Orthodontist Dennis J. Flanagan D.D.S., M.S. is committed to helping you achieve a beautiful smile and a healthy bite. His biggest reward in becoming an orthodontist is being able to make a profound, positive effect on our patients lives. Combining experience with advanced education and personal care, he will strive to bring you only the best orthodontic treatment optionsavailable.

Dr. Flanagan is a resident of Belvidere, IL, where he lives with his wife of 29 years, Sharon, and two daughters, Taylor (26) and Courtney (23). He also shares his home with their collie/shepherd mix, Toby, whom they rescued from a local shelter. He enjoys boating, snowmobiling, cars and cooking.

Lauri came to our office with over 10 years in office management experience. She started as an assistant for Dr. Flanagan and has since taken over as the New Patient Treatment Coordinator and Marketing Director, utilizing her management, graphic design and interpersonal skills to maintain the outstanding reputation of our office and educate the public on the benefits of specialized orthodontic training.

Lauri is a social butterfly, so working one on one with all the new patients is right up her alley and the highlight of her day. Lauri and her husband Nat love to travel abroad and experience new things. They are both avid campers, athletes and love the outdoors. They share their home with their toddler, Van with another little boy on the way. As well as their 2 furry children, Meep their cat and their German Shephard/Husky, Simza.

Krisan has been with the practice for over 30 years! She has always been a chairside assistant, along with all the duties that come along with product and office supply ordering and maintaining inventory. Krisan loves coming to work because of her co-workers and the constant interaction with her patients. Few things brighten her day like putting a smile on someones face.

Krisan has been married for over 20 years and has one daughter, who works and attends college in Colorado. She also has a shih-tzu named Benson. When Krisan isnt making people smile at work, she is either outside enjoying a nice walk, playing her favorite tablet games, or traveling to her favorite destination.VEGAS!

For the past 27 years, Jan has been with our office. All of our in-house lab work is done by Jan, so if you need braces, a retainer or assorted appliances, shes the one who will custom make them to fit each patients needs. Jan loves that there is always something new happening around the office and enjoys the company of her coworkers. She has always found her work interesting and loves a challenge.

Nikki has been working with patients at Dr. Flanagans for nearly 10 years. Working chairside seems to come second nature to Nikki and she couldnt picture herself doing anything else. Theres nothing she loves more about her job than the ear-to-ear smiles on our patients when they finally get their braces off.

Michele and her husband Larry have been married for 34 years. Together they have 2 daughters and a son, along with two pups at home. In her spare time she likes hiking, photography and spending time with her family.

Sharon has been working the financial end of our practice for the last 16 years where she utilizes her accounting degree. The constant flow of patients and parents is one of Sharons favorite parts of working in this industry. Theres always someone new and then you get the pleasure of treating someone only to later get to treat their children!

Sharon is an avid traveler and loves spending time with her family. She is a lifelong resident of Belvidere where she lives with her husband of over 20 years and their beloved dog. Sharon also has two daughters who are both currently attending college.

Its more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy during orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment. Watch the video below on the proper care of braces during orthodontic treatment.

What can you eat? Lets talk about what you shouldnt eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, youll be able to bite a cucumber again. But youll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as youre wearing braces.

When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 3 5 days. Take the over the counter pain reliever that works best for you, if needed. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the braces. We will supply wax to put on the braces in irritated areas to lessen discomfort.

To successfully complete orthodontic treatment, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed. Lack of cooperation following instructions and damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time so please follow instructions.