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Last April, I blogged about our desire to provide digital impressions in our office for ALL of our patients. Digital imaging has been around for years in the orthodonic world. Our delay in providing these impressions in our office was our hopeful anticipation of a scanner and program that would also allow us to retrieve pictures of the soft palate of infants. We worked with one of the major digital companies, Sirona, to try and achieve this goal. We were waiting for a software update to their current scanner. Often, we wait and good things come to fruition. However, In this situation, the waiting did not produce the results we needed.
Thus, I moved on to find another company who could assist us. 3M is a major manufacturing company in the United States and around the world, famous for their sticky notes and thousands of other products we use on a daily basis. They happen to own a dental and orthodontic company. They have developed a Dental True Definition Scanner. Erin from 3M and Christian from New England Orthodontic Lab enabled us to achieve something BRAND NEW.  And I am proud to say, "Kelley Orthodontics is the first orthodontic practice in the United States to deliver a dental obturator for a patient born with a cleft lip and palate using 3M’s Digital Scanner!"  This is a dream come true and something I have prayed for and waited nearly 2 decades to see invented.
We took a digital scan of the roof of the mouth of a 3 week old baby boy and fabricated his appliance utilizing digital technology and a 3-D printed model. For the past eighteen years, I have taken the impression of all of our cleft babies at Cook Children’s Hospital due to potential risks involved using alginate materials with infants. The process has been challenging and heart wrenching  on the patients and their parents. Because of this breakthrough, we will now be able to skip this step and take a digital scan of the babies’ palate during their new patient appointment right here in OUR OFFICE. This will spare our youngest patients much discomfort and tears. The obturator (or appliance) will be delivered in a more timely manner, allowing our babies to begin feeding more effectively and thus thriving. This process will save the parents an additional set of costly hospital charges. AND the best part about the obturator made from the digital impression is that it actually fits BETTER than the appliance created by the alginate impressionl. (I am so excited, I can't stand it!)
The picture above is of Matthew on the appliance delivery day. I am holding the 3-D model we used to make the obturator in my left hand. I can't begin to express how long I have waited for this day.  We have taken many failed digital scans so the object in my possession is like an invaluable trophy in the hands of the underdog. I am so humbled and grateful for this monumental success.
So...how does this affect the rest of our orthodontic family? (Thank you for asking.) We will be soon be purchasing the digital scanner and begin taking digital impressions for fabricating retainers and orthodontic models. We will be sharing this incredible news with craniofacial teams around our nation and thus impacting the lives of those born with cleft lips and palates in the most positive way. I am confident you will be thankful to say good-bye to alginate impressions for several of our regular procedures. We are extremely excited to bring new technology into our office and help make your orthodontic experience even better. Thank you for your patience and for supporting the babes of our Kelley Orthodontic family through this journey. We could not have done it without YOU! #inthistogether

(Learn more about our heart for these special ones and what Kelley Orthodontics is doing through its mission: Created -4- Compassion.)

Dr. John Kelley

(click image above to view a short video from Dr. Kelley)

Alison and I often get asked by friends living outside of Fort Worth, “How should I pick my orthodontist?” With as many dental specialties as there are and with insurance changing regularly, I am not at all surprised by this request. Please understand, I am not posting this blog in order to persuade anyone to choose me to meet their orthodontic needs, but to educate friends in their search.

First, make sure that every professional you consider is actually an orthodontist and not just a dentist that does braces. An orthodontist is a dentist who has not only completed a graduate program in dentistry to receive their DDS or DMD (Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree), but has also gone through a competitive residency at an accredited orthodontic program for an additional 2-3 years to be trained specifically in orthodontics. One way you can be sure that he or she is a specialist is to look him or her up on the the American Association of Orthodontists website. This site lists only specialists who have graduated from an accredited orthodontic program and belong to the AAO.

A board certified orthodontist is an orthodontist who has voluntarily taken their specialty a step further. They have gone through hundreds of additional hours of preparation to demonstrate their judgment, skills, and knowledge required for providing the highest level of patient care. They have achieved board certification through the American Board of Orthodontics, the only orthodontic specialty board recognized by the American Dental Association and in affiliation with the American Association of Orthodontists. Achieving board certification is the last step in a long and intensive educational experience to ultimately provide excellent patient care. The American Board of Orthodontics website lists orthodontists who have taken this extra step and become board certified.

The next place I would seek a referral would be from other SPECIALISTS in the area, especially oral surgeons. Although there are a lot of primary care dentists who might be helpful in your search, many of them are attempting orthodontics themselves. Some general dentists also form personal relationships with specific orthodontists and may refer you to their “buddy” whether or not he or she does the best work. Oral surgeons and other specialists work with all of the orthodontists in the area. Thus they are able to see and compare their work. A primary care dentist may only work with a couple of orthodontists, but an oral surgeon typically works with dozens.

Another good source of information today is the Internet. However, you need to take the information you find there with a grain of salt. First, practice websites and social media sites do not always accurately portray the quality of work the orthodontist provides. A bad orthodontist might have found an excellent website designer. On the other hand, an excellent orthodontist just might not be up with the times. You should search for reviews on the orthodontists you are considering, but again realize that not all reviews are accurate. Happy patients usually don’t go out of their way to write reviews, but unhappy ones can’t wait to get their fingers to a computer. No doctor can make every patient happy all the time. (I would actually warn you to stay away from those who contort themselves trying.) One or two poor reviews should not scare you off, assuming they are accompanied by several positive ones.

Last but not least, pay a personal visit to the office you are considering. What is your initial impression as you park, approach the building, and are greeted at the front desk? Is the office up to date and clean? Is the staff helpful and in a good mood? Remember that you are going to be visiting this office about once a month until your treatment is complete. Upon visiting, ask yourself if the office feels like home and if the staff feels like an extension of your family. Finding an orthodontist is not always easy, but it is definitely worth your time, your mental peace, and your smile to do some homework.

Just for the record, I am a board certified orthodontist. Most dentists are not orthodontists. And not every orthodontist is board certified. I feel extremely blessed to be part of this elite group of specialists practicing orthodontics today. I encourage you to always ask your doctor if they are specialists. After all, doesn’t your smile deserve the BEST?

Most of our students are free from school for a few short months. Our entire Kelley Orthodontic office loves summer and the change of pace. I love seeing patients coming to our office with a smile on their face, a tan from being away from the classroom, and stories of their adventures. Our adult patients seem more relaxed and less stressed.

My best memories of summer centered around days with friends and family without an agenda. The fun was focused on the people we were with more than the activity of the day. Oftentimes, we did not know the day of the week. Each summer day felt like a Saturday.

I was blessed to get to spend significant time each summer with my grandparents. I attribute my close relationship with my grandparents to the extended visits over the summer. I encourage all of my patients to take the time to invest in the relationships of family. You will learn so much about yourself and how your story was put together.

Summer is also the time in our lives when we try new experiences. Learning to swim, sports and academic camps, road trips, new sites, great books, overnight camps, and mission trips. Each of these opportunities provides incredible influence on our character development. Two of my favorite activities, water skiing and sailing, were initiated during my summers. I encourage you to try something new...pick up a new hobby, read a different style of genre, try a new recipe, make a new friend, go on an adventure. You are never too old to develope a new skill or passion.

I wish each of you a joyful summer, full of experiences which stretch you a little and provide loads of fun and relaxation. I look forward to hearing your stories at your next appointment.

May brings back a host of memories of completing the school semester and taking finals.  As I drive through the TCU campus, I almost shudder recalling the years of taking finals and the stress accompanying them.  As I watch my own daughter prepare for her high school finals, the stress she is under permeates our home.  (not at all fun for our family of six)

My encouragement to all of our patients who are pursuing education is to Finish Strong.  You will survive finals and make it to the summer.  The question remaining is, "Will you provide your best effort?”  There are a host of reasons to Finish Strong: achieving the grade you desire, genuine interest in the subject matter, the hope of making your teacher proud, and fulfilling the expectations your parents have requested. Most of the meaningful accomplishments in my life came through hard work and determination.  I was a good student, but not a great one.  I was one of those guys who had to work HARD.  (How I envied some of my buddies who seemed to never crack books and still fly by with A’s and B’s.) Though honestly, I do not know anyone who made it through their school years without a few bumps along the way.  I can almost guarantee you will experience disappointment.  I know I did.  Thus, please do not let a professor, teacher, instructor, or grade define you.

I had one of my favorite professors in college tell me, "The only reason you are pursuing dentistry is because you want to be a doctor."  I was devastated.  I thought he knew me better and the goals I had in my life. At that point, I had a choice.  Would his opinion "define me," or would I allow this to simply be a "defining moment". I chose the latter. This became a moment in which I determined to prove his words a lie.  I searched my heart and validated my reasons behind my career choice, and I work harder to become who I knew God had called me to be.  This bump became a defining moment for me in a very positive way.

Thank goodness I chose to pursue my heart’s calling and not let one person or his opinion of me take me out.  As your orthodontist, I desire to provide you with the best smile imaginable and encourage you to pursue your dreams.  I know you can Finish Strong with hard work and a little sacrifice.  For me, the sacrifices I made are worth it everyday. I have the privilege of being your orthodontist, getting to know your heart, and seeing you achieve your goals. Choose for those bumps in life (those crummy grades, those not so understanding teachers, those circumstantial friends, and those personal mistakes along the way) to simply become teachable moments.  Remember, they do not define you.  You are bigger and your dreams are reachable.  Finish Strong, friends!