Dr. de Leon received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1993. She was the president of the Dental Student Council on her last year in Dental School. There, she graduated and was inducted into the university honor society. She was awarded a scholarship grant by Sanofi Winthrop and received a couple of awards for Best in Leadership. It was her dental degree that enabled Dr. de Leon to practice general (family) dentistry.
In 1998 Dr. de Leon decided to specialize in orthodontics, she was accepted at the University of Minnesota for Orthodontic Residency Program which she completed in June 2000. She earned a joint Master of Science (MS) degree and Certificate in Orthodontics. According to the American Dental Association, only about six percent of dentists complete this advanced specialty education and may call themselves orthodontists.
Dr. de Leon worked as an Orthodontic Intern in Irvine, CA soon after she finished her residency. Six months later, she moved back to Minnesota and was hired by one of her professors, as an Associate Orthodontist and Orthodontic Research Consultant. At the time, she was traveling back and forth from Minnesota to Washington. She also filled in for three other orthodontists in Washington whenever they need her. Dr. de Leon is an active member of the American Dental Association, American Association of Orthodontist, Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontist, Washington State Dental Association and Snohomish County Dental Society.
In effort to stay current with the latest advances and dental breakthroughs in orthodontics, Dr. de Leon regularly attends continuing education courses. It is her extreme priority to stay on top of the latest orthodontic techniques which have been proven in scientific and clinical studies. Dr. de Leon belongs to a local study club with young orthodontists where they talk about cases, practice management and discuss what is latest in orthodontics.
Dr. de Leons passion of helping and supporting the youth shows in her dedication to the YMCA Mukilteo as a Board of Director. She also serves asVP of Parent Teacher Fellowship at Northshore Christian Academy.
On October 25, 2002, Dr. de Leon got married to Chris Estes, a Mechanical Engineer that was born and raised in Washington State. Ultimately, it was Dr. de Leon that packed her stuff and moved to WA. They love being married to each other and looking forward to a lifetime of being Mr. & Mrs. Estes. They are blessed with two beautiful girls, Kiana and Kalia, and a charming boy, Keagan, all of whom are in their elementary years. It is evidently hard to find a balance between family and career but her kids inspire the vast renewing love within her, daily. They are currently involved in the Cedarpark Northshore Church and Convoy of Hope.
When Dr. de Leon is not creating beautiful smiles, she is busy giving her children the love and care that they need. Dr. de Leon and her husband both love to explore new places, culture and food. As much as they love to travel, they will wait until theirkids are big enough to appreciate what travel truly means.
We take the time to get to know you and your family. We laugh together, we cry together, and we pray together. We take personal pride and satisfaction in knowing we are helping to change peoples lives through orthodontics and make a positive impact in their lives.We are well trained and have years of experience in clinical and office management in the field of orthodonticsyou will always receive the highest level of care possible. We will make every effort to make you feel comfortable and welcome to our office every time you visit us.
Samantha has been in the medical field for over 13 years. She graduated with an Associate degree in Applied Science at Lake Washington Tech with honors. She scheduling, billing, insurance, and many of the administrative duties to help run the office. She also is cross trained to help with some procedures in the back office. Samantha has leadership skills in speech communications and is bilingual (Cambodian and English). Her hobbies consist of hiking, soccer, interior decorating, and building woodwork. When not at work, she spends time with her family which is her ultimate priority.
Janet loves nature (mountains, ocean, trees and flowers). She loves hiking. She is currently an assistant teacher at her church on Sundays. She belongs to a Bible Study group where they meet once a week for fellowship and to learn about the Word of God and its applications. She enjoys teaching kids, getting to know them and playing with them. She loves working at Harbour Pointe Orthodontics because it is more like family. She also loves to connect with people and seeing them smile.
Britt was born in Washington. She is the athletic one in the team. She played variety of sports growing up, soccer being her favorite. She was in college for career prep and went to school designed for biology/medicine. When Britt is not at work, she enjoys lifting weights, watching movies and spending time with her dog. She likes being an orthodontic assistant because she can contribute to making good changes in peoples lives, no matter how big or small. She likes working for Harbour Pointe Orthodontics because of the positive, family-friendly atmosphere and the staff.
Shelbi was born in a small town in Michigan. Her love for dentistry grew while working as a sterilization tech during college. After living in Texas for a year, her and her husband moved back to Washington to be with his family. Shelbi and her husband are very involved in various ministries of their church. She enjoys a good cup of coffee, rainy days, thrift shopping, and several outdoor activities (hiking, paddle boarding, camping). She is so grateful to be a part of the Harbour Pointe Orthodontics Family and for the opportunity to work with some amazing ladies.
Amanda was born in New Mexico. She loved being active in her younger years where she played volleyball and basketball. After high school, she went to college at West Coast Baptist College where she majored in Office Administration and minor in Media Design. When Amanda is not at the office, she loves spending time with her husband, playing basketball with her neighbors, and completing projects around her house. She enjoys working at Harbour Pointe Orthodontics because she helps patients have an enjoyable time while receiving quality care from our staff. One of her favorite qualities of Harbour Pointe Orthodontics is the genuine care and warm, courteous environment that the office has worked so hard to cultivate for the patients and staff.
While Dr. de Leon can improve smiles at any age, there is usually a best age to begin treatment so we can achieve maximum improvement with a minimum amount of time and expense. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a childs first visit to an orthodontist should take place when an orthodontic problem is first detected. In all cases the AAO recommends that every child visit an orthodontist by no later than age 7. Although interceptive orthodontic treatment is not always indicated, careful observation can establish the best timing for orthodontic care.
Early screening not only provides timely detection of orthodontic problems; it presents more opportunities to provide more effective orthodontic treatment. Timely intervention can gently guide growth and development and prevent more serious problems from occurring. For successful eruption of adult teeth. When interceptive treatment is not needed, Dr. de Leon can carefully monitor growth and development and begin treatment at the best time. Either way, a timely screening will give you peace of mind and that gives us all something to smile about.
The back bite is established when the first adult molars eruptusually before age 7. Dr. de Leon can evaluate front to back and side to side (transverse) relationships at this time.The presence of erupting incisors indicates possible crowding, overbite, openbite, gummy smiles and habit patterns. Timely screening gives Dr. de Leon more chances to create an awesome smile.
A timely screening helps parents and patients get to know Dr. de Leon and her Team. Even if immediate treatment is not indicated, we can provide detailed information on what may be needed in the future and appropriate treatment timing.
Orthodontic treatment may involve explanding appliance (expander), headgear, retainer, and a limited number of braces. We will use whatever is best to help shape and widen the dental arches. A larger more appropriately shaped dental arch can mean more room for adult teeth coming into the mouth, as well as a more natural smile.
Orthodontics has changed a lot in the past years! New technology has brought a lot of improvement in our treatment methods and for the comfort of our patients.Cosmetic advances are also being made in orthodontics making braces less visible and more comfortable.
Another new thing is invisible bracesInvisalign. They are clear plastic aligners made using sophisticated 3-D computer imaging technology. They are comfortable, removeable and invisible! Dr. de Leon is certified to treat patients with Invisalign, although patient selection is very important.
One of the latest technology that Dr. de Leon has introduced in her practice is the use of Self-ligating brackets (braces). This system allows the doctor to treat patients with greater control and greater efficiency.