I was born in Helena, Montana, and lived there until I graduated from Carroll College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. I loved everything about Helena and Carroll College, especially the small-town atmosphere and friendly environment. After graduation, I was fortunate enough to meet my wife, Sandy Owen. We soon moved to Minneapolis, where I attended the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Although dental school and the weather were challenging, I survived both and graduated with high distinction. Sandy and I soon moved again, this time to Louisville, Kentucky, where I had been accepted into the orthodontic residency program at the University of Louisville. Those were good years as well, as I spent time learning my trade, enjoying our early married years with lots of time together and marveling at how much deep frying was employed in Southern cooking.
I was introduced to orthodontics during dental school by my older brother, Bryan, who is also an orthodontist. He invited me to visit the schools orthodontic clinic as often as I could. It was in the orthodontic clinic that I knew I had found what I really wanted to do with my dental training. This career lets me work with both kids and adults and challenges my brain daily to respect that each case is unique, and since nearly all my patients quickly lose any fear they might have had about treatment, my staff and I get to spend most of the treatment time getting to know our patients and putting as much fun into the process as possible. I have a fantastic staff and great patients, and it is not an exaggeration to say that I love to come to work because I get to work each day with so many extraordinary people. On top of that, Im lucky enough to see the work I do positively impact my patients, and I often get to enjoy watching my patients confidence and self-esteem grow as their treatment progresses.
Sandy and I chose to settle in Washington because it was near our families, was stunningly beautiful, and allowed us to get outside and get active or stay inside with our books, guilt-free, on really rainy days. We have enjoyed our years here in the Snoqualmie Valley, and we look forward to raising our two children, Anika and Carter, in the shadow of Mt. Si. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my kids, running 5Ks with less-than-stellar times and trying in vain to catch up on lost sleep.
But it is more than just offering the best technical orthodontic care at Kirby Nelson Orthodontics we focus on each patient like they are a part of our family, celebrating every success along the way.