Aligne Orthodontics & Orthotropics: Stepanka Chae, DDS

Incredible team, from the office manager, Rachel to all the dental assistants. Dr Chae is the most compassionate Dr. we've seen. She has cared for my 2 sons incredibly well and the results we have experienced are amazing. I am very happy and grateful for Aligne and highly recommend any family to schedule a consultation.

My son was referred to Dr. Chae for ortho by our holistic dentist. Yes, it takes about $1000 to get started. This information was all given to me up front on day one. It costs money because Dr. Chae is a very busy woman and wants to work with individuals that are serious about her expertise and style of ortho. Every expert deserves to get paid for their knowledge and time. This initial investment includes the first consultation (60 min appt: measurements of the mouth, pictures of the mouth and full body, physical manipulations/tests to find any muscular or alignment issues, and detailed explanation of initial findings), second “records” appointment (60 minute appt: full imprints and x-rays, more pictures and measurements), and a third appointment where Dr. Chae presents all her findings and gives her suggestions for treatment (60 minute appt: “Case Report”) for the patient. These 3 appointments took over 3 hours of clinic time, and does not include all the time Dr. Chae puts into developing each Case Report. Dr. Chae goes above and beyond with her time, making it very clear that she is not in this “just for the money”. During the third appointment it became very clear just how knowledgeable Dr. Chae truly is. I observed her treading lightly when referring to her daughter’s case, however her references made sense and were actually very similar to what my son is presenting as issues. I was not offended by her talking about her daughter’s mouth. It is obviously where she learned much of what she uses today to help everyone else. I think it is unrealistic to expect an exact timeline to completion when dealing with a child as well as an adult. For sure, a child is much easier to manipulate their mouth and body because they are still growing and don’t have years and years of stuck and misaligned body parts. Asking Dr. Chae how long it will take to get the results you desire using her gentler technique is like asking a personal trainer to have an exact timeline for when you will reach your weight loss goals… both scenarios are very complex and depend on many factors. Especially as an adult it takes more effort and more willingness/openness to experiment if original plans of treatment do not work. If you have the expectation of a specific timeline, then you are best to go to a conventional ortho doctor. Only people who want to get to the root problems to why your teeth are crooked should consider working with Dr. Chae. FYI: These root problems go way beyond just the mouth. No, it is not mainstream what Dr. Chae does, and for people like me that is exactly what I look for when choosing a health professional. And yes, the pricing for her clinic is not typical either. But I do find it fair for her and fair for her patients. I will end up paying for whatever my child needs as we go along his journey, and not pay for a big lump sum up front that may or may not cover everything he will need. Instead of forcing a child’s mouth and teeth to go where she wants it to go, she knows how to work with their growth and development in order to give the proper space for the teeth to come in correctly on their own. Yes, this is probably a longer process, however it is definitely a gentler and more loving process for the human body. Heads up! Our mouths don’t stop growing until we are about 25 years old! So that makes me wonder why children are finished with their ortho at 12 years old? Their bodies are still growing! No wonder people often have to repeat ortho treatments as adults. Guiding the teeth gently into place naturally makes the most sense to a holistically minded human like myself. To top it all off, Dr. Chae is so loving, kind, gentle, very authentic, (not at all narcissistic) and downright hilarious! My shy children warmed up to her after just the first visit. We all look forward to our appointments with her. And her great hugs too! Please continue on your divinely guided path! You are loved by many and we greatly appreciate everything you are doing for our families! P.S. Rachel is absolutely wonderful and rad too!!!

Great office!