In 2016, Bandeen Orthodontics began inThree Rivers with the former doctor, Dr. Souers of Michigan Orthodontic Specialists, and his team. Dr. Souers officially retired in May of 2017 from the new Bandeen Orthodontics offices in Kalamazoo & Three Rivers. Since that time, Dr. Roger Bandeen has briefly returned to Bandeen Orthodontics to help with the transition of the new practice locations. Dr. Tim Bandeen has also been helping set the new tone for our practice in Kalamazoo and Three Rivers, and we are welcoming other new doctors to the Kalamazoo and Three Rivers locations. Both Dr. Emily Bandeen and Dr. Tim Bandeen can still be found in Battle Creek.

We believe in efficient treatment.By waiting to start treatment until the right time we can accomplish more treatment with less effort (and often less cost). This means that, when possible, we will wait until all baby teeth are gone and the adult teeth have erupted; however, specifics of treatment will depend upon the individual patient and each persons unique set of teeth.

While everyone is different and treatment times vary,average treatment times at our office areonly 12-18 months. Only about 20% of our patients are in treatment longer than18 months. To achieve these low treatment times, we use Damon SystembracesandInsignia Advanced Smile Design.We dont rush treatment; we just plan really well and use effective technology.

Of course, providing quality is more important than the speed.Insignia is a system where we use computers to visualizeour end goals for treatmentand then reverse engineer the process to create a truly unique and superior treatment result with great efficiency.Through Insignia, we are able to use computer modeling to place the braces virtually and make customized wires. Technically, we are doing your treatment first in the computer to see how it should go before we start treatment with your actual teeth.

TheDamon System Bracesmakes the use of palatal expanders unnecessary.This is not to say that we dont provide expansion of the dental arches when necessary, but it is to say that our doctors feel that there is better way to expand than the outdated technology of the rapid palatal expander.If you have been told that palatal expansion is what you need, please call us so that we can show you how expansion can be achieved without an expander.In our opinion, the Damon System Braces allow us to achieve a healthy, stable expansion equal to or better than that which is achieved with palatal expanders, correcting crossbites and/or crowding without uncomfortable, bulky, and difficult to clean palatal expanders.

Theuseof The Damon System Braces also allows us to provide non-surgical treatment for many adult patients. If you are an adult and you have been told that your treatment would require surgical expansion, please call us for a second opinion because there may be other options available.Expansion was often considered to be limited to treatment of children. That is no longer the case.Expansion in adults with The Damon System Braces is not a compromise with a lesser result.Expansion in adult patients with The Damon System Braces is a valid treatment option that has been shown to be an excellent treatment option for many patients.

We limit early treatment to situations where it truly matters and where it can truly make an actual difference in the long term.The question is not whether early treatment will make things look better in the short term, rather, the question is whether or not early treatment will result in a better result in the long term and then let you decide what is best for your family.

Certainly, we will provide early treatment in circumstances where patients are self-conscious, an emergency circumstance requires action, or in the rare scenario where such treatment will actually make a difference to long term results.With that said, only about 7% of our patients have early treatment with retainers and only about 3% of our patients have early braces.That means only 10% of our total practice has early treatment because most parents, when given the options, realize that waiting for a single phase of treatment is okay.We feel that we are different for offering early treatment as an option rather than an obligation, and we will have an honest discussion with you about those options.

In the past, orthodontists used to believe that earlytreatment was the only way to provide nice overall treatment results. Expanders, lip bumpers, and other appliances were used on nearly every patient.Patients were subjected to extensive treatment at early ages only to be asked to go through more treatment later.While arguments can be made that such treatments are not harmful, it is a stronger argument to say that such methods are simply not necessary for most patients. Fortunately, there are newer treatment methods which make most early treatment unnecessary. Exhibiting patience and waiting for the right time and with the use of The Damon System Braces and Insignia, we are able to postpone treatment until the adult teeth have erupted to provide treatment when it really matters.While we will suggest early treatment when it is necessary, we dont want to take advantage of our patients by providing treatment that is not necessary.

It is important to recognize that waiting can sometimes result in a positive change without interference from an impatient orthodontist. There are times when the natural process of growth and development will result in positive changes without orthodontic treatment.Waiting for the right time can often simplify the problems.The baby molars are actually bigger than the adult teeth that replace them. So, sometimes as baby molars are lost naturally, the crowding is reduced without orthodontic intervention.

When we do provide early treatment, we strive to limit that early treatment to situations where it will reduce future orthodontic treatment in a meaningful way, accomplish treatment goals that cannot otherwise be accomplished, or potentially take away future orthodontic problems to the degree that future orthodontics may not even be necessary. Early treatment should be reserved for circumstances that cannot otherwise be adequately corrected by a single phase of treatment.Early treatment should not be simply for the purpose of early expansion in situations of mild to moderate dental crowding as such an idea is outdated and has been shown to be clinically unnecessary.While there are some patients who have extreme orthodontic needs, you will not regularly see large groups of 6, 7, and 8 year old patients in braces and/or retainers at our office.

Every patient who comes to our office and who starts treatment gets their own new set of braces.There are some offices who use recycled braces.We feel that the fine tolerances of braces require a new set for each patient. Most of our patients have personalized braces which have been custom made for them with the use of Insignia. In fact, at the conclusion of treatment, we offer each patient the opportunity to keep his/her braces because each set is otherwise discarded.

Surgery in combination with orthodontics can sometimes offer excellent treatment results, but surgery is not necessary for everyone (nor should it be for everyone), and we strive to provide non-surgical treatment to our patients whenever possible.Very few patients have conditions serious enough to warrant surgical intervention in addition to orthodontics; however, if there is an extreme change that can only be accomplished through surgery, we will talk to you about treatment options respecting the fact that surgery is a serious situation.We do not take presentation of a surgical treatment plan lightly.

Dr. Timothy Bandeen is an orthodontist. He went to Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, MI. He attended Central Michigan University as a Centralis Scholar.Dr, Bandeen graduated Summa Cum Laude from Central Michigan University with a B.S. in biology and minor in chemistry.He then completed his D.D.S. at The University of Michigan School of Dentistry where he graduated again with honors and was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon dental honors society.After dental school, he went to The University of Tennessee for his specialty training in orthodontics and to complete his M.S.While at The University of Tennessee, he was awarded the James Powell Research Award for research that contributes to the Arts and Sciences of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics for his thesis Effects of Sickle Cell Disease on Growth of the Craniofacial Complexes.

After completing his residency, Dr. Timothy Bandeen worked with an orthodontic practice in Southaven, Mississippi. He also served as faculty at The University of Tennessee in the orthodontics department as a clinical instructor and as director of the graduate course in cephalometrics and radiology. Dr. Bandeen has been presenting nationally since 2012 on the topics of efficiency in orthodontic treatment, Insignia AdvancedSmile Design (which has been our standard of care since January 2010), and the Damon System.He has also participated as a representative to the Michigan Dental Association House of Delegates on behalf of the Southwest Michigan Dental Society.

Dr. Bandeen has been practicing in Battle Creek since May 2006. In his free time he plays with his family who reside with him in Battle Creek.Dr. Bandeens hobbies include triathlons, running, and gardening.

Dr. Emily Bandeenis a general dentist from Chattanooga, TN.She attended The University of Richmond where she graduated with a B.A. in Religious Studies with a concentration in ethics and a minor in biology. Dr. Emily was an All American and All Conference for the Atlantic 10 in swimming. Also, while at The University of Richmond, she was a member of their NCAA Division I swim team.As a senior she was elected by her fellow swimmers to the position of team captain. She then went to The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry where she earned her D.D.S. in 2006. While at The University of Tennessee, she was a charter member of the local chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists where she served as chapter Secretary, Vice-President, and then President. In addition to being on the Deans list for the College of Dentistry, she was inducted into the Imhotep Society as recognition for the many leadership positions that she held while studying dentistry.

After dental school, she moved with her husband, Dr. Timothy Bandeen, to Battle Creek, MI where she worked at the Family Health Center of Battle Creek from 2006 to late 2009 and was a member of the National Health Service Corps.At the end of 2009, she resigned from the Family Health Center to take a full time position with us at Bandeen Orthodontics. Dr. Emily is a Fellow of the World Clinical Laser Institute and performs all the surgical procedures in the office using a soft tissue laser. Her continuing education is focused on orthodontics using the Damon system and temporary anchorage devices (TADs) to aid in orthodontic treatment.Dr. Emily Bandeen is a past president of the Southwest Michigan Dental Society.She has also participated as a representative to the Michigan Dental Association House of Delegates on behalf of the Southwest Michigan Dental Society.

Dr. Emily Bandeen is a general dentist who practices orthodontics. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, running, triathlons, and playing with her children.The doctors welcomed their littlest and newest munchkin in August 2014. They now have four wonderful children.

Matt is a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist with a wide variety of experience in the field of sleep medicine. He will be working primarily at our Three Rivers and Kalamazoo locations, to provide our patients with the best in dental sleep medicine. He lives in Battle Creek with his wife and children. He is an avid runner and spends his free time coaching high school cross country.

At Bandeen Orthodontics of Three Rivers, our staff is made up of knowledgeable and experienced professionals who have made it their mission to provide our patients with the best patient experience possible while in our care. We take pride in having a caring, intelligent, and compassionate team that is eager to serve you alongside our orthodontist in Three Rivers.

Lynne is a North Carolina native who has resided in Michigan for over 39 years. She has one daughter and lives in Kalamazoo. She graduated from college with a degree in Medical Assisting, but enjoys working as an Orthodontic Assistant. Over the past 42 years, Lynne has enjoyed working in the field of orthodontics with several different doctors. She has been with Bandeen Orthodontics since 2000. Lynne is our Clinical manager that helps train other team members and supports the clinical staff. Lynne loves working with patients, getting to know them and watching (with pride) as their new smiles emerge.

Jessica joined our team in 2016 and has been an amazing asset ever since. She spends her time managing and ordering clinical supplies and preparing models in our lab, but most importantly she enjoys working with the patients. Outside of work Jessica spends her spare time riding motorcycles, camping and fishing. She also spends much of her time with her dog, Duke, spoiling him like a child. With all that she does, we plan to keep her around for a while.

Diane is our Dental Hygienist here at the Kalamazoo/Three Rivers location. She has been practicing for 27 years andhas a very strong rapport with her patients. Diane has two children and lives in Three Rivers with her husband. Her outgoing personality and positivity is a huge asset to our office. In her spare time she likes to mountain bike, kayak, ride motorcycles, read, watch HGTV, and spend time enjoying her family. Bandeen Orthodontics is lucky to have her.

Lisa started with Bandeen Orthodontics in May 2019. Being a quick learner and great with detail, she greets our patients each day with a smile. Lisa assists Dr. Bandeen with exams and is our Bfit billing coordinator and excels at sharing her keen ability to stay organized with the team. Lisa and her husband live in the area and have two daughters. When not working Lisa enjoys the outdoors, and spending quality time with her family.

Jessie joined Bandeen Orthodontics in February 2022 and she enjoys every single moment! She was first a patient with our office and enjoyed her experience and office environment so much that later she became a part of the team. Jessie is originally from Mexico and moved to the States about 8 years ago. She is currently a student at Western Michigan University working on her bachelors degree. She has 3 dogs named Gigi, Tavayah and Bonnie. Outside of work and school, Jessie spends her time with family, camping, going to the beach and traveling. She has a gift for helping and working with patients to achieve their perfect smile.