Dr. Gary W. Chu is a native of Denver, Colorado. He and his identical twin brother graduated as co- valedictorians of Gateway High School. He then graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. From there, Dr. Chu was accepted to the rigorous program at University of Texas San Antonio Dental School where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. He spent an additional two years completing his orthodontic residency at The University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

Dr. Chu is a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, and has received numerous awards for his research and clinical skills. He has also earned the title of diplomate with the prestigious American Board of Orthodontics, in addition to belonging to the American Association of Orthodontics, the American Dental Association, the Wisconsin Dental Association, the Wisconsin Society of Orthodontists, and the Racine Dental Society.

Dr. Chu feels that staying on top of the latest research and technology is important in being able to offer his patients the best treatment plans possible. To do this, he attends numerous voluntary orthodontic and dental continuing education seminars throughout the year, and uses the most technologically advanced braces and appliances. In addition, he has completed courses at The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education, and is a subscriber to the most current research journals for the orthodontic profession.

Dr. Chu practices in Racine, WI, where he resides with his wife Diane. They have one daughter, Brianna, who is currently attending college and a member of the swim team at the University of Minnesota. He feels that family is very important, and ensures that he makes time to be involved in family activities and take vacations together.

Outside of the office, Dr. Chu enjoys sailing and skiing competitively. In 2008, he was part of the U.S. Sailing Team and competed in the Olympic Trials. Dr. Chu qualified and became a member of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team as the alternate to compete in the Olympic Games. In the cooler months, when sailing around here becomes difficult, he and his wife train for numerous cross-country ski races. They compete in a 24 hour relay race called 24 Hours at Telemark, in addition to the world-renowned Birkebeiner Ski Marathon. Dr. Chu is also a talented watercolor painter and percussionist (he plays for his churchs contemporary Christian worship band). Dr. Chu enjoys being involved in the community by volunteering his time to church and school activities, in addition to sponsoring youth sports teams in the area.

Dr. Chu has been making beautiful smiles in Southeastern Wisconsin for more then 20 years. He feels very privileged to be part of a profession that touches lives by providing a positive lifetime benefit. He continues to marvel at how the profession of orthodontics not only transforms smiles, but people as well.

We provide our patients with the highest quality orthodontic care available in a friendly, yet professional environment. Getting to know you and meeting your individual needs are our foremost concerns. Dr. Chu is a board certified orthodontist with more than 20 years of orthodontic experience. You can always count on his personalized attention at each visit.

Our administrative staff and clinical assistants are long-term employees with combined orthodontic experience of almost 50 years, and it shows in their expertise. We know our patients by name and cater to their personal needs.

Our office is technologically advanced in the field of orthodontics. We offer digital photographs and x-rays at your new patient exam. Also, at Dr. Chus office, we use the patented Damon System, which is the most advanced bracket system available in orthodontics. It promotes bio-compatible movement which leads to far more comfortable and effective treatment.

The Damon System is a new and exciting treatment modality in orthodontics. It is more than just a different type of bracket. In the past, orthodontists would use extremely heavy forces to move teeth. The Damon System utilizes light forces and the lowest friction of any bracket system on the market to move teeth faster and more gently than ever before. The results are absolutely outstanding.

We do everything we can to make your childs experience comfortable and fun. If your child isnt quite ready to start orthodontics, they will be placed into our POG Program. We will continue to see them every six months to monitor their growth and eruption until they are ready to get started with their braces. This service is of course at no charge. During this time, we encourage your child to participate in all the fun activities and contests that come along with being a member of the Chu Crew!

Orthodontic treatment is a long-term process. Knowing this, we strive to make your orthodontic treatment in our office a positive experience. We believe that the customer always comes first! Getting to know you and meeting your individual orthodontic needs are our foremost concerns.

Abby has lived in Racine with her family for 34years. She joined the Chu Crew as an orthodontic assistant 17years ago after attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Abby is currently our Lab and Records Technician, keeping our in-house lab running smoothly! Abby is the proud mom of a smart and very loved 9-year-old sports superstar Landon!

Sarah 's first experience with Dr. Chuwas being a patient herself. In seeing the great care Dr. Chu delivers, she excitedly joined the team in 2002. She married her husband Matt in 2007, and their decision to start a family inspired a *break* from working outside of the home. She rejoined the the team 10 years later when all their children were in school full time. Her free time outside of the office is spend volunteering in her children 's classrooms, and taxiing the kids to sporting practices and events. Aside from work and family she finds joy in exploring her 'craft abilities' with her Silhouette!

Candie grew up in Racine, graduating from Horlick High School and completing a degre in Early Childhood Education from Gateway. She started with The Chu Crew as an Orthodontic Assistant in 2007 and now, her bright smile and welcoming personality can be seen at the front desk as our Scheduling Coordinator. Family is everything to Candie, but you will rarelyfind her 'just sitting' at home with them. She loves traveling and experiencing new things with her husband and two kids. Even when she needs to 'clear her head', you 'll find her out running a few miles. When Candie isn 't at work or exploring, she spends her time volunteering in her kids ' classrooms and chasing the kids to sports or dance events.

Samantha is new to our clinic, and is also a former patient of Dr. Chu's!She is curretly a Sophomore at Union Grove High School. Sam had her braces removed in 2019, but her interest in the orthodontic and dentistry field brought her back to work for Dr. Chu as the clinic assistant.She helps us be the safest clinic in townby asssiting with sterilization and other COVID protocols.

Klaire is a Racine native and a former patient of Dr. Chu's. She has been apart of the Chu Crew since 2016. Klaire is currently the clinic coordinator and is extremely talented and knowlegable about orthodonics. She especially loves the final deband visit when patients complete their treatment and get to celebrate! When Klaire is not working she enjoys time with her family, camping with friends, and traveling around the country.

Grace has lived in Racine for most of her life, and joined the Chu Crew as the Treatment Coordinatorin 2020. She attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for Recreation Management, and after collegemoved back to the Racine area where she met herhusband Sean.When she is not at work Grace loves traveling,boating on Lake Michigan,and hanging out with her family.

'I am so excited to be a part of changing people 's lives! My smile means everything to me, and I would not have the confidence I have today without it. Being able to help others have a smile that changes their lives as well is so special to me!'

This may seem early for braces, but at this age, Dr. Chu can identify and address many problems that if left untreated, may make later treatment far more difficult on both the child and the orthodontist.

By the age of seven, most children will have the front four adult teeth on the upper and lower, as well as the first permanent molars erupted. With these teeth erupted, we can evaluate if there is adequate space for the other teeth to erupt. In addition, we can evaluate the growth of the jaws to determine any bite discrepancy, check for crossbites, arch width, and dangerous protrusions of the front teeth.

Often, an early phase of orthodontic treatment to address one or more of these issues can reduce the likelihood for extractions of adult teeth, simplify later treatment with braces, and improve the childs self-image during the formative years.

In addition, orthodontic technology has advanced to a point where we can now move teeth with bracesand complete adult cases as if they were children or teenagers. The days of adult treatment with braces taking twice to three times as long as adolescent treatment are in the past. Using light-force movement and keeping the blood-flow intact encourages bone remodeling and regeneration, which leads to faster tooth movement even in adults.

Also, many adults have been put off by orthodontic treatment in the past because they were told the only way to correct their bite was with major jaw surgery or permanent tooth extraction. This again is a thing of the past. In most cases, we are able to use just braces andavoid the need for both surgery and extractions, and our results both esthetically and functionally have been beautiful.

Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a very specialized process that encompasses straightening the teeth along with jaw movement and facial changes. A common question that many parents have is whether or not they can put off orthodontic treatment for their child until all of the permanent teeth have come in.

The major advantage of beginning early with a two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, and esthetic result that will remain stable throughout your life.

The disadvantage of waiting on braces for complete eruption of permanent teeth and having only one phase of treatment for someone with a jaw discrepancy is facing the possibility of a compromised result that may not be stable.

This early correction may prevent removal of permanent teeth to correct overcrowding and/or surgical procedures to align the upper and lower jaws. Leaving such a condition untreated until all permanent teeth erupt could result in a jaw misalignment too severe to resolve with braces alone.

In this phase, the remaining permanent teeth are allowed to erupt. Retainers are recommended since they help prevent relapse to the prior condition and guide eruption of the remaining permanent teeth.

The goal of the second phase is to make sure each tooth is positioned so that it is in harmony with the musculature of the face and tongue, and functions properly with the other teeth. When this equilibrium is established the result is a functional and beautiful smile!

Often people do not realize that retention is a lifelong endeavor. Your teeth will always want to moveeven when youre 80! Any amount of consistent pressure can cause teeth to shift over time. This includes muscular forces from the cheeks and tongue, as well as the natural progression of teeth to drift as you age.

To avoid relapse and shifting, we recommend 16-hour per day wear of your clear Invisitane retainer for one year following the removal of the braces. If the third molars (wisdom teeth) are present under the gums, we recommend the 16-hour wear until they have either been removed, or have grown in fully. After one year has passed and the wisdom teeth are no longer an issue, indefinite night-time wear should be sufficient to keep the teeth in place. At some point you may need to replace the Invisitane retainer if it becomes too loose; but if well taken care of, they will last for years.

The lower standard retainer that we use is a permanently bonded stainless steel wire that is placed behind the lower front six teeth. No one will be able to see this retainer, but it serves to maintain the space and shape of the lower arch which is often where shifting will begin. We do recommend that this retainer is left in place indefinitely. If brushed and flossed regularly, it is very easy to maintain and will not cause damage to the teeth