Dr. Derek Bock wants to set the record straight: He treats adults, too.

“I hear it several times a week,” says Dr. Bock of Forest Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry with a laugh. “I’ll have parents of my existing patients in the office saying that they didn’t know I take care of adults too. But I do!”

While a majority of Dr. Bock’s patients are tweens and teens getting braces, the number of adults seeking orthodontic treatment has reached a new level of popularity. Dr. Bock has years of experience and training in treating complex orthodontic issues that arise in adult treatment.

“I partner with a number of general dentists, periodontists, and cosmetic dentists on big restorative cases,” Dr. Bock explains. “I’m also working with a number of adults who didn’t have their teeth fixed when they were children, or their teeth moved from not wearing the retainers they were given as a child,” he says.

Fortunately for today’s adults, they can have braces without showing a mouth full of metal. “I like adult cases because they are more challenging,” says Dr. Bock. “You really need to be on top of your game to achieve the best results.”
Today’s high-tech orthodontia treatments include everything from the well-marketed Invisalign®, to Damon Clear® braces, to what Dr. Bock calls the “Rolls-Royce of orthodontia,” the Incognito Hidden Braces™.

• Invisalign: Takes a modern approach to straightening teeth with a set of aligners custom-made to your mouth. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable, and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth. The aligners gradually shift your teeth into place and are easily removed at meal times or for an evening out.
• Damon Clear: Virtually invisible, Damon Clear has advantages over traditional braces and aligners. Damon Clear is part of the innovative Damon System, which combines tieless braces with high technology arch wires that are clinically proven to move teeth fast and comfortably. Damon Clear combines the best of traditional clear braces and invisible aligners to deliver a discrete treatment experience with results that go beyond straight teeth.
• Incognito Hidden Braces: Placed on the back side of the teeth, Incognito Hidden Braces are completely hidden from view. Incognito Orthodontic Braces are also 100 percent customized to meet the unique orthodontic prescription of every patient. Manufactured in Germany from precise molds taken of your teeth, these braces provide the highest level of customization.

While cosmetic veneers have been a common choice for adults seeking a more perfect smile, Dr. Bock believes it’s better to improve the foundation before having them applied. “It’s easy to understand that you’ll achieve better results if you’re working from a straighter starting point,” adds Dr. Bock. “That’s why more and more dentists doing cosmetic procedures are asking me to consult on their cases. They see a big difference.”

While Dr. Bock’s office is child-friendly with its game room and newly released movies showing on big screen TVs, it was also designed with adults in mind. “We have special treatment rooms for adults that have a spa-like atmosphere. We know that most adults prefer to be treated in private rather than in a big open space and our office caters to this,” Dr. Bock says. “We also have a number of appointments open during lunch hour and later in the evening to better accommodate a busy adult’s schedule.”

Forest Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry is located at 840 S. Waukegan Road, Suite 107, in Lake Forest. For more information, call 847-615-5437, or visit them online at forestorthopedo.com. To learn more about the orthodontic treatments described in this story, visit their websites at invisalign.com, damonbraces.com, or hiddenbraces.com.

—Ann Marie Scheidler