Before moving to the East Bay, I spent six years in orthodontic private practice in the greater Boston area where I treated over 3,200 patients. Since then I have practiced in San Francisco and also spend some time bringing high quality orthodontics to an underserved population.
Orthodontics is an ever changing field, and in order to provide the best care to my patients I am committed to being a lifelong student. I am a member of several professional organizations such as the American Association of Orthodontists, Harvard Society for the Advancement of Orthodontics, and the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists. I attend local and national conferences regularly to keep abreast of the latest advances in the field and the latest technology. On a day to day basis I also participate in study clubs where I discuss Orthodontics with colleagues from around the country.
My childhood was very unique in that I had the opportunity to live and travel all over the world. I was born an American overseas in Korea and am a mix of Korean and Caucasian, which is why it is often so hard for people to pinpoint What I am. Before moving to California, myhusband and I lived for many years in and around Boston where we were married and had our first child, our son Colin. I was introduced to the East Bay by my husband who was born and raised in this wonderful area.
Dr. Hockingpracticed for several years on the east coast, and decided to open a new practice in San Ramon, CA. She's a busy professional as well as a mom, so sheunderstands how hectic things can get! That is specifically why Dr. Hockingchose to open an office IN The Shops at Bishop Ranch. Her goal was to create an office where patients did not have to compromise anything. You can get the absolute highest quality Orthodontic care in a state of the art beautiful office, but you dont have to go out of your way to come in and see us. We are not hidden in a large medical facility, far away from everything else you have to do in your day. We are right off of a major highway, and in one stop you can come see us, hop over to get your cup of coffee, pick up a few groceries at Whole Foods, and get that something youve been meaning to get at Target. Voila! Have we made your day a little bit easier? We hope so.
Dr. Hocking received her Orthodontic Specialty and Master of Medical Sciencefrom HarvardUniversity. Prior to this, she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from ColumbiaUniversity, and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in Biology andPsychology with Honors.
Orthodontists are specialists in moving teeth and aligning jaws. An orthodontist is adentist who has completed an additional 2-3 years of schooling beyond dental school to become a specialist. This means that all orthodontists are dentists first, but out of 100 dental school graduates only 6 go on to become orthodontists.
Orthodontic treatmentinvolves 'appliances' that produce consistent, gentle forces to move teeth into proper positions. These appliances can be made out of metal, ceramic, or plastic. At Hocking Orthodontics we use traditional metal braces, esthetic ceramic braces, and Invisalign (plastic aligners). For our younger patients who need early interceptive treatment, we also use expansion appliances, retainers, and functional appliances.
Orthodontic treatment is customized to each patient, and the duration of treatment varies greatly. An average orthodontic treatment is 24 months, however if a patient only has alignment issues without a bite discrepancy, treatment could be as short as a fewmonths! This is why it is important to come in and get a proper diagnosison your specific case!