Kelley Orthodontics

I am often asked by friends living outside Fort Worth, “How should I choose my orthodontist?” With as many dental specialties as there are and with insurance constantly changing, I am not surprised by this frequent request. The search can be overwhelming.

First, make sure the person that you are considering is actually an orthodontist and not simply a primary care dentist that does braces. Orthodontics is not just about beautiful smiles. It is a complex science that involves moving bone, bite alignment and longevity of function. Orthodontists are dentists who have completed a 4-year graduate program in dentistry to receive their DDS or DMD. They choose to continue their education for an additional 2-3 years by enrolling in a competitive residency at an accredited program specializing in orthodontics. To determine if the professional that you are considering for treatment is a specialist, look him or her up on 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 endured hundreds of additional hours of preparation to demonstrate the 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. To determine if the orthodontist that you are considering for treatment is board certified, look him or her up on the American Board of Orthodontics website. This site lists only orthodontists who have taken this extra step to 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. Oral surgeons and other specialists work with ALL orthodontists in their area. Thus, they are able to see and compare results and form an objective opinion. 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, take the information you find there with a grain of salt. 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 as technically savvy in today’s internet world. 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. Some doctors invest in systems to aid in acquiring positive reviews, while others let reviews happen organically. 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? Keep in mind that you will 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.

I am a board-certified orthodontist. I feel extremely blessed to be part of this elite group of specialists practicing orthodontics today. And though I am confident that I am an excellent orthodontist, I am also confident that I am not necessarily the best choice for everyone based on individual personality and needs. There are MANY great orthodontists in your area. There certainly are in Fort Worth!

Find the orthodontist that is best for YOU. Talk to your friends, search the internet, visit offices, interview oral surgeons, and always ask your potential doctor if they are a specialist. Finding YOUR orthodontist is not always easy, but it is definitely worth your time, your mental peace, and your SMILE to do your homework. Afterall, doesn’t your smile deserve the BEST?

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

The thing I love most about what I do is “reading and experiencing” so many true life biographies in the people I meet, those I am blessed to live life with while they are in treatment under my care.  Every one of my patients could be a blog post. Truly. If I dig deep enough and ask the right questions; If I listen to their words and read their nonverbal cues, I find everyone has a unique, sometimes difficult, and in the end beautiful story.

Caylin Moore has one of those stories, an inspirational story that makes you want to read it over and over. “Inspiritational”, because in the end, Caylin is an over-comer; he has been rescued and he has rescued others through his story. In the end there is great victory. But meet Caylin face to face and visit with him authentically, and you will learn that his inspirational story came with great price, great perseverance, great faith, and as Caylin proudly claims, divine intervention.

Caylin Moore is a TCU graduate and 2017 Rhode Scholar! He is one of the most humble, compassionate, driven, and inspiring young men I have ever met.  It is a privilege and honor to call Caylin my friend and patient. I look forward to seeing the continual impact he will have on this world and reading the “rest of his story” as he follows his dreams and pursues God’s bigger calling in his life.

Below is an article written by ESPN about Caylin Moore.  It is definently worth the read.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18358380/the-remarkable-story-tcu-rhodes-scholar-caylin-moore