Pam and her family have been living in Spring Creek for the past nine years. Pam has been working with Dr. Okubo for a little over 3 years now and enjoys greeting all of our patients and their families as they come into our office. Pam and her husband have five children and one English bulldog. Three of Pams kids and one son-in-law can thank Dr. O for their beautiful smiles! Because of Pams understanding of the importance of creating a welcoming environment in our office, our patients love seeing her behind our front desk each time they come in for their monthly adjustments.
Lori was born in Logan, Utah then moved to a very small town in Idaho named Thatcher, where she lived for the first fourteen years of her life. Lori and her family then moved to Elko, Nevada where she finished high school. After high school Lori went on to receive an associates degree and served a mission for the LDS Church. Lori is married and has three children, a boy age 15, girl age 14, and a boy age 11. When Lori and her family are not enjoying time on the lake waterskiing, wakeboarding, or just playing in the water, they can be found hunting and camping. Lori has been assistant for Dr. Okubo in the Elko office for two great years. She loves meeting new people and is constantly learning new skills she uses in our office.
Shelley, her husband and 4 children have been living in the Sandy area for the past 16 years. Shelley Joined Dr. Okubos orthodontic family early 2013 and has quickly has become an invaluable asset to our practice. Shelley makes our Utah offices a warm and inviting environment for our patients no matter their age. Shelley looks forward to seeing all of our patients each month and is proud to be a part of their orthodontic transformation.
Cathy was born and raised in Wendover where she and her husband raise their four children. Cathy has worked with Dr. Okubo since 1998. Cathy started as a Dental Assistant and has worked her way up as one of our Office managers. Cathy says that Dentistry has been a rewarding career for her and that she truly enjoy her work. When she is away from the office Cathy relaxes with her family by spending time camping, fishing, hiking, boating, traveling, watching Nascar and movies together.
Dr. Okubo was born in Salt Lake City, raised in Bountiful and attended the University of Utah for undergraduate studies, Weber State for a degree in Dental Hygiene and Washington University in St. Louis for his Dental degree and Residency training in orthodontics.
The most important procedure I do as your orthodontist is the accurate alignment of your brackets (braces). I do all the bracket placement in my practice, rather than have my assistants or lab technicians perform this most important step. Alignment is the corner stone and foundation of an ideal finish.
There are two things that move teeth: the position of the brackets and the wires. Brackets are the handles that move teeth in 10 different directions. Correctly aligned brackets will accomplish about 95% of tooth alignment. Misaligned brackets require multiple bends in the wires to compensate and never result in a stable or well finished case. I cant use standard of care straight wire orthodontic techniques with crooked brackets. The only way you receive the benefit of my training, experience, consistency, and attention to detail is if I position your brackets. I always have and always will. In general, brackets should be centered on the crowns of your teeth left to right and up and down. The key is symmetry; the brackets on the left should mirror the position of the brackets on the right.
I do not use preformed arch wires. At Okubo Orthodontics you will never see an assistant take a one size fits all wire out of a drawer and tie it in. I custom contour every arch wire to optimize your smile. My goal is to achieve an arch shape and width to enhance your smile power.
Below are photos of a patient who had his braces on for 3 years before coming to our office. Look at the alignment of his lower 4 front teeth. You can see that brackets positioned at different heights caused the teeth to tip in or out. Compare the position of the brackets on the lower canines (the 3rd tooth from the middle). The brackets are at different heights; this caused the tooth on the right to tip in towards the tongue. This treatment is the result of orthodontics with crooked brackets.
Parents are always welcome in the operatory (there is ample seating for you ). Please ask questions about the aesthetics of the smile being planned for you or your child. Your input is welcome and appreciated.
What is an Orthodontics? The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) defines a orthodontists as: An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed an American Dental Association accredited graduate program in the specialty of orthodontics.
It is important to make sure that your orthodontist is a member of ABO to ensure that your doctor iscommittedto providing you with the most up to date standards of orthodontic care as well asmaintaining the high level of continued education on new proceduresavailableto you.
Orthodontist that have received their certification from the ABO are defined as Diplomates or Orthodontic Specialistof the ABO. A Diplomate is defined as: A dentist who graduates from a specialty program becomes an orthodontic specialist who is eligible to become board certified through the voluntary examination process of The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO).Involvement in the certification process is a demonstration of the orthodontists pursuit of continued proficiency and excellence.(ABO Source)
Always verify the certifying board when an orthodontist does not provide this information. The ABO is the only orthodontic certifying boardrecognized by the American Dental Association and sponsored by the American Association of Orthodontists.
Reviews
Rating 4.9 out of 5 based on 25 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestNevada Peterson
4 years ago
Thanks to Dr. Okubo and his staff my son went from a mouth full of crazy teeth to a beautiful smile he can be proud of! I have one more son almost finished and looking amazing. We can't wait to see the end results on him as well.
Lea Grace
4 years ago
Dr. Okubo is one of the kindest people I have come into contact with. I have been dealing with bruxism and TMJ for years and Dr. Okubo not only helped me but considered my situation completely. I wish he could be in all cities. Thank you for your help, Dr. Okubo.
Nevada Peterson
5 years ago
Thanks to Dr. Okubo and his staff my son went from a mouth full of crazy teeth to a beautiful smile he can be proud of! I have one more son almost finished and looking amazing. We can't wait to see the end results on him as well.
Lea Grace
5 years ago
Dr. Okubo is one of the kindest people I have come into contact with. I have been dealing with bruxism and TMJ for years and Dr. Okubo not only helped me but considered my situation completely. I wish he could be in all cities. Thank you for your help, Dr. Okubo.
alyssa montano
5 years ago
I would like to thank Dr. Okubo for making my teeth straight and making my jaw not pop that much as it use to and thanks for taking payments from me for my braces they mean a lot I love my beautiful smile(: they feel so weird having them off thank you
Pam Scott
5 years ago
I'd like to thank Dr. Okubo and all of his wonderful staff! I'm so very happy with the results of my braces. Couldn't ask for better service! Thank you again for my beautiful smile!
Cheryl L Ward
5 years ago
My family has been using Dr. Okubo for over five years now. I've had two of my children complete both phase I and phase II of treatment, I currently have a third child in phase I. I only give Dr. Okubo 4 stars due to the staff, his ability surpasses the 5 star rating. I can't say enough positive about his philosophy and form of treatment. He's a perfectionist and I love that since it's your child's smile, but most importantly health that's involved with orthodontic treatment. The staff is very friendly and nice to see, the part that's hard is there are times the scheduling isn't on pointe so there have been many times that our appointment lasts a bit too long. I do understand that seeing Dr. Okubo here in Elko is a challenge all in its own, but I like keeping on schedule asy children have a tight schedule with activities. They have gotten better after some training.
Sara Ruiz
5 years ago
Love how my teeth turned out!! Super friendly environment and love the staff!!
Alisha Perez
5 years ago
Dr. Okubo was great! I've had my braces off for a few years now and so get compliments all the time on my smile. I go in for retainer checkups and he always remembers me and takes care of anything I need.
Michelle King
5 years ago
Dr. Okubo and his staff are very professional, polite, patient, and know what they are doing. He was able to get both my daughters teeth straight in a timely manner and took the time to explain things to us. No question was considered too stupid to ask. I would recommend Dr. Okubo and his office to anyone.
Kenneth Wilkinson
5 years ago
Orthodontic services started in 2010-12 with latest in late 2017 for any needed retainer adjustments after wisdom teeth removal. No adjustments needed. No problems with any procedures or check-ups. Excellent professional and courteous services throughout the years. Highly recommended for any orthodontic needs.
Morgan Noorda
5 years ago
My smile blows me away and I get so many compliments!!
dana ribera
5 years ago
I love my new smile. Dr. Okubo and his staff are awesome. I have used them for my whole family and I am so glad I did. Not a single regret or complaint. Cannot be more thankful.
Kenneth Wilkinson
6 years ago
Orthodontic services started in 2010-12 with latest in late 2017 for any needed retainer adjustments after wisdom teeth removal. No adjustments needed. No problems with any procedures or check-ups. Excellent professional and courteous services throughout the years. Highly recommended for any orthodontic needs.
Pam Scott
6 years ago
I'd like to thank Dr. Okubo and all of his wonderful staff! I'm so very happy with the results of my braces. Couldn't ask for better service! Thank you again for my beautiful smile!
Cheryl L Ward
6 years ago
My family has been using Dr. Okubo for over five years now. I've had two of my children complete both phase I and phase II of treatment, I currently have a third child in phase I. I only give Dr. Okubo 4 stars due to the staff, his ability surpasses the 5 star rating. I can't say enough positive about his philosophy and form of treatment. He's a perfectionist and I love that since it's your child's smile, but most importantly health that's involved with orthodontic treatment. The staff is very friendly and nice to see, the part that's hard is there are times the scheduling isn't on pointe so there have been many times that our appointment lasts a bit too long. I do understand that seeing Dr. Okubo here in Elko is a challenge all in its own, but I like keeping on schedule asy children have a tight schedule with activities. They have gotten better after some training.
Sara Ruiz
6 years ago
Love how my teeth turned out!! Super friendly environment and love the staff!!
Alisha Perez
6 years ago
Dr. Okubo was great! I've had my braces off for a few years now and so get compliments all the time on my smile. I go in for retainer checkups and he always remembers me and takes care of anything I need.
dana ribera
6 years ago
I love my new smile. Dr. Okubo and his staff are awesome. I have used them for my whole family and I am so glad I did. Not a single regret or complaint. Cannot be more thankful.
Michelle King
6 years ago
Dr. Okubo and his staff are very professional, polite, patient, and know what they are doing. He was able to get both my daughters teeth straight in a timely manner and took the time to explain things to us. No question was considered too stupid to ask. I would recommend Dr. Okubo and his office to anyone.
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