Before & After

The team here at Douglas Knight Orthodontics in Tacoma, WA loves to witness the transformation in our patients’ smiles. For over 17 years, Dr. Douglas Knight has been crafting beautiful, straight smiles to his patients through a variety of orthodontic treatments including Invisalign, clear braces, retainers and more. Dr. Knight is committed to success for each and every patient and works hard to craft an individualized treatment plan to suit his patients’ needs. With our new, beautifully remodeled Tacoma, WA office, we make it easy for you to visit and start your journey to your own flawless smile.

But don’t listen to us – see for yourself. Feel free to take a look at the before-and-after photos from our past patients’ treatments below. These are only a few examples of the orthodontic work we do every day.

Sarah came to us with a relatively normal growth pattern and good posterior bite. The biggest challenge was the amount of crowding with the canines blocked out to the labial in both arches. Facial esthetics was our main focus in determining whether we should extract teeth or not. We decided not to extract teeth, and we were able to control nicely the torque of the incisors, so they would not be proclined. It was a real treat to watch the beautiful transformation, both dentally and personally. THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!

Jamie came to us in the transitional dentition (still losing baby teeth) with substantial crowding, a lateral side open bite on the left side and the upper canines were erupting very high. Despite the crowding, we were able to proceed without extraction of any permanent teeth, and we were able to close the openbite on the left side. It is so much fun to watch these young people change in so many ways during this transition. Jamie was a fantastic patient!

Jessica came to the office at age 9, severely crowded and with the top front teeth inside of the lower teeth (anterior crossbite). This type of bite needs to be fixed early before the rest of her teeth erupt; otherwise the gum tissue of the lower incisors will recede rapidly. Therefore, a Phase 1 treatment was needed. Phase 2 was required when the rest of the permanent teeth erupts. Therefore, we see three stages of photos for Jessica: (A) Initial Pre-Phase 1 (B) Pre- Phase 2 (C) Final Results.

Garet had his braces removed a while ago. His mom is a dental hygienist and recognized that his bite fit reasonably well, but the smile could be improved. We were pleased she chose our office to help Garet. He wore braces on both the top and bottom teeth to idealize the alignment and make minor improvements to his bite. We are proud to announce that he won "Best Smile" for his senior class at Curtis High School Class of 2011, and now it is off to WSU for Garet! Congratulations and good luck at college. Imagine what your new smile can do for you!

Less growth of the lower jaw occasionally needs to be corrected in two phases. The first phase takes advantage of growth modification and cooperation to better coordinate the fit of the upper and lower jaw. The second phase aligns the upper and lower teeth. Brandon wore early braces to reduce the overjet (teeth sticking out), which were at risk for fracture and an appliance to correct the jaw growth. The second phase was used to finish coordinating the fit of the upper and lower teeth. His treatment was successful only because he did everything that was asked of him. Congratulations Brandon; such a huge change!

Occasionally a patient comes in who needs treatment. Otherwise, with normal chewing and function, they will cause harm of dysfunction to their teeth and jaw. Anterior open bites are such situations, and Keyandra had such a bite when she arrived in our office. Without the anterior teeth touching, the posterior teeth will wear down and break. Braces on this young lady for about two years did her a future lifetime of good to create a healthy bite and wonderful smile. Congratulations, Keyandra!

Samantha had her braces removed recently, and what a joy it was to see how brave this young lady really was. She started with a Class III malocclusion (underbite) due to the lower jaw growing more than the upper jaw. The best way to fix the skeletal problem was with a combination of braces and jaw surgery to correct the bite. She agreed to have the jaw surgery. She wore braces for about 2 ½ years, with the surgical procedure in the middle of treatment, and it turned out perfectly. Congratulations Samantha; so proud of you!

Schedule an Appointment

See what Douglas Knight Orthodontics can do for you! We are proud to serve the communities of Tacoma, University Place, Puyallup, Fircrest, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Gig Harbor and Ruston, WA with a variety of excellent orthodontic care including Invisalign, early treatment, and orthognathic (jaw) surgery. To make an appointment at our office, simply use our online form or give us a call.