six. An early visit rarely leads to immediate treatment. It establishes whether the jaws are developing proportionally and identifies problems, such as crossbites or impacted teeth, that are far simpler to address while a child is still growing.
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Yes. New patients speak directly with Dr. Iyengar over Zoom or FaceTime at a designated appointment time at no cost and with no obligation. The purpose is to answer the questions that keep people from scheduling in the first place, including whether treatment is realistic for a given concern and what it will likely involve.
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For many patients, yes. Consultation, diagnostic records, and treatment start are scheduled together on Fridays, so a patient who is ready to proceed can begin the same day. Cases involving surgery, extractions, or coordination with other treatment may require a separate appointment first, which is discussed at the consultation.
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An orthodontist completes additional years of accredited residency training focused exclusively on tooth movement, jaw growth, and bite correction. Dr. Iyengar holds a Master of Dental Surgery in Orthodontics, completed a residency at Jacksonville University, and earned her specialist credentials through examination by the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow and the Indian Board of Orthodontics. That training matters most in cases involving impacted teeth, skeletal discrepancies, and extraction planning.
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Neither is universally better, and the honest answer depends on the bite. Clarity Aligners handle a wide range of alignment and bite concerns and suit patients who want treatment to be discreet. Braces retain an advantage in complex rotations, significant crowding, and cases where compliance is uncertain, since they are not removable. The recommendation follows the diagnosis rather than a preference.
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They will if retainers are not worn. Teeth remain in living bone that continues to remodel throughout life, which is why retention is a permanent part of the plan rather than an optional add on. Retainer wear typically begins full time and tapers to nights, and replacement retainers are available if one is lost or damaged.
Why Patients Choose Dental Center of Jacksonville for Orthodontics
- Specialist Directed Care: Treatment is planned and delivered by an orthodontist with residency and fellowship training.
- One Office for Everything: Extractions, exposures, and frenectomies are performed without an outside referral.
- Fully Digital Workflow: Scanners and digital imaging replace impression trays and stone model pouring.
- Treatment for Every Age: Comprehensive care begins at age six and continues through adulthood.
- Transparent Financing: Payment plans, PPO participation, and discounts are explained before treatment starts.
- Same Day Starts: Friday appointments combine consultation, records, and the beginning of treatment.
Schedule an Orthodontic Consultation in Jacksonville
Whether the goal is guiding a child’s developing bite, correcting years of crowding, or finally straightening teeth that have bothered you since high school, the first step costs nothing and takes only a short conversation. Call Dental Center of Jacksonville at 904-815-0525 to reserve a free virtual consultation with Dr. Iyengar, or schedule online at a time that works for you, and find out what treatment would actually involve before committing to anything.