If you are a student, graduate student, faculty member, or staff member looking for an orthodontist near Brown University, Providence Orthodontics is about as convenient as it gets. Our office sits at 151 Waterman Street, Suite #6 on Providence’s East Side — the same street that runs through College Hill — so most people on campus can walk here between classes or meetings.
Orthodontic Care Within Walking Distance Of Campus
Convenience matters more than people admit. Orthodontic treatment means short visits every several weeks for a year or more, and a practice you can reach on foot is a practice you actually keep appointments with. Being on Waterman Street means no parking hunt, no bus transfer, and no losing half a day to a check-up.
Our hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and adjustment visits are short. Call us at (401) 274-5024 and we will find a slot that fits around a lecture schedule, lab hours, or a teaching block. If you are new to the practice, your first visit explains exactly what the initial visit involves.
Treatment That Fits An Academic Calendar
The two questions we hear most from the Brown community are about appearance and about timing.
On appearance: Invisalign for adults clear aligners are nearly invisible, come out for presentations and meals, and are the most popular choice among graduate students and faculty. Tooth-colored ceramic types of braces are the fixed-appliance equivalent — far subtler than metal, and they work whether or not you remember them, which suits a chaotic term.
On timing: treatment length depends on how much correction is needed, and it does not pause for summer. If you are here for a four-year degree or a multi-year program, there is usually room to finish. If you are here for one year, we will tell you honestly whether we can complete treatment in that window or whether it is better to start where you will be longest — and we are glad to coordinate records with an orthodontist elsewhere if that is the right answer for you. We would rather give you a straight answer than start something we cannot finish well.
Who You Will See
Dr. Jessica Collins is a board-certified orthodontist. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine at Boston University, where she was admitted to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society and received a Pre-doctoral Research Award in Oral Biology, and completed her orthodontic residency at the University of Washington. Given the audience on College Hill, it is worth saying plainly: she plans every case herself, and she will show you the diagnostic reasoning rather than asking you to take it on faith.
Records are taken digitally. Our iTero scanner produces a detailed 3D model of your teeth in minutes with no putty impressions, and CBCT imaging lets us see root positions and jaw structures when the case calls for it — see our orthodontic technology page. You can also meet the rest of the Providence Orthodontics team before deciding.
Services We Provide
- invisalign clear aligner treatment for adults and teens
- Metal, tooth-colored ceramic, and WildSmiles types of braces
- Treatment for relapse after earlier orthodontics — a very common reason adults come in
- interceptive orthodontics and early evaluation for faculty and staff families
- Retainers and long-term retention planning
Cost is a fair question for anyone on a stipend. Consultations are complimentary, and our team reviews payment options in full before treatment begins — payment plans, assignment of your dental insurance orthodontic benefits, and a 5% courtesy when treatment is paid in full. Bring your plan details and we will tell you what it covers.
Common Questions From The Campus Community
- Can I start treatment mid-semester? Yes. There is no seasonal starting point in orthodontics, and the first appointment is a complimentary exam with digital records.
- What if I graduate before treatment ends? We will say so before starting, and we can transfer your records and treatment plan to an orthodontist wherever you are headed. Transfers are routine.
- Does my student dental plan help? Many plans include an orthodontic benefit, often with a lifetime maximum. Bring the plan details and we will read them with you. We accept assignment of benefits and provide the filing forms.
- How often are visits? Short appointments every several weeks for braces, less often for aligners.
- Will aligners affect presentations or teaching? They come out whenever you want them out, which is why aligners are the most common choice among graduate students and faculty here.
Retainers And Relapse
A large share of the adults we treat had braces as teenagers and stopped wearing their retainers in college. Teeth crowd again gradually — the lower front teeth first — and by the mid-twenties it is visible. If that describes you, correction is often shorter and simpler than your original treatment, and worth an exam.
If you are currently in retainers and have lost one, we can help with that too. Replacing a retainer is far less expensive than repeating treatment, and it is the single best return on effort in orthodontics.
Request A Free Consultation
You can be here and back between classes. request a free consultation or contact our Providence office at (401) 274-5024 to book a complimentary exam with Dr. Collins.