Born and raised in McAllen, and a product of Sharyland schools, Dr. Chris Freels grew up to appreciate the importance of community service from his father, Dr. Billy Freels. The elder Freels was an active member of the community, and following in his footsteps, Chris Freels has served on the boards of the McAllen Boys and Girls Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

He continues to serve on the board of Rio Grande Regional Hospital. "My dad and my grandfather, who was a World War II veteran, were both instrumental in instilling a sense of community in me," said Dr. Freels. "They taught me the value of community involvement, church involvement, and volunteering. My dream had always been to return home after my dental education, and serve the area where I grew up." As a board-certified orthodontist, Dr. Freels specializes in correcting bite abnormalities, occlusion (how your teeth come in contact with one another), the straightness of patients' teeth, and other dental issues. 70 percent of Dr. Freels patients are children. His Grow-and-Guidance Program is offered at no charge for young patients with functional needs. "I start seeing patients at age seven," said Dr. Freels. "It's not that every patient needs work done at age seven, but it's always good to have a baseline for me to watch their growth. 

If I see something that is maybe a little out of the ordinary it's much easier for me to address it at an earlier date as opposed to just waiting until all of their permanent teeth are in and wanting to get their teeth straightened at that point in time." Dr. Freels also treats adults, which he says his a "different equation." "You're not dealing with growth," explained Dr. Freels. "The bones at that point are fairly static, but there are many adults whose quality of life is not great. They're clenching or grinding their teeth, waking up with headaches, or they have TMJ (temporomandibular joints) pain.

 We're able to get them out of pain, and get them to a position to where they not only have a great smile, but they have a good bite that fits and works and functions properly." Dr. Freels says patients should not feel worried about having dental work done because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. His office is following all recommended safety guidelines designed to protect both patients and staff. You might have to wait in the parking lot for a chair to open, but Dr. Freels says appointments are still handled expeditiously. "I'm very conscious of the importance of time," said Dr. Freels. "My patients' time is just as important as mine. 

So you're not going to come here and waste two hours of your time just to be seen by me, and you're always going to be seen by me. You're not going to see some associate. I see every one of my patients. I always make sure that we're running on time, so that you can get in and out and get on with the rest of your day." Dr. Freels says the respect that he provides for patients and the integrity and trustworthiness that he follows are paramount to everything he does. "I want to build a relationship with all my patients," said Dr. Freels. "That's what I enjoy most about my practice - to get to know them, understand them, and it gives me the opportunity to be a better practitioner, because I can adjust to what their concerns are and what's important to them, and what they're looking for." Located at 3220 Buddy Owens Blvd, Ste. 100 in McAllen, Dr. Freels invites everyone to find out more about the services he offers. His web address is at www. freelsortho.com, and you can find him on Facebook as well. For appointments, call (956) 631-8181. 

Find out today why Dr. Chris Freels is The Monitor's 2020 Readers' Choice orthodontist. "Being chosen for the Readers' Choice is a real high honor for me," said Dr. Freels. "Going forward, I want to thank and appreciate all the people who voted for me, and I look forward to serving them well into the future."