Hello Northern Michigan! My name is Dr. Spencer Crouch and I am a Traverse City native who is thrilled about returning home to create amazing smiles and provide orthodontic care to the community I grew up in. As I went through orthodontics myself back in middle school, it captured my curiosity as to how smiles could be transformed using brackets, wires, and retainers. Growing up, I loved puzzles of all shapes and sizes. As I continued through my schooling, it became apparent that orthodontics is the epitome of being able to put together 3D puzzles on a daily basis!

I attended Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) for my undergraduate degree. From there, I continued my schooling at the University of Michigan earning a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree followed by a Master of Science and certificate in orthodontics. My thesis research while at U of M focused on bone growth and stem cells work that will eventually lead to better treatment options for individuals born with life-threatening bone development issues! While in dental school I also had the privilege to travel to Kenya multiple times as part of a humanitarian team working to bring dental services to underserved communities.

My wife, Ashley, and I are excited to be back in Traverse City! I grew up a short bike ride from Long Lake and Ashley grew up on a cherry farm in Leelanau County. We are thrilled to return to northern Michigan with our two daughters (Evelyn and Nora). When not in the office, we enjoy spending time with family and friends, adventuring around the world, kayaking, trying new restaurants, and being outdoors whenever we get the chance. I am thrilled to be joining the northern Michigan community to provide you and your family with patient-centered care and an exceptional orthodontic experience!

There are very few foods you cannot eat while you have braces. We do ask you not to eat hard and sticky foods such as caramel, taffy, gummy bears, suckers, jolly ranchers, jerky or popcorn. You may chew gum as long as it is sugarless and not big, bulky bubblegum. When you eat foods like apples, pizza, corn on the cob, carrots and celery, etc., we ask that you cut those foods up into small pieces and then chew them on your back teeth. The corn will have to be cut off the cob.

Its more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces so the teeth and gums are healthy during orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease may also need to see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment. Watch the video below on the proper care of braces during orthodontic treatment.

Brush your teeth well, then take a teaspoon of fluoride rinse and swish it around in your mouth for about a minute. Spit the rinse out and do not swallow it. If your dentist has given you a fluoride gel to use, that would be acceptable to use in place of the rinse.

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 4 5 days. Over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, should help if you experience discomfort. The lips, cheeks, and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the braces. We will supply wax to put on the braces in irritated areas to lessen discomfort.

Eating soft foods for the first couple of days also helps. Some suggestions include jello, soups, applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc. Everyone responds differently, so for one person it might be minor discomfort, yet to another, the teeth may be very sore. Periodically throughout treatment, you may experience sore teeth when a new archwire has been placed in the mouth. However, this soreness lasts approximately 1-2 days.

To successfully complete orthodontic treatment, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed. Elastics provide extra forces to help move your teeth. Be very faithful at wearing your rubber bands so you do not prolong your treatment time.

*The total treatment fee does NOT include charges for appliance breakage. There may be additional charges for lost or broken appliances. Charges may be incurred if a lack of patient cooperation causes treatment to extend beyond the estimated time.