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Many people believe that dentists are the ones who “do Invisalign” and orthodontists are the ones who “do braces.” This is a common misconception, and is not correct. Invisalign and braces are simply tools used by the doctor. What truly matters is the provider behind the treatment plan. Orthodontic specialists are the doctors with the advanced training to use those tools correctly, whether it’s braces, clear aligners, or other appliances.

Dr. Eric Strouse at Strouse Orthodontics are the leading experts in clear aligner treatment and orthodontic treatment in Citrus and Hernando County FL.

Dentists vs. Orthodontic Specialists: What’s the Difference?

All orthodontists begin as dentists, but only a small percentage go on to complete two to three additional years of full-time residency training focused exclusively on moving teeth, correcting bites, and guiding jaw development.

Dentists are highly skilled at oral health care: cleanings, fillings, crowns, and overall maintenance.

Orthodontic specialists focus on diagnosis, biomechanics, and the precise science of how teeth and jaws move.

This distinction is important because orthodontics is not just about making teeth look straight, it’s about achieving a functional, healthy bite, fitting a smile to the individual patients face and providing the best results. Many dentists offering Invisalign are not only unfamiliar with advanced biomechanics, but they often lack fluency in the basic diagnostic terms orthodontists use every day, such as crossbite, overjet, or skeletal discrepancy. Commonly, dentists do not even take proper orthodontic records(a full set of photographs, panoramic x-ray and cephalometric x-ray). Many dentists will not even know what a cephalometric x-ray is! Without this foundation, treatment planning can become superficial, missing underlying problems and not having a full picture to plan a patients case.

The Marketing Tricks: “Certified in Invisalign” or “Invisalign Specialist”

Dentists often promote themselves as “certified in Invisalign” or even call themselves “Invisalign specialists.” These terms can be misleading:

Certified in Invisalign simply means they completed a short training course (sometimes only a weekend) to allow them to offer the product. It is not equivalent to years of specialty education. They are told, you will be able to go back to your office on Monday and begin generating profits treating all cases.

Invisalign specialist is not a recognized dental specialty. The only true specialty is a Specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. To have this distinction, one needs to complete an orthodontic residency recognized by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

These phrases are often used in marketing to create the impression that a dentist has the same expertise as an orthodontist. The truth is, orthodontic specialists are uniquely trained to design safe, effective, and comprehensive treatment plans. Many offices, the dentist will tell the patient they need an orthodontic consultation and tah-dah, the dentist is the orthodontist too!

Why Dentists Offer Invisalign

Many general dentists are encouraged by dental consultants to keep orthodontic services in-house. Consultants highlight the “lifetime value of a patient” the total revenue a practice generates over time, and warn dentists about the “lost revenue” when they refer patients out to specialists. They will be told phrases such as "even 2 cases a month that you refer out are costing you over 100,000 in revenue!"

As a result, some dentists hold onto orthodontic cases, even when those cases are more complex than they are trained to handle.

The Risks of Seeing a Dentist for Invisalign

When orthodontic treatment is supervised by someone without specialty training, the risks include:

Oversimplified treatment planning – Bite issues and skeletal problems may be missed.

Incomplete or unstable results – Teeth may appear straight but relapse quickly.

Delayed specialist care – Patients may spend months or years with little progress before being referred out.

Misleading information – Patients are told they “aren’t candidates” for Invisalign, when in reality, under specialist supervision, almost any case can be treated.

Waiting for baby teeth to fall out do do Invisalign - Often dentists tell parents they are just waiting on a childs baby teeth to fall out to do Invisalign when in reality there are multiple impacted teeth that will later require a surgery to correct.

Why Orthodontic Specialists Can Do More With Invisalign

Clear aligners are just one tool, success depends on the expertise of the provider.

An orthodontic specialist like Dr. Eric Strouse, who lectures to orthodontic residents on clear aligner therapy, has the training and experience to use Invisalign effectively for even the most complex cases. Specialists understand how to sequence tooth movements, manage jaw discrepancies, and build stability into treatment plans. Under the guidance of an Orthodontic Specialist even the most complex cases can be treated with clear aligners.

The Bottom Line for Patients

Dentists play a vital role in maintaining oral health. But when it comes to moving teeth and correcting bites, orthodontic care belongs in the hands of a specialist.

Don’t be misled by marketing phrases like “Invisalign certified” or “Invisalign specialist.” Orthodontists are the only providers with the advanced training to manage both simple and complex orthodontic needs safely and effectively.

For results that last a lifetime, trust your smile to an orthodontic specialist.

When people think of Invisalign or other clear aligners, they often wonder: Am I a candidate?

The short answer is YES, almost every case can be treated with clear aligners when diagnosed and treatment planned by an orthodontic specialist.

At Strouse Orthodontics, Dr. Eric Strouse has lectured to orthodontic residents on clear aligner therapy and has successfully treated everything from simple crowding to the most complex orthodontic cases with aligners. The key is not the aligners themselves, they are just pieces of plastic, it’s the expertise behind the treatment plan.

Common Misconceptions about Invisalign

Many patients are told that clear aligners are only for simple cases or that they are not a candidate. This misconception usually comes from:

General dentists offering aligners without orthodontic training

Weekend certification courses that teach dentists basic aligner setup, but not how to manage complex movements. This is actually a good thing! A minimally trained general dentist likely will not be able to deliver quality results for anything beyond a very simple case. The truth is, many dentists are unable to differentiate between a simple and a complex case before its too late.

Providers often want to keep patients in their practice rather than refer to a specialist and will either tell patients they are not candidates for treatment or will only treat part of the problem and tell them certain things can not be corrected.

The result? Some patients are told they “aren’t candidates” for Invisalign, when in reality, they could achieve excellent results with the right specialist.

What Types of Cases Can Be Treated With Clear Aligners?

With expert planning, clear aligners can be used for nearly all orthodontic problems, including:

• Crowding and spacing
• Overbites and underbites
• Crossbites and open bites
• Rotated or impacted teeth
• Relapse after previous braces
• Even surgical-level cases, when aligners are coordinated with other treatment

The aligners are simply the tool, an orthodontic specialist like Dr. Eric Strouse uses them strategically to move teeth safely and predictably.

Why the Provider Matters More Than the Appliance

Clear aligners and braces both work by applying gentle, controlled forces to move teeth. The difference lies in the design of the treatment plan.

An orthodontic specialist spends years learning how teeth and jaws develop, how bite forces work, and how to sequence tooth movements. That expertise makes aligners effective in even the most complex cases.

By contrast, a dentist without orthodontic training may be limited to treating only mild cases. This is why patients sometimes hear “you’re not a candidate” especially when not referred to an orthodontic specialist for an evaluation, it reflects the provider’s limitations, not the aligners’ potential.

The Role of an Orthodontic Specialist

Dr. Eric Strouse is an orthodontic specialist who lectures to other doctors on how to properly plan and manage clear aligner treatment. At Strouse Orthodontics, he:

• Uses advanced 3D digital scans to design each case
• Oversees every step of treatment personally
• Plans aligner therapy with long-term stability and bite health in mind
• Treats complex cases other providers may turn away

With this level of expertise, nearly any patient child, teen, or adult, can be a candidate for Clear Aligners under specialist care.

Summary

If you’ve ever wondered, Am I a candidate for Invisalign? The answer is most likely yes when you see an orthodontic specialist. Clear aligners can treat far more than just mild crowding when they’re in the right hands.

At Strouse Orthodontics, Dr. Strouse has helped patients who were told aligners weren’t possible achieve healthy, beautiful smiles—all through expert aligner therapy.

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Call us at 352-688-0331 or schedule online at www.strouseorthodontics.com to find out if aligners are right for you. We serve patients in Spring Hill, Lecanto, and nearby communities.

Losing baby teeth is one of the biggest milestones in a child’s early years, and it’s the first step toward a lifetime smile. Many parents wonder: When should my child’s baby teeth start falling out? and When will their permanent teeth come in?

While every child is different, there’s a general timeline most children follow. Knowing what to expect can help you spot potential problems early. The ideal time for an initial orthodontic exam is age 7, as recommended by the American Association of Orthodontists. This is when there is first a mixture of adult and baby teeth, and early issues can be spotted.

The Basics: Baby Teeth and Permanent Teeth
Children typically have 20 baby teeth (also called primary teeth) and will eventually have 32 permanent teeth (including wisdom teeth). The process of losing baby teeth and gaining adult teeth usually happens gradually between ages 6 and 12.

When Do Baby Teeth Fall Out?
Most kids start losing their baby teeth around age 6 or 7, although some begin earlier or later. The order usually follows the same pattern in which the teeth came in:

Lower front teeth (central incisors): ages 6–7

Upper front teeth (central incisors): ages 6–7

Upper and lower lateral incisors: ages 7–8

First molars: ages 9–11

Canines: ages 9–12

Second molars: ages 10–12

It’s common for the lower front teeth to be the first to go, often with a little wiggle time before they fall out naturally.

When Do Permanent Teeth Come In?
Permanent teeth usually erupt shortly after their baby tooth counterparts are lost. The typical timeline is:

First permanent molars (behind the baby molars): ages 6–7

Central incisors: ages 6–8

Lateral incisors: ages 7–9

Canines: ages 9–12

First and second premolars: ages 10–12

Second molars: ages 11–13

Third molars (wisdom teeth): ages 17–21

By around age 12–13, most children have a full set of permanent teeth—except for wisdom teeth.

When to See an Orthodontist
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. This doesn’t mean your child will start treatment right away, but it’s the best time to check that permanent teeth are coming in properly and that there’s enough space for them.

An orthodontic specialist like Dr. Eric Strouse at Strouse Orthodontics in Spring Hill, FL and Lecanto, FL can detect:

Delayed tooth loss or eruption

Crowding or spacing issues

Bite problems (overbite, underbite, crossbite)

Impacted or missing teeth

Jaw growth concerns

Catching these issues early can make treatment simpler and help avoid more serious problems later.

Tips for Parents
Encourage your child to wiggle loose teeth gently—never force them out

Keep up with twice-yearly dental visits to monitor tooth health

Watch for adult teeth coming in behind baby teeth (shark teeth)

Contact an orthodontist if teeth seem significantly delayed or out of order

Bottom line: While every child’s timeline is unique, most will begin losing baby teeth around age 6 and have most permanent teeth by age 12–13. Keeping track of these milestones, and scheduling an early orthodontic checkup, helps ensure a healthy, confident smile for years to come.

Call Strouse Orthodontics at 352-688-0331 or schedule online at www.strouseorthodontics.com to book your child’s orthodontic evaluation. We serve families in Spring Hill, Lecanto, and surrounding communities.

If you’re wondering “Which color braces is best?”, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions patients ask—especially kids and teens who are excited (and sometimes nervous) about getting braces.

At Strouse Orthodontics, we make it fun and easy to customize your smile with different braces band colors. Whether you want something bold, subtle, seasonal, or totally unique, the good news is: there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best color for braces depends on your style, goals, and personality.

Here’s everything you need to know when choosing the right braces color for you or your child.

What Are Braces Colors?
When people talk about braces colors, they’re referring to the tiny rubber bands—called ligatures or O-rings—that go around each bracket. These bands are changed at every adjustment appointment, so you’re not locked into one color for your entire treatment.

Braces colors are available in a wide range, including:

Classic colors: red, blue, green, yellow, pink

Neon and bright shades

Pastels

Metallic or glitter options

Clear or tooth-colored for a more discreet look

At Strouse Orthodontics, we carry a full selection of colors for patients to mix, match, and change as often as they like.

Which Braces Color Is Best?
The best braces color is different for everyone. Here are a few tips to help you choose:

1. Pick Your Favorite Color
   Simple, but effective. If you love purple, go purple. If blue is your go-to color, start there.
2. Complement Your Skin Tone
   Cool undertones: Try navy, silver, turquoise, or dark purple

Warm undertones: Go for gold, orange, teal, or olive green

Neutral tones like gray or clear work well for all skin types if you want a low-key look.

3. Match Your Personality or Interests
   Sports fan? Rep your team colors

Into holidays? Choose red and green for Christmas, black and orange for Halloween

Feeling fun? Try alternating colors or a rainbow look

4. Whiten Your Smile
   Dark colors like navy blue, dark green, or maroon can make your teeth appear whiter. Avoid yellows or light greens that might make teeth look discolored in contrast.
5. Go Clear or Subtle
   For a more discreet look, many teens and adults choose clear, silver, or tooth-colored bands. Just note that clear or white bands can stain if you drink a lot of coffee, tea, or tomato-based sauces.

Can I Change Braces Colors?
Yes—and often. You can change your braces colors at every visit, which is usually every 6 to 8 weeks. Some patients keep the same colors throughout treatment, but most enjoy switching things up.

At Strouse Orthodontics, we encourage our patients to have fun with it. Changing colors can help make orthodontic treatment feel more exciting, especially for younger patients.

Braces Colors for Adults
Adults often prefer subtle colors that blend in or look more professional. Common adult choices include:

Clear or pearl

Gray or silver

Navy blue or black (for contrast and clean appearance)

That said, there’s no rule saying adults can’t have fun too. We’ve had adult patients go with hot pink, bright teal, and even glow-in-the-dark options just for the experience.

Final Tips
When choosing the best braces color:

Consider your wardrobe, skin tone, and personal style

Don’t worry—you’re not stuck with one color

If unsure, ask us for a color wheel at your next visit

Still not sure? Neutral tones like navy, dark purple, or silver are always a safe start

Get Started With Braces in Spring Hill or Lecanto
Ready to start your smile journey? At Strouse Orthodontics, we make every part of your treatment—from appliances to color choices—customized to you. Whether you’re getting braces for the first time or helping your child choose the perfect color combo, we’re here to make it a great experience.

Call 352-688-0331 or request your consultation online at www.strouseorthodontics.com

We proudly serve Spring Hill, Lecanto, and surrounding Florida communities.