Are you looking for an orthodontist in Homewood, AL?
At Backus Smiles Orthodontics, we offer orthodontic care recognized by Homewood Life as one of Homewood’s Best and provided to patients throughout Homewood, AL.
If you or your child has crowded teeth, gaps between teeth, or a misaligned bite, an orthodontist can correct how the teeth and jaws fit together. Dr. Dominique Backus has practiced orthodontics for 27 years. She holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery and a specialty certificate in orthodontics.
As a Homewood, AL orthodontist, she treats children, teens, and adults with Damon System braces, lingual braces, Invisalign, and Spark clear aligners. Contact our office to schedule an evaluation, and we will explain which options fit your case. Your first visit is complimentary.
Orthodontist in Homewood, AL
An orthodontist is a dentist with additional years of specialty training in how teeth move and how jaws grow. Your general dentist handles cleanings, fillings, and overall oral health. We focus on alignment. That includes crowding, spacing, and bite problems that change how you chew, how you speak, and how evenly your teeth wear over the years.
About one in four Homewood residents is under 18. That figure comes from Census Bureau QuickFacts, which also estimates the city’s 2025 population at 28,118. Bite problems tend to become visible as permanent teeth come in, so many of our Homewood orthodontic patients begin with an evaluation in elementary school. We treat adults as well, often for crowding or bite problems that went uncorrected in childhood.
Orthodontic Services We Offer in Homewood
The right appliance depends on your age, your bite, and how visible you want treatment to be. Fixed braces come in metal or clear brackets. Many patients do well with aligners, and a smaller number need care coordinated with an oral surgeon.
- Damon System braces. These self-ligating brackets hold the archwire with a built-in sliding door instead of elastic ties. With less friction between wire and bracket, teeth can move into position more comfortably.
- Lingual braces. The brackets sit on the back surfaces of your teeth. They’re hidden when you talk or smile, so you get the control of fixed braces without a visible appliance.
- Invisalign. A series of clear, removable trays moves your teeth in small, planned stages. We use Invisalign for adults and Invisalign Teen for younger patients. Results depend on wear time, so the trays come out only to eat, drink anything other than water, and clean your teeth.
- Spark clear aligners. Spark is the second aligner system we offer. At your consultation, we’ll compare it with Invisalign and recommend the one that suits your case.
- Adult braces. Teeth shift throughout life. Some adults come to us because crowding returned years after childhood braces, while others are treating a bite problem for the first time.
- Early orthodontic care. A child’s jaw is still growing, and that growth can be guided. An early evaluation tells us whether to begin treatment, such as a palate expander for a narrow upper jaw, or monitor development for a few years.
- TMJ treatment. Jaw pain, clicking, and recurring headaches are sometimes linked to the way the upper and lower teeth meet. After evaluating your bite, we discuss options that may reduce strain on the joint.
- Cleft lip and palate care. Clefts can affect feeding, speech, hearing, and tooth development. We work closely with oral surgeons and treat the dental problems that appear as a child grows, often over many years.
- Retainers. Retainers keep teeth from drifting back after braces or aligners come off. Consistent wear protects the results of treatment.
Why Choose Backus Smiles Orthodontics for Orthodontic Care in Homewood, AL?
Specialty Training and Credentials
Dr. Dominique Backus trained entirely at the LSU School of Dentistry in New Orleans. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery there in 1997 and completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry certificate a year later. Her orthodontic specialty program ended in 2000 with a certificate in orthodontics and the James P. Bordelon, DDS Memorial Award for Clinical Excellence in Orthodontics. Before dental school, she graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology. She’s a member of eight professional organizations. One is the American Association of Orthodontists, which admits only dentists who have completed an accredited orthodontic residency.
Our staff supports her at every appointment, from records visits to routine adjustments.
Local Ties and Transparent Fees
Our office on Old Montgomery Highway serves families across the Homewood area. Dr. Backus has volunteered with Homewood Public Schools and the Homewood Public Library, and her community work extends to Camp Smile-A-Mile and The Bell Center. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Homewood Life named Backus Smiles Orthodontics among Homewood’s Best.
One fee covers the full course of treatment. It includes diagnostic records, every appliance, all treatment visits, your first set of retainers, and a year of follow-up after your appliances come off. We file insurance claims for you and verify your benefits before your first visit.
Understanding Orthodontic Care
Conditions We Treat and Treatment Options
Orthodontic problems fall into two broad groups. Some involve the teeth, which may be crowded, spaced apart, or rotated out of position. Others involve the jaws, when the upper and lower jaw grow at different rates or do not meet correctly. Braces and aligners correct tooth position. In children, jaw problems can often be guided with appliances while growth is still underway, but adults with significant jaw discrepancies may need a plan coordinated with an oral surgeon.
- Crowding occurs when the jaw doesn’t have room for every tooth, and overlapping teeth trap plaque that is hard to brush away.
- Gaps can come from missing or undersized teeth. Tongue thrusting is another cause.
- Overbites, underbites, and crossbites change how the upper and lower teeth meet. Left untreated, some of them wear enamel unevenly or strain the jaw joint.
- In an open bite, the front teeth don’t touch when you close your mouth.
- Jaw growth differences may call for early treatment in children or surgery in adults.
What Should You Expect from Orthodontic Treatment?
- Your records appointment includes photos, ultra low-dose X-rays, and 3D imaging.
- On the day you’re fitted, we bond each bracket, place the archwire, and show you how to clean around both before you leave.
- Mild tenderness for a few days after placement or an adjustment is normal. A loose bracket or a wire poking your cheek is not, and it’s one of the warning signs to report to our office.
- Braces patients come back for adjustments every several weeks. With aligners, you switch to a new set of trays on a schedule we set.
- Hard and sticky foods can break brackets, so you’ll avoid them during treatment.
What Is The Typical Treatment Timeline?
- Consultation. We examine your teeth and bite, explain your options, and go over fees and insurance.
- Growth monitoring. Not every child is ready for treatment at the first visit. These children return for periodic checks, and early orthodontic care starts only when growth shows a need for it.
- Records and planning. Photos and 3D imaging map how each tooth needs to move, and your treatment plan is built from those records.
- Active treatment. This is the longest stage, often one to three years. How long braces take depends on your bite, your age, and how consistently you wear elastics or aligners.
- Removal and retention. Once your brackets come off or you finish your final aligners, we fit your retainers. Teeth can shift if you stop wearing your retainer, which is why follow-up visits continue for a year.
Timelines vary with age, bite complexity, and other individual factors. We do not guarantee a completion date, but you’ll receive an estimate once your diagnostic records are complete.
What Should You Bring to Your First Visit?
- Bring your dental insurance card so we can keep your policy information current.
- If your general dentist has taken X-rays recently, ask that office to send copies to us.
- A list of current medications helps us review your health history.
- Patients under 18 need a parent or guardian present.
Your complimentary first visit includes an exam and a review of your options, fees, and payment plans. By the end of it, you’ll know whether we recommend starting treatment now or waiting.
What Are Some Important Alabama Orthodontic Resources?
Every practicing dentist in Alabama, orthodontists included, holds a license from the state dental board. You can check it yourself. Federal agencies also publish free information on oral and craniofacial conditions.
- The Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama runs a license lookup that shows whether a provider’s license is active.
- Through its Oral Health Coalition, the Alabama Department of Public Health keeps a list of oral health resources, including state and national dental organizations.
- The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research explains how cleft lip and palate form and how they’re treated.
- For parents, NIDCR’s children’s oral health section covers tooth decay, sealants, and fluoride.
These sources provide general information. They do not replace an exam or advice from your own orthodontist.
Contact Backus Smiles Orthodontics
Every treatment plan starts with an evaluation. At your consultation, we’ll examine your teeth, bite, and jaw development, then explain which options suit your case, how long treatment is likely to take, and what each stage involves.
Patients looking for an orthodontist in Homewood, AL can book appointments as early as 7:30 a.m. Our office is open Monday through Thursday until 4:30 p.m., plus two Friday mornings a month, which makes it easier to schedule around school and work. Backus Smiles Orthodontics treats children, teens, and adults.
Contact us to schedule your consultation.