Dr. Staes was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and received his Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University. He began his career as a working professional in the defense industry in the Boston area. Two years into his rewarding engineering career, he recognized that his long-term passion is through positively impacting lives through dentistry.
He completed studies in Harvard Extension Schools Health Careers Program before entering the renowned University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. After obtaining his Doctor of Dental Surgery, he relocated to Texas to begin his dental career. Dr. Staes served families throughout Fort Worth and the Rio Grande Valley, treating both adult and pediatric dental patients. With an appreciation of the history, culture and pride of San Antonio, Dr. Staes decided that it was a fitting home for establishing Villa Dental.
In his free time Dr. Staes enjoys cinema, weight training, jogging, bowling, most genres of music, reading, road trips, international travel, and learning to play acoustic guitar. Dr. Staes is a fan of the New Orleans Saints and also likes basketball, boxing, and mixed martial arts.
Traditional metal braces use their structure to pull your teeth into alignment over time. Invisalign uses modern technology and does the same exact thing, except in a discreet manner. When you start your Invisalign treatment, you receive a set of clear aligners from our dentist to wear for a set amount of time in order to straighten your teeth.
Over a period of about nine to 15 months, you will receive anywhere between 18 to 30 aligners from Villa Dental to wear and correct your teeths position. On your initial visit, we will either take physical impressions or use 3D computer imaging to get an accurate representation of your teeth and create aligners based on that image. These aligners will then move your teeth little by little, eventually moving your teeth to the final desired positions. In order to get the desired results, you must wear your aligners for the majority of the day, around 22 hours.
While most patients think of traditional braces as a rite of passage for young adults and teens, Invisalign makes straightening your teeth easy and subtle for adults and most teenagers. Our patients come from all ages and backgrounds, because the aligners are easy to wear at work or school without impacting your self-esteem around peers. Invisalign is also noninvasive and removable, so its a safe procedure for nearly anyone who would like straighter teeth. The most important requirements are that you are dedicated to wearing your aligners as much as possible to achieve the progress you want to see. Its also important to have healthy teeth and gums prior to and during treatment. If you have gum disease or cavities, our dental team will address these issues first before creating Invisalign aligners. In rare cases, TMJ, dental implants, or bridges could get in the way of Invisalign, but our dentists will be able to confirm if youre a good candidate for Invisalign.
Using a progressive set of aligners, or plastic trays, Invisalign slowly pushes teeth into the correct position. The first set of aligners will look similar to your existing teeth and fit with just a bit of tension. Each aligner thereafter will still fit over your teeth, but with an incremental adjustment until the final set of aligners is smooth and even! Invisalign can move teeth, but not your jaw. That makes it less effective on serious overbites or underbites that need more invasive orthodontic procedures.
The best part of Invisalign is that you can quickly remove the aligners to brush and floss normally. Its critical to follow good dental hygiene by brushing and flossing two to three times per day so your teeth stay strong and healthy while under the pressure from the aligners. You should also wash the aligners daily with warm water and mild soap to prevent bacteria from collecting.
Invisalign has a number of advantages when you compare to traditional braces. After you see how convenient and easy it is to wear Invisalign aligners, you wont even want to consider traditional metal braces.
As their name implies, Invisalign aligners are basically invisible, which means people wont be able to tell that you have them on. If youre already feeling very shy about the state of your teeth, you wont have to worry about drawing additional attention to them with obvious metal braces.
Because you switch out different aligners and they move your teeth slowly, there is less pain associated with Invisalign. There are also no wires to poke into your cheeks, which can be very painful. Additionally, wires often require more dental visits in order to ensure the wires are short enough not to damage your cheeks. Invisalign is seamless, only requiring one fitting per visit.
The one thing that bothers people most about metal braces is the fact that theyre stuck with it for the entire duration of the treatment. With Invisalign, you are free to remove your aligners at any time, making it easier for you to eat, brush, and floss.
With metal braces, there are certain foods or drinks you have to avoid or make special adjustments in order to eat or drink them. Not with Invisalign! You dont have to change your lifestyle at all. Simply remove your aligners whenever you want to eat or drink and replace them when you are done.