Bellevue's trusted dentist for over 35 years.
Dr. Michael Beke, DMD, is an Academy of General Dentistry Fellow who explains your orthodontic options honestly, including the pros, cons, and expected outcomes.
Straighter teeth and a healthier bite, planned around your goals.
★★★★★ 5.0 (179+ Google Reviews)For years, you may have caught yourself smiling with your lips closed in photos, avoiding certain foods because of crowded teeth, or wondering whether that overbite is affecting more than just your appearance. Misaligned teeth can make everyday tasks like chewing and speaking more difficult, and they can also make it harder to keep your mouth clean, which raises your risk for cavities and gum disease over time.
At Lifetime Smiles Bellevue, we believe every patient deserves a bite that works as well as it looks. Led by Dr. Michael Beke, our practice takes an evidence-based approach to orthodontic care, meaning we explain your options in plain terms, walk you through realistic success rates, and help you choose the path that fits your life, not just a one-size-fits-all treatment plan.
Orthodontic care is not just for teenagers with a mouth full of metal. We see patients of every age who want straighter teeth, a more comfortable bite, or relief from jaw strain that has built up over years of misalignment.
Crowding, gaps, overbites, underbites, and crossbites are common concerns we address, and each one affects the mouth differently. Some patients come to us because they were told they needed braces as kids and never followed through, while others develop shifting or spacing issues later in life due to grinding, missing teeth, or natural changes in the jaw. Whatever brought you in, our goal is to figure out what is actually happening in your mouth before recommending anything.
Every orthodontic journey with us starts with a conversation, not a sales pitch. We take the time to understand your concerns, whether they are about appearance, function, or both, and we use that information to build a plan that makes sense for your specific bite.
We also believe strongly in setting realistic expectations from day one. Dr. Beke has built his practice around explaining treatment options honestly, including the pros, cons, and expected outcomes, so patients never feel pressured into a decision they do not fully understand.
Because every mouth is different, we do not treat every case the same way. We offer a full range of orthodontic solutions designed to correct alignment issues at different levels of complexity, and part of your first visit involves determining which approach makes the most sense for your goals, your timeline, and your budget.
Straighter teeth are not the only benefit of orthodontic treatment. Correcting your bite can reduce uneven wear on your enamel, ease jaw tension, and make it easier to brush and floss effectively, which matters more than most people realize. According to the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, most children in the United States see a dentist regularly, yet a meaningful share still deal with untreated oral health issues tied to alignment and hygiene challenges, underscoring why catching bite problems early can make a lasting difference for long-term oral health.
Depending on what your evaluation reveals, we may recommend one or more of the following approaches. We keep this list intentionally simple, so you know exactly what is on the table before we discuss specifics.
Once we walk through these options together, we will help you decide which path fits your bite, your schedule, and your comfort level, rather than assuming one option is right for everyone.
Cost is often one of the first questions patients ask when they start exploring orthodontic treatment, and we believe that conversation belongs alongside the clinical one, not after it. Once we have mapped out your bite and discussed which approach fits your goals, we walk you through what treatment actually costs so you are never guessing at the bottom line partway through your care.
We work with Delta Dental PPO, Premera, and Regence, and we also accept CareCredit along with our own membership and discount plans for patients without insurance coverage. Reviewing your dental insurance options ahead of your consultation can help you understand what portion of treatment may be covered, so budgeting for a straighter smile feels less like a guessing game and more like a plan you can actually follow.
Dr. Beke brings a distinctive background to orthodontic care. His service as a dentist with the 82nd Airborne Division gave him extensive experience managing complex dental cases under real-world pressure, and his Academy of General Dentistry Fellowship required him to defend his treatment decisions using current peer-reviewed research rather than guesswork. That same evidence-based mindset shapes how we approach every orthodontic case we take on.
We have also been part of the Bellevue community for more than 35 years, and we know that trust is built one honest conversation at a time. Patients do not stay with us because of flashy marketing. They stay because we take the time to explain what is really going on in their mouths and back up our recommendations with real data on success rates and outcomes. If you are ready to talk through your options with a team that values transparency as much as results, reach out through our contact form, and we will help you find the right next step for your smile.
Lifetime Smiles offers dental services including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, sedation dentistry and emergency dentistry. Contact our office in Bellevue, WA to schedule your appointment today!
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