HOUR Magazine Article 07.2009
I never wanted to be anything else in life other than an orthodontic specialist,” says Dr. J. Victor Eagan of Southfield’s Eagan Orthodontics. He’s been involved in straightening teeth with braces since age 10, when he started working for his father, Dr. John Eagan, the first African-American orthodontist in the state of Michigan and the third such orthodontist in the world.
Dr. Eagan has continued the Eagan family legacy of excellence by graduating as valedictorian from his orthodontic residency, and by practicing state-of-the-art techniques for more than 20 years. Using breakthroughs such as Invisalign and Damon braces, Dr. Eagan can move the teeth with gentler forces — causing less discomfort, and avoiding needles and the unnecessary removal of teeth.
“A beautiful smile, according to Hollywood, is a full complement of teeth that are wide and broad,” Dr. Eagan says. “Removing teeth makes it difficult to get that Hollywood smile.”
People come from around the world to get Dr. Eagan’s “Hollywood” smile. “I fly my son from Thailand four to six times a year for his brace adjustments,” says client Robin Hargrove. “There’s no place in the world where the love of God radiates like Eagan Orthodontics.”
Dr. Eagan believes the smile’s ability to shape self esteem has an affect on all aspects of a person’s life, from relationships to business. “Beautiful smiles breed success,” he says. Although his youngest patients are usually around 7 years old, Dr. Eagan says his oldest patient is 85; in fact, adults comprise half of his patients.
“Increasingly, more adults are getting braces because, when they grew up, they didn’t have the opportunity to straighten their teeth, and [when they were older] then they took care of their kids first,” Dr. Eagan says.
“At Eagan Orthodontics, we’re not just about braces,” he adds. “We’ve been creating beautiful smiles for over 55 years.”
