Dr. Dima Kalakech believes to embrace life, you must embrace your smile. She has devoted the past 11 years creating beautiful smiles for her patients. Dr. K is a specialist in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. She provides excellent services and care to each and every patient in a conscientious and caring manner.

Embrace Orthodontics is a family-owned and operated practice, meaning Dr. K is dedicated to not only treating the orthodontic needs of patients of all ages, but promoting great oral health care the entire family can practice at home together.

Dr. K is a resident of San Antonio, Texas, where she lives with her husband and two children. She grew up in Lebanon, where she enjoyed learning ballet, playing cards with her father and swimming at the beach. She enjoys yoga, Pilates, running with her husband, hiking, fishing with her boys, skiing with her family and cooking.

Dr. K and her family never miss a chance to explore the country. She has visited 34 states and plans on visiting the rest of them. Dr. K and her family have hiked the Colorado Rockies, leaned against giant Sequoias, gazed at the grandeur of the Yosemite Valley, stuck their toes in beaches on all three coasts and enjoyed the blue skies of Texas. Dr. K without a doubt derives the most pleasure in her life by spending time with her husband Chuck and their two native sons of Texas.

Dr. Kalakech (Dr.K) is a Board-Certified Orthodontist. Certification by the American Board of Orthodontics is the highest level of achievement in the profession of orthodontics. Only about 30% of orthodontists become board certified. Its another way Dr. K has shown her dedication to excellence and commitment to providing the highest level of patient care. She has been devoted to creating beautiful smiles for patients of all ages since 2004.

No. All orthodontists must be licensed to practice, but at this time only 1 in 3 orthodontists have continued on to become a board certified orthodontist. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certification process signifies a unique achievementa significant step beyond the two to three years of advanced education required for a dentist to become a specialist in orthodontics. The process requires the orthodontist to demonstrate actual accomplishments in patient care with detailed case reports on the treatment provided for a broad range of patient problems. Board certification is a voluntary achievement that all orthodontists do not choose to pursue. In order to become board certified by the ABO, an individual orthodontist is thoroughly interviewed by a highly respected panel of examiners to demonstrate their orthodontic knowledge, clinical skills and judgment.

One. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is the only certifying board in the specialty that is recognized by the American Dental Association. The ABO was founded in 1929 and is the oldest specialty board in dentistry. The boards purpose is to elevate the quality of orthodontic care for the public by promoting excellence through certification, education and professional collaboration.

Successful completion of the examination process demonstrates the orthodontists highest commitment to excellence in orthodontics to both the orthodontic profession and the general public. It represents a commitment by a licensed specialist that he/she has the necessary knowledge base and skills to treat patients to the highest of standards. It exemplifies a practitioners commitment to continue to keep abreast of the latest advances in patient care, and to continue to deliver these latest advances to patients. Many orthodontists see it as a demonstration of their dedication to the specialty and the highest level of personal achievement.

Since the establishment of the ABO in 1929, the certification process requirements have continued to adjust to the demands of the specialty. Today, the process involves a thorough Written Examination (240 questions) covering all areas of information which an orthodontist should be knowledgeable. Successful completion of this board exam allows the orthodontist to proceed to the Clinical Examination where they present detailed case reports from their practice/residency, demonstrating a history of excellence in patient care. These cases are evaluated by a panel of examiners and later discussed during an oral examination where the applicant is tested on a wide variety of academic and clinical topics. After successful completion of these examinations, the orthodontist has officially achieved Board Certification, for a time-limited period. The orthodontist must go through Certification Renewal every 10 years to maintain their certification status by demonstrating this continued level of patient care.

Chuck makes sure the office runs smoothly and goes out of his way to make each family feel right at home! He was born in California and raised in southern Illinois. Chuck met Dr. K. while he was working at the Saint Louis Zoo and she was finishing her Masters Degree in Orthodontics.

When Chuck is not at Embrace, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Dr. K., and their two lovely boys. You can also find him smiling ear to ear while mountain biking, running, and wrestling with his boys.

Josi is a native Texan, who grew up in nearby Bandera. She has a very outgoing personality and is a joy to be around! She has been in the dental field since 1999 and has worked in a variety of positions, including Orthodontic Clinician, Marketing Specialist, and Office Manager. When it comes to guiding a patient through the initial stages of their orthodontic journey, no one is better trained than Josi! She and her husband live in La Vernia, TX, with their two adorable daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, visiting historic hotels, swimming, listening to Texas country music, crafting and watching the San Antonio Spurs! Most of all, Josi loves spending time with her family.

Tally is one of the first faces you will see when you visit Embrace Orthodontics. Tallys fun and vibrant personality makes her the perfect person to welcome you to the Embrace family! Tally was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She moved to San Antonio in 2012. She and Dr. K met through a mutual friend. She is an expert selfie-taker, and is always willing to make you laugh. Outside the office, Tally loves to exercise, shop, and spend time with her family and friends.

Abby is the first person youll meet when you walk through our doors. Her warm and caring demeanor will make you feel welcome and at ease about your visit! Abby was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her dedication to helping others led her to dentistry, and she became a Registered Dental Assistant. In her free time, Abby enjoys traveling to new places, listening to live music, and spending time with her loved ones.

Emma has enjoyed working with Dr. Kalakech since 2004 and has over twenty years of experience in the dental field making her an excellent source of knowledge! Emma is detail-oriented and is our lead orthodontic assistant. She is known to be very patient and gentle during treatment. She was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico and graduated from the School of Dentistry at the University of Guadalajara in 1991. Emma and her husband have two amazing boys. She has a passion for cooking, reading, and fishing with her family.

She moved to San Antonio and graduated from Claudia Taylor Lady Bird Johnson High School as an early Grad. From there she went to Dental Assisting School and has been a Registered Dental Assistant since 2017. T.T. is a smiling example of compassion, optimism and positivity. She is always willing to lend a hand to those that need her. She feels extremelyblessedto have such a wonderful work family! In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and hiking with her furry four-legged babies.