Kai Orthodontics

250 Montclair Ave a, San Jose, CA 95116
Closed today
Opens tomorrow at 8:30am
SundayClosed
Monday8:30am - 5:00pm
Tuesday8:30am - 5:00pm
Wednesday8:30am - 5:00pm
ThursdayClosed
Friday8:30am - 5:00pm
SaturdayClosed

I have been doing orthodontics for over 35 years and still enjoy it. Nowmy son, Dr. Marcus, and Dr. Kim have joined the practice to bring a younger sensibility to the office. I can sleep well every night knowing that I have improved peoples lives by making them more beautiful. In 2021 there will be two more sons joining the practice as specialists in orthodontics; a truly family practice. I love what I do, because orthodontics gives me the ability to coordinate with my hands and eyes to make teeth more attractive. I am very fortunate to have chosen a profession that brings happiness to me as well as to others.

I am pastpresident of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists,pastpresident of the Northern California Edward H. Angle Society, and have servedon the continuing education, communication, and strategic planning committees, whichall haveto do with bringing the finest and most current issues to educate orthodontists to be better clinicians. Since 1979, I have lectured internationally to universities and orthodontic groups on how to deal with severe and difficult cases andcreatestable, functional, and aesthetic faces, profiles, and dental bites.

As a dental student at the UC Medical Center, I was a member of the Christian Medical Society and volunteered to treat homeless people in the Mission District, did emergency care for Native Americans living in the Havasupai Indian Reservation, did emergency care at an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, and treated inmates at the San Quentin State Prison, all of which gave me experience over and above the average dental student. Before getting married, I was quite involved with church as a youth director, sang in the choir, and servedon the church board. I was also the vice president of the Japanese American Citizens League.

I was born of Japanese descent in Shenyang, China, and now reside in San Jose. Tae and I have been married for more than 40years, and we have six children:Marcus, Lisa, Cheri, Gina, Alan, and Kevin. We have also had the pleasure of sponsoring two ESL students from Japan:one is now teaching English abroad and the otherhas become a registered nurse.We have a very well-behaved ShibaInu, Ajax. I enjoy playing tennis with my family, jogging, traveling, photography, playing the flute, sculpting, and ballroom dancing with my lovely wife.

I truly believe that I am in one of the best professions. As an orthodontist, I am extremely fortunate to work with many great people and work withthem in a positive waythat will affectthem for the rest of their lives. I love what I do for many reasons. The main oneis that I want to do the best for my patients to improve their smile, profile, and overall self-confidence. I enjoy working with my hands and paying attention to the detail of every case. The doctors and I are constantly learning from our team and patients. They not only help us to become better orthodontists but also better individuals.

I was born and raised in San Jose and attended Bellarmine College Preparatory for high school. I have always been involved in community service from a young age. Duringdental school, I went to Ecuador for a dental mission, and provideddental care for the underserved local population. As part ofmy orthodontic residency, I traveled to El Salvador for a cleft lip and palate mission trip with Rotaplast International.

Most recently, I am currently on the Board for San Jose Community Youth Service (CYS) and regularly volunteer for various community events, such as the San Jose Obon Festival in Japantown. Our team will give presentations to various school classrooms to help children learn the importance of oral hygiene and orthodontic treatment.

I currently reside in Campbell with my wife, Diane, and our four children, Liam, Caitlyn, Juliana, and Lillian. I enjoy spending time with my large extended family, watching movies, traveling, and helping my children learn different sports/activities.

The highlight of my day is seeing the look in someones eyes after a smile transformation. Orthodontics is a group effort our team and patients must work together to improve the alignment, smile, and bite. I have found that empowering our patients to have a vested interest in their teeth and treatment makes my work more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Being involved as a younger leader in the dental field, I am fortunate to be able to attend many local, statewide, and national meetings. Most recently, I completed an aligner intensive fellowship to be able to treat more complex malocclusions with clear aligners. I always keep up to date with new advancements in the field for the benefit of our patients.

I am a true native of the Bay Area. I was born and raised in San Jose, California and went to Bellarmine College Preparatory for high school. I then attended college at UC Berkeley and received degrees in both business administration and molecular/cellbiology. After graduating college, I attended the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry to receive my doctorate degree. At Pacific Dugoni, I served as Chair of the Student Delegation for the California Dental Association and was involved in national leadership for the American Student Dental Association. I was a leader for the Jamaica dental mission trip and organized over 120 students and faculty to treat over 2000 patients over 2 years. I received my certificate in orthodontics and master's degree in craniofacialbiology from UC San Francisco. During my time at UCSF, I served as Chief Resident of the program. I finally returned home to San Jose and joined the Kai Orthodontics family. I am currently the California representative to the New Dentist Committee of the American Dental Association and serve on various task forces and committees for the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists and the California Dental Association.

Orthodontics has been one of my lifelong passions, stemming from a desire to care for people and foster self-confidence in others. The relationships that Ive formed with my patients are truly meaningful and fulfilling. I am grateful to be in a profession where I have the opportunity to use my background in science and art to transform peoples smiles.

Staying current with technology and orthodontic literature is crucial to providing excellent treatment for my patients. As a general dentist, I pursued continuing education through Spear Study club. Now as an orthodontist, I plan to continue attending workshops and lectures to ensure that I have the knowledge and skills to best treat my patients.

Giving back to the community has always been important to me. I had the chance to travel to Guatemala as a general dentist to provide dental education and dental services through the Help the Children Foundation. As an orthodontic resident, I participated in the Kids in the Clinic program to extend services to children needing orthodontic care in San Francisco. Im looking forward to having more opportunities to serve the Bay Area as an orthodontist.

Aside from my career, I love exploration, creativity, and adventure! You can find me enjoying the outdoors, watching sports games, baking, or creating art. Most of all, I cherish quality time with family and friends.

Reviews

Rating 4.9 out of 5 based on 38 reviews

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Amrendra Singh
2 years ago
The entire staff members are very professional, supportive, caring towards individual patient. I am very happy with the Ortho treatment of my daughter and Dr. Kai is a gem of person. Kudos to entire staff member for such an amazing work they do day in and out.


Pedro Melendez
2 years ago
Kudos to the doctor for speaking Spanish


Patricia Carrillo
2 years ago
Dentist is very attentive and explains in detail, friendly staff. An overall excellent experience for both of my kids with braces.


Debbie Alberto
2 years ago
The office is clean. The staff are welcoming, warm and very friendly. Dr. Kenneth Kai is kind, thorough, personable and funny. I would recommend Kai Orthodontics to everyone.


Leah Ozuna
3 years ago
This is a great office, right now he is currently finishing up my braces and his personality is awesome, one time I went in cause I had accidentally broke my wire and he asked what I ate for dinner last night and I told him ribs and he asked, geeze were you chewing on the bone? Lol


Elizabeth Rodriguez
3 years ago
Dr. Kai Is very professional, knowledgeable. and explains things very well and in terms you can understand and with a little humor too. Staff is also very professional, helpful and knowledgeable. I would with no doubt recommend his services.


Paramjeet Singh
3 years ago
Very Nice and Friendly !!


Paramjeet Singh
4 years ago
Very Nice and Friendly !!


Corrina Rodriguez Silva
4 years ago
We love Dr. Kai and Jose. The whole team at Kai Orthodontics is awesome. I would recommend everyone I know to Kai Ortho. It is always nice to see there smiling faces;)


Leah Ozuna
4 years ago
This is a great office, right now he is currently finishing up my braces and his personality is awesome, one time I went in cause I had accidentally broke my wire and he asked what I ate for dinner last night and I told him ribs and he asked, geeze were you chewing on the bone? Lol


Elizabeth Rodriguez
4 years ago
Dr. Kai Is very professional, knowledgeable. and explains things very well and in terms you can understand and with a little humor too. Staff is also very professional, helpful and knowledgeable. I would with no doubt recommend his services.


Joey Nagase
4 years ago
Went in for my appointment and was taken in on time. All went well as it always does, Dr. Kai being his friendly and professional self. Have been seeing him for many years and highly recommend!


Corrina Rodriguez Silva
4 years ago
We love Dr. Kai and Jose. The whole team at Kai Orthodontics is awesome. I would recommend everyone I know to Kai Ortho. It is always nice to see there smiling faces;)


Joey Nagase
5 years ago
Went in for my appointment and was taken in on time. All went well as it always does, Dr. Kai being his friendly and professional self. Have been seeing him for many years and highly recommend!


Alan Hanamura
6 years ago
I just had my braces removed today. My smile looks great. The orthodontic work was not a simple job, missing some teeth and bone structure. It would take a lot more time, many adjustments had to be done during my treatment but it was well worth the time and money spent. Anyone thinking about improving their smile should highly consider going to Kai Orthodontics.Thank you to Dr. Kenneth Kai and staff. You're the best!


Eric Peterson
9 years ago
The office is clean, the staff friendly, and Dr. Kai has a great sense of humor. We initially thought we would interview a couple of orthodontists, but after meeting Dr. Kai and his staff we decided we did not need to look any more.


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