Invisalign
Clear aligners that straighten teeth without metal brackets.
Learn moreYou know that feeling when you catch yourself in a mirror and your first thought is about hiding your teeth? Maybe you’ve been covering your mouth when you laugh for years. Or you watch your kids doing the same thing, and you want better for them.
Orthodontics isn’t about vanity. It’s about being able to smile without thinking twice. It’s about eating an apple without pain. It’s about not getting headaches because your jaw is trying to work around crooked teeth.
At Homer Watson Dental, we get it. We’ve seen people who haven’t smiled in photos for decades. We’ve worked with teens who stopped raising their hands in class because they didn’t want anyone looking at them. And we’ve helped them find their confidence again. Many patients also explore options like Invisalign in Kitchener or traditional braces depending on their needs.
Your teeth do more than chew food and flash smiles. When they’re not lined up right, your whole mouth suffers — think of misaligned car wheels wearing out your tires and throwing off your steering. Straightening your teeth isn’t about vanity; it protects your long-term oral health.
Crooked teeth trap food in spots your toothbrush can’t reach, which means more cavities and gum problems down the road.
A bad bite makes your jaw muscles work overtime, causing headaches, neck pain, and night-time grinding that wears down enamel until teeth turn sensitive.
People who feel good about their smile talk more, laugh more, and put themselves out there. That’s not shallow — that’s life.
We work with people of all ages — adults who’ve been putting off treatment for years, teens who want their braces off before graduation, and younger kids who need early intervention to prevent bigger problems later. Every mouth is different, so we start with a full exam and talk through your options. No pressure, no sales pitch — just honest information about what’s going on and what we can do about it.
Invisalign in Kitchener uses clear, custom-made plastic trays to move your teeth. You wear them all day, take them out to eat and brush, then pop them back in — most people don’t even notice you’re wearing them. You get a new set every week or two, and each one nudges your teeth a little further, with treatment usually taking 12 to 18 months depending on how much movement you need.
Aligners only work if you wear them at least 22 hours a day. Forget to put them back in and treatment drags on — and they’re easy to lose if you wrap them in a napkin at a restaurant. Some complex cases still need traditional braces, and we’ll tell you honestly which option fits.
Metal braces have been around forever because they work. They’re the most effective way to fix complex bite problems and move teeth exactly where they need to go. Modern brackets are smaller and flatter than the ones your parents wore, with thinner wires — and younger patients often enjoy picking colored bands at each appointment.
There are trade-offs: sticky foods like caramel can pull brackets off, hard foods like nuts can break wires, and food gets caught around brackets so flossing takes special tools and a little more time. Treatment runs anywhere from a year to two or three, depending on your starting point — we’ll give you a realistic timeline after your initial exam. And don’t worry about age: more adults wear braces now than ever, and many pair orthodontics with cosmetic dentistry for a complete smile transformation.
Your bite is how your upper and lower teeth come together. When it’s off, even slightly, you can have problems that don’t seem related to your teeth at all. These are the most common bite issues we correct with bite adjustments:
Top teeth stick out too far over the bottom teeth, so the lower teeth can hit the roof of your mouth — adding wear, pain, and stress on your front teeth.
The lower jaw sits forward, putting bottom teeth in front of the top teeth. Chewing gets harder, teeth wear unevenly, and it can affect how you speak.
Some upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth instead of outside, on one side or both. This causes uneven wear and can make your jaw shift to one side over time.
Front teeth don’t touch when the back teeth are together, making it hard to bite into food and sometimes affecting certain speech sounds.
We fix bite problems with orthodontic treatment — sometimes braces or Invisalign alone, other times elastics, headgear, or other appliances. In rare cases we combine orthodontics with oral surgery to fully correct the issue. To assess your bite accurately we may use tools like the iTero intraoral scanner. The goal is teeth that fit together properly so you chew without pain or wear, and to prevent future TMJ disorder that can cause chronic jaw pain.
From your first consultation to the day your braces or aligners come off, here’s how orthodontic care unfolds at our Kitchener practice.
We explain what we see and which options fit your situation, how long treatment takes, and what it costs. You’ll have plenty of time for questions — no rushing, no pressure to decide on the spot.
If you move forward, we build a detailed plan with impressions or scans of your teeth, photos, and a timeline, and walk you through every step.
You’ll come in for quick progress visits — usually every 4 to 8 weeks for braces, or every 6 to 10 weeks for Invisalign — so we can adjust and answer questions.
Once your teeth are straight, a retainer holds them in place while the bone and gums settle: full-time for a few months, then just at night. Skip it and teeth can drift back.
We’re part of the Kitchener community — we live here, shop here, and care about the people here. When you come to us for orthodontic treatment you’re not just a number; we get to know you and your family. Our team has the training and experience to handle a wide range of cases and stays current with new techniques and technology. We’re also honest about our limits: if your case is beyond what we handle in-office, we’ll refer you to an orthodontic specialist who can help, because your results matter more than anything else.
It depends on your case. Invisalign is discreet and removable but needs 22 hours of wear a day and discipline; braces work around the clock and can handle complex rotations aligners can’t. After your exam we’ll tell you honestly which fits your goals and lifestyle.
Not at all. More adults wear braces now than ever — we see patients in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. If you’d like something less visible, ceramic braces and clear aligners both blend in nicely.
Invisalign usually runs 12 to 18 months, while braces range from about a year to two or three. Your starting point and how far your teeth need to move set the timeline, which we’ll estimate at your first visit.
Yes. A retainer holds your teeth in their new positions while the bone and gums settle — full-time for a few months, then nights only. Skipping it is the most common reason teeth shift back.
With Invisalign, yes — just take the trays out to eat. With braces, you’ll skip sticky foods like caramel and hard foods like nuts and popcorn to avoid breaking brackets or wires. Most people adjust quickly.
Homer Watson Dental is located at 15 Pearson Street, Kitchener, Ontario N2C 0C5. We serve patients throughout Kitchener, including Doon, Pioneer Park, and the surrounding areas. Your smile affects how you feel every single day — contact us and let’s make it one you’re proud of.
Clear aligners that straighten teeth without metal brackets.
Learn moreTraditional metal and ceramic braces for all ages.
Learn moreCorrect uneven bite to prevent long-term wear.
Learn moreReady to book your Orthodontics consultation?
New patients welcome. CDCP accepted. Book online in under a minute, or call us directly.