Ask Dr. Ruff: Is Invisalign® really customized for each patient?

Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it work, Dr. Ruff says. To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing Dr. Ruff and his team does is take an impression of your teeth as they are now and digitize it. Using special software, we look at the current positioning of your teeth and compare it to the way your teeth should look.

Next we use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Based on the results, a set of custom aligners are created just for your teeth. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time; each one moving your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. And since the aligners are virtually invisible, nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

Dr. Ruff is a certified Invisalign provider. If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, give us a call! Happy New Year!

Meet Our Orthodontist

Dr. Charles Ruff is passionate about the art and profession of orthodontics. For many years he has dedicated his time and energy to studying orthodontics, and to providing his patients with the beautiful smiles and quality experiences they expect and deserve. Dr. Ruff enjoys working with patients of all ages. He looks forward to working with you, and he welcomes all of the challenges and rewards that come with being an orthodontist.

Dr. Ruff attended Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY, graduating in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering cum laude. He was president of his fraternity, Omega Lambda Phi. He then attended Manhattan College on an Air Force ROTC full-ride scholarship. Dr. Ruff was elected as a junior to Tau Beta Pi, in the National Honorary Engineering Fraternity.

He started dating Rebecca Gass of Augusta, ME, while still a student at Manhattan College. She attended Long Island University - Brooklyn Center, and they were married on November 14, 1971.

After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1975, Dr. Ruff returned to the Boston area for dental school at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Ruff was then accepted into the orthodontic program at Tufts, where he was elected class president.

As soon as possible, Dr. Ruff moved back to Maine after dental school and opened his practice on 73 Pleasant Street, Waterville in August 1980. He practiced there for about 6 years before building his own facility designed strictly for optimal orthodontic care at 12 Park Street, where the office continues to be located. In 1995 Dr. Ruff was certified a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, at the time, one of only six ABO Diplomates in the state of Maine.

Starting this year, Dr. Ruff will also be serving as an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at his alma mater Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. All of this teaching means that Dr. Ruff usually spends each Friday in Boston.