Bachelor of Arts in History University of Nevada, Reno, 2000 - Magna cum Laude/Valedictorian Doctorate of Dental Surgery University of Colorado School of Dentistry, 2005 - Magna cum Laude/Valedictorian - Inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon, National Dental Honor Society Orthodontics Residency University of Colorado, 2007 - Graduated with honors
My greatest joy in life is to help people smile, and I am grateful that my profession allows me to do that in many ways! My daily mission is to not only create beautiful and healthy smiles, but to foster a happy experience and make our office a place where people come to feel good. I believe that by choosing to smile more, we can make our lives better and improve the lives of everyone around us. It's a beautiful, self-perpetuating cycle of smiling and feeling good that starts with a choice. I choose to be happy and grateful, and I help others do the same. If crooked teeth or a painful bite causes someone to smile less, they are not experiencing all the joy life has to offer them. Parents have always understood the value of a confident smile for their children, but I have found that braces can be an obstacle to many teens and adults pursuing the smile they want. I was one of those people. In the fourth grade, I was thrilled to have braces. For years I was happy and confident with my smile, but after several years of not wearing my retainer, my front teeth began to shift. As an adult in dental school, I was no longer thrilled to wear braces! I underwent Invisalign treatment instead, and was thrilled with the results and the ease of the experience. At that time, clear aligner technology was in its infancy. Now, over 15 years later, there have been incredible advances in the software design and physical properties of the aligners, allowing me to use Invisalign to help people with bites far worse than mine was. In addition to the training I received while in orthodontic residency, I have dedicated myself to the additional and ongoing training that is needed to become, and consistently remain, a Premier Provider of Invisalign. I frequently lecture to local dental offices on the techniques I am using. I enjoy teaching others about the benefits of orthodontic treatment as well as the technological advances that have made this treatment so much more effective and comfortable. Both the technical and artistic aspects of orthodontics give me incredible joy. That is why I feel so compelled to give back: to our team, our patients, and our community. I founded the Nevada chapter of Smile for a Lifetime in 2012 and organized a local board of directors that selects six scholarship winners every year for free braces that I provide. In 2020 we restructured and renamed the scholarship program as our own Smile and Feel Good Scholarship in order to continue offering the scholarship at no cost to our patients. We have also sponsored the Boys and Girls Club and many local schools, athletic programs, and talented individuals each year since 2012. This profession always has you thinking about how you can make a difference in someone's life, and it isn't always with their teeth. Beyond orthodontics, I love spreading smiles by having fun with family and friends! I met my husband, Cullen, while learning how to white water kayak during our time together at UNR. We moved back to Cullen's home town of Carson City in 2008 where we set our roots. For about five years, I commuted to work in my own home town of Fallon until we opened our office here in Carson City in 2012. We are thrilled to be living right next to the mountains and raising our son, Cavery, to enjoy the great outdoors as much as we do. If I'm not at the office, you can find me on the trail either running or mountain biking, or look for me tele-skiing at Kirkwood and Heavenly. I also love to kiteboard, read inspiring books, write poetry, and play the violin. I look forward to meeting you!