Chris Woolaver knew he wanted to be an orthodontist even before he became a teenager. Born with a cleft palette, he got his first orthodontic appliance when he was just three months old. It wouldn’t be until he was 30 that he would get his last set of braces taken off.
Now owner and chief orthodontist at Woolaver Clear Smiles at Ray Road and 44th Street, Woolover seems to be attracting as many new patients from the east side of the I-10 as he does the west side.
Woolaver made his decision to pursue dentistry when he was just 11.
“I had a really cool orthodontist, and it looked like he was having fun,” Woolaver said. “It totally changed my life, so I decided to be an orthodontist.”
Lots of technologies have changed, however, since those early days. Those who’ve had braces can forget about the mouthful of wires and cranking pressure that used to accompany them. The science of braces has improved dramatically, reducing the amount of time and pain involved, Woolaver said.
And although some orthodontists in the area still use older methods, Woolaver utilizes more recent technology, he said.
“I try to make the orthodontics experience quicker and easier for the patient – more comfortable than what I had to go through,” Woolaver said. “I would say that at least 75 percent of my patients are definitely done within a year and a half.”
Woolaver has been an orthodontist for 10 years; he opened his office 2½ years ago. At the time of his opening, another local orthodontist practice had gone out of business, leaving already-paid patients without any professional help.
All of those found a new friend in Woolaver, who welcomed them at no charge.
“I took in a couple hundred of his patients; I had to hire new staff, I had to buy new materials – I had to buy those 1985 materials, because the (previous) orthodontist was still using older methods,” he said.
Even though the instant influx of patients didn’t result in a boost to the fledgling practice, it was something about which Woolaver says he felt good. “We thought it would be a great thing to do for the community.”
Woolaver Clear Smiles focuses on providing service with transparent products that do not stand out. “All of our braces are transparent,” he said. “And, we also use Invisalign products on many patients.”
Invisalign, the most recent alternative to braces, has less impact on the patients’ lives, Woolaver said.
“I am an elite, premium provider, which means I’m in the top 1 percent of Invisalign providers around the world,” he said. “I love it, and I think it’s the future of orthodontics, but at the same time I still have more patients in braces.”
Invisalign is a clear aligner that slips over the teeth, similar to a mouth guard, and uses less pressure to adjust their position. About 35 percent of his patients use Invisalign, he said.
“Besides the fact that it looks and feels better, (Invisalign products) just affect your lifestyle less,” he said. “You take them out, so you eat what you want. With braces, you have to be much more careful.”
And Invisalign is extremely precise in regard to their shape, because the molds are made from digital computer scans of patients’ mouths, instead of the older method of taking impressions.
Woolaver said he also uses “self-ligating braces,” which orthodontists don’t have to “crank” to tighten.
“So, now we put way less pressure on the teeth, and yet at the same time the teeth move faster,” he said. “It’s healthier, it’s more biological process – the body can adapt to it better.”
When it comes to orthodontic appliances, Woolaver has personal experience with them all.
“There’s nothing I have put in my patients mouth that I have not had in my own mouth,” he said. “I’ve had expanders, braces, head-gear and retainers.”
Just two months after opening, Woolaver Clear Smiles was voted “Ahwatukee’s Best New Business,” and last year the practice was named “Best Orthodontist,” Woolaver said.
In all, just one more piece of evidence that some of the challenges people face when they’re kids can provide the foundation in later years for satisfaction and success.
