VALDOSTA — Dr. Wayne Hester launched his orthodontics practice in 1988 on Woodrow Wilson Drive. 

The practice expanded twice in the early 1990s and has been in its current location on North Oak Street Extension since 1999. Dr. Greg Morris, who worked with Hester previously, joined the practice in 2009 and they formed a partnership. The practice has about 1,400 patients in active treatment.

Morris, clinical orthodontist and co-owner of Hester and Morris Orthodontics, got his start in orthodontics by having his braces worked on in Valdosta.

“I had braces on when I came out of dental school. When I was coming to town looking for work — I went to work with a dentist in town, Roy Moody.”

Morris asked Moody who should finish work on his braces. Moody recommended Hester, who managed all of Moody’s patients.

During the next five years, Morris worked with and got to know Hester.

Morris made a decision after an old school friend, Dana Fender, came to town after finished his orthodontic residency. Between Hester and Fender, whom Morris said was a “great influence” on him, Morris went back to school.

At the time, Morris was single and said it was the “perfect” time to go back to school. After three years in residency, he came back and began working with Hester and Fender.

Morris’ decision to go into orthodontics wasn’t just to work with his friends; he had thought about specializing in orthodontics after he graduated, but it didn’t pan out. Ultimately, he decided to go back to school because of the difference in how orthodontics and dentistry are perceived by the patient.

“(As a dentist) people come in, they see you, and they are kind of happy to see you,” he said. “They want you to tell them everything is OK, and we want to stay on top of things. But being in a place where people want your services, they aren’t coming because they feel like they have to — there’s a fundamental difference there.”

The “fundamental difference” stems from services offered between the two types of practice.

“We have the unique ability to move someone’s teeth into a much nicer position and to create a smile,” he said. “Every time you encounter someone, you say ‘hey’ and you greet them with a smile, and if you are happy with your smile or are comfortable with your smile, it is a great experience. It’s really gratifying to do this. And having an individual come to us for something they really wanted and being able to help them achieve something or a goal or experience they really wanted to go through is probably the best thing.”

When asked if his five years of general dentistry impacted his work as an orthodontist, he said it was probably the best years of his life. 

“I went to work with a very busy practice and had a really amazing mentor in Dr. Moody,” he said. “It was a really wonderful time and a growing experience for me to learn to treat people, and learn to work with people, and learn to take good care of people.”

Having experience as a general dentist helps Morris work with his patients on their dental health as well as with other dentists in town.

“It is incredibly helpful in not only being able to communicate with patients about their dental needs and expectations and how our specialty and what we do ties in their overall dental health,” he said. “But it also helps me communicate with other dentists. Dr. Hester was also a general dentist for four years before specializing in orthodontics.”

Morris said he enjoys working with children, which was another reason he decided to become an orthodontist. Currently, Hester and Morris’ clientele is made up of individuals of all ages; however, 60 percent of the clientele is children and young adults, but Morris stressed the practice is for anyone with a need.

“At any point in life, orthodontics can be a helpful and a very important part of an overall dental health situation. We tend to see kids from the time their teeth start to come in.

“Usually we see our kids from 6-8 years old and start the screening process. Sometimes dentists will ask that we see them earlier, but that is a selective situation.”

Ultimately, Hester has worked with Morris from the moment Morris started his first job after dental school to present day. For Morris, it is like a dream come true.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he said. “Having somebody as nice and genuine as Dr. Wayne Hester to not only take care of you when you come out of school, but to have someone with his experience, his personality, his genuine love, passion and appreciation for this specialty to show you the ropes and help you learn not only the mechanical part of this but, more importantly, how to take care of people and treat them the way the way they want to be treated — there is no one better than Dr. Wayne Hester.”

Hester and Morris Orthodontics, 3229 N. Oak St. Ext., is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon Friday. For more information, call (229) 245-1800. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.