At fifteen years old, I started seeing the dramatic effect braces could have on a smile. It wasn’t my own smile I was noticing; it was the patients in my father’s orthodontic practice that I watched transform between appointments. (My braces started at age sixteen since I enjoyed early treatment and thus waited to perfect the smile until all permanent teeth were in place.) As a teen, I thought: If my dad can do this, I can too. My path to Wrigleyville has entailed the following highlights:

• Undergraduate work at Indiana University – Bloomington
• One semester at the University of Wollongong in Australia
• Summer of volunteer work in Kenya, Africa with the grassroots organization Outreach Kenya Development Volunteers educating the rural population on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. 
• Dental school at Indiana University.
• General dental private practice and clinical teaching for 2 years.
• Orthodontic residency – Indiana University

The summer of 2016 is what transformed my orthodontic practice from traditional to holistic. My son was born. Long story short, his mouth breathing was not a concern to any medical professional I spoke with until I met with a myofunctional therapist, Lisa Lahey. (For more details, check out my picture book, “Dear Momma…”) The battle to get to the root cause of his noisy breathing, struggle to nurse, terrible tummy time tears and more caused me to rethink my approach to health for my son and for my patients. It’s my hope to support all parents/caregivers and their children to seek answers to the WHY behind the symptoms. In my profession, I view crooked teeth as a symptom of an underlying cause. Orthodontics is rooted in growth and development and the treatment should be as well. When the original cause of misalignment is addressed, we optimize the child’s airway and breathing, which are crucial for wellness. Thus my approach includes the following:

• Holistic – viewing your child’s oral health as part of their overall physical and mental health and vice versa. 
• Collaborative – working with other, necessary health care providers to address the underlying causes contributing to the bad bite/crooked teeth/etc
• Compassionate – understanding that each patient and family has unique needs. Honoring where each patient/family is currently with their desire to seek holistic health and how far they would like to go to resolve underlying concerns. 

Looking forward to being your holistic orthodontic health partner with you and our collaborative team.