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"Although most people think orthodontics is just
for children, more than 25 percent of patients nationwide are adults
who can have their teeth straightened at any age," says South
Miami Orthodontic Specialist Bruce W. Higley.
Dr. Bruce W. Higley
Higley, whose practice is located in the Crossroads
Building at 7210 Red Road, has treated several generations of
Miami-Dade residents. His patients have included Sylvia Hitchcock, who
became Miss Universe, the founders of an internationally famous dance
studio, the originators of a chain of popular ice cream stores and the
families of industrialist Howard Hughes' key staff members.
According to Higley, the primary goal of an
orthodontist is to improve a patient's oral health, not just to
straighten the patient's teeth to improve looks.
Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to maintain and
clean, which can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and eventually tooth
loss, he says. Protruding teeth are more susceptible to accidental
chipping and other forms of dental injury. Teeth that don't meet and
mesh properly can contribute to problems, such as severe facial and
neck pain, recurring migraine headaches and problems with jaw joints.
Higley says the American Association of Orthodontists
recommends that all children should have a screening by an
orthodontist before age seven. When needed, he says, straightening
teeth at an early age has many advantages, such as reducing emotional
problems caused by unattractive teeth, decreasing the need for
extraction, decreasing treatment time and lowering the cost of
treatment.
Higley adds that studies indicate that protruding
teeth are broken 82 percent of the time when a child hits something,
as compared to 9 percent of the time when the teeth are where they
belong, and that most such tooth-damage occurs before age l1.
"According to the 'looks' experts in Hollywood,
teeth are even more important than eyes in how a person looks,"
said Higley. "Orthodontic treatment provides a benefit for life
and with proper care you can keep all of your teeth for your entire
lifetime."
In numerous scientific studies conducted by the AAO,
it has been shown that facial appearance has a great deal to do with
how people regard themselves and how they are judged by others. Higley
adds that another important, generally misunderstood issue is the
matter of cost.
"Since orthodontic care is so important and can
make such a major difference in a person's life, we do everything we
can to make it affordable for the people who need it," he said.
Most Orthodontists offer easy payment plans with no
interest, spread out over an extended period of time and tailored to
fit the patient's (or parents') budget. Orthodontists also accept most
insurance plans.
Higley was inspired to become an
orthodontist by his father, Dr. L.B. Higley, a former president of the
American Board of Orthodontics.
"I literally grew up in the University of Iowa Dental School," he
said. "My father was a faculty member of the University of Iowa College
of Dentistry for 27 years, 17 of them as head of the Department of
Orthodontics."
The senior Dr. Higley also set up and headed the
Orthodontic Department of the University of North Carolina College of
Dentistry in Chapel Hill. He was an internationally known author,
lecturer and developer of orthodontic techniques and armamentarium.
His invention, the Cephalometric Head Positioner and Cassette Holder,
is used by orthodontists all over the world to assist in obtaining the
x-rays required when diagnosing patients and to assess the results of
treatment.
Dr. Bruce Higley is a former Big Ten tennis champion
and he still plays the game today. He attended undergraduate school at
Grinnell College, dental and graduate schools at the University of
Iowa where he received his DDS, an MS in Orthodontics and a
Certificate of Orthodontics. He taught courses in the use of
electronic diagnostic instruments and was an instructor of advanced
occlusal diagnosis and treatment planning. He has had much success
treating patients with headaches, dizziness, ear aches, stiff neck and
shoulders and face pains, and regularly receives referrals from
dentists, chiropractors, physicians, physical therapists, attorneys
and other orthodontists.
Dr. Higley also was as an orthodontic instructor on
the staff of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and served as
a dentist with the US Army 10th and 77th Special Forces (Green
Berets), where he received a commendation for superior service. He is
a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the Southern,
the Florida and the South Florida Associations of Orthodontists and
the American Dental Association. He is a Follow of the World
Federation of Orthodontists and the International College of
CranioMandibular Orthopedics and a Diplomat of the American Academy of
Pain Management.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the
field of dentistry, Dr. Higley has been elected to Omicron Kappa
Upsilon, the national honorary dental fraternity. He also is listed in
Marquis Who's Who in America, Who's Who in The World and Who's Who in
Medicine and Healthcare. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of
South Miami, past vice chairman of the District Scout Council and a
former board member of the South Miami Chamber of Commerce and the
South Miami Jr. Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, please visit his offices at 7210
Road, Suite 204, in South Miami, call him at (305) 666-8781 or (305)
667-5738 or send faxes to (305) 856-5948.
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