“I’m your Huckleberry” might well have been the words Grant Severs whispered to himself when he chose Quincy to be the home of his new orthodontic practice. Quincy has been a bit of an orthodontic desert with the call for a licensed orthodontist and many locals have been referred to places just outside of Quincy. As a parent in that wilderness, I was beginning to feel the heat of the Old West. There would be endless doctor visits to Barry or Hannibal, wherever we chose. I had learned in my daughter’s early dental years that she would likely need braces in the future.
I had put it on the back burner.
The time, dedication, and OK the big one… the price could make anyone want to gamble just skipping their shot for that perfect smile. It’s no mistake that dental work can be expensive, especially for those unfortunate souls who have to get braces redone because it didn’t work the first time. A very common story that can sometimes give orthodontists a bad impression. As a parent, I felt a little lost on this one.
Once I was referred to a brand new practice coming up here in town soon, I began to feel that braces were in the realm of possibility for my daughter.
After graduating from 23rd Grant Severs moved to Quincy in December 2021. He worked with another orthodontist for his first six months before taking the opportunity to open his own practice. It took about a year to find the perfect location and then build and market everything. Finally, after years of being lost in a wasteland of orthodontic uncertainty, Severs Orthodontics has opened its doors to Quincy and the surrounding community.
I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Severs and to hear his view on how he would bring order to the misaligned. I had asked him to meet me at The Scoreboard because you can tell a lot about a man by the way he orders his cheeseburger. Plus, I really wanted a cheeseburger.
The Muddy River News likes to highlight every new business that comes to town and David Adam usually beats me to it, but I understand that this might take a little extra time, just like the process for the perfect smile. I had forgotten to stalk him on Facebook to find out exactly who it was I was meeting and just kept picturing the animated Dr. Phillip Sherman from Finding Nemo.
Dr. Severs entered the scoreboard about twenty years younger and looked more like Doogie Howser than Dr. Phillip Sherman.
Geri took my cheeseburger order and ordered the same. Did we just become best friends? Can I be Wyatt Earp?
I had googled Dr. Severs and from his online resume I learned that becoming a dentist was a lifelong dream. The first question I asked him was “why?” It’s always interesting when people know what they want to do in life at a young age. He laughed with a sigh and a perfect smile and began his story with his grandfather.
“Well, my grandfather started these farm supply stores in the 1950s, he called King of the farm – it’s like Farm and Home here. There I saw the values in owning your own business and all it entails. I also had a very good family friend who was a dentist who also had his own practice. He invited me to hunt and fish and one day he invited me to see his practice. That’s when I knew I wanted to go the doctor route and eventually own my own business.”
When asked what it means to him to own his own business, Severs said it’s both a privilege and a blessing. “Business ownership is not a typical 9 to 5 job, there are no days off, but I love being fully invested in my work, my business and my patients. It can be exhausting at times, but knowing the difference Severs Orthodontics can make in patients’ smiles makes it worth it.”
I asked the doctor to describe his years at the school and what exactly his new practice had to offer. He explained that much of the focus with his practice is being young. Brand new machines and techniques mean it’s much more efficient to achieve the perfect smile. The braces, wires and devices used today are very different from the traditional metal braces, stainless wires and headgear used in the past. There are even options to use clear aligners.
Severs Orthodontics provides patients with cutting-edge technology and the most up-to-date health care practices. His understanding of dentistry is cutting edge as he is fresh off an impressive eleven years of training. He completed his BA in Biology at Western Illinois University. He then completed his dental training at Southern Illinois University School of Dentistry, graduating Magna Cum Laude. After receiving his Doctor of Dentistry degree, Dr. Severs was accepted as one of three residents in a 30-month residency program specializing in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics at the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
This is kind of a big deal, in my best Ron Burgundy…
While he became a licensed orthodontist and received a certificate in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics at UMKC, he also completed his master’s degree in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. He is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, the Midwestern Society of Orthodontists, the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association, the Illinois State Dental Society, the Missouri Dental Association, and the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society. Is the bite enough and PS, have you seen his teeth?
It goes without saying that the long training of Dr. Severs demonstrates the dedication, passion and commitment he has to both the practice of orthodontics and the values his grandfather taught him about what it takes to be a successful business owner.
Somehow Severs managed to carve out some time from his love of dentistry and his time-consuming education to find the true love of his life. While completing his residency in Kansas City, he met his wife, Mackenzie. They are expecting their first child in July, and he couldn’t be happier when he told me this part of his story.
After stuffing my face with this delicious burger, and really hoping I didn’t have anything in my teeth, I asked Dr. Severs the awkward question of what he thought of the common stereotype that “all orthodontists want to put your kids in braces young so they’ll have to do it a second time… you know for more money.’
He smiled and put me at ease saying he was glad I asked.
“This is something I’m very passionate about because I’m not going to try to sell anyone a treatment they don’t need. I like to start seeing patients around 7-8 years of age just for screening. I know a lot of people think that if they bring their kids when they are seven years old, I will start getting charged, but that is not true. I really try to wait until the 11-, 12-, or 13-year-old range to start therapy depending on how fast kids grow and develop. If we start treatment too early, it leads to orthodontic burnout, which is real. No one wants braces or wire for longer than necessary. Prolonged treatment leads to patients not brushing their teeth as well and subsequently leads to tooth decay and white spots and caries. Extensive processing means more cables and broken brackets. More orthodontics also means more missed school for the kids and more work for the parents. So, I really like to stay away from the mouth as much as I can. I’m definitely a big fan of seeing patients at a young age (that seven-year mark) so we can make sure they’re headed down the right path. And all this is free. No one owes me a dollar until we actually start treatment. I really try to hold back until it’s absolutely necessary to start.”
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that everyone see a licensed orthodontist by age seven.
He then went on to explain the various categories into which to divide the braces. Phase 1 is for kids in that age range of 7-10 who may have a specific problem that treatment is trying to fix early and eliminate something that would develop into something much more significant as they get older. He said 90 percent of his patients who come in for evaluation for phase 1 don’t need treatment and are simply put on a growth and development control program, all free of charge until actual treatment begins. If phase 1 is needed, it usually takes a year and then we will assess for phase 2 treatment once all the permanent teeth have come in, usually around the age of 12. If phase 1 is not necessary, we will begin a comprehensive treatment once all permanent teeth are in place.
My daughter is in the overall or phase 2 stage, and it’s time to take her to the Doc for our free consultation. It was also a chance to check out this state-of-the-art, newly renovated office that I’ve heard so much about. Ashley Conrad’s husband, Luke, contributed to the renovation, so I knew the bones were solid.
The building is spacious, beautiful and so clean.
The consultation was a smooth process that took less than an hour. Nicole Hesse, the Treatment Coordinator took x-rays and Dr. Severs took some pictures. Both made both mom and daughter feel completely at ease. They thoroughly explained the treatment plan and cost to me in simple terms. I had done my homework and was shocked when the price was significantly cheaper than anything I had been quoted before, especially when everything goes up in price over time. We left with confidence, both for the design and for her future even more perfect smile.
Like Doc Holliday in Tombstone, Severs arrived to clean up the town. And while it may not be here to disarm cowboys, this modern take on a classic story means a lot more to Q moms and dads: another local and reliable option for smile symmetry.
