At Willow Bend Orthodontics, we believe that everyone, no matter their age, should be able to feel confident in their smile. Unfortunately, orthodontic problems like crooked, gapped, and misaligned teeth and bites can keep that from happening. By offering customized orthodontic treatments that are tailored to each individual patient, our team is able to provide beautiful results that will also improve your overall oral health. As a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, Dr. Tamara Jones strives to make each patients experience hassle-free and pleasant.
To become a Board-Certified orthodontist, dedicated professionals like Dr. Jones have to voluntarily undergo lots of advanced education, hundreds of hours of training beyond dental school, and a rigorous examination process. They also have to showcase a lifelong commitment and passion for continuing education. Only 30% of orthodontists achieve this special distinction, which is just one more reason why your familys smiles are in great hands here at Willow Bend Orthodontics.
No two smiles are exactly alike, and the braces we use to straighten them shouldnt be either! Plenty of research has shown that customized braces reduce the number of orthodontic office visits a patient needs, helps them finish their treatment plan in less time, and lead to even better outcomes. Thats why Dr. Jones has invested in state-of-the-art AI technology for a much more precise and hyper-accurate process that helps families sail through these transformations smoothly.
As a child, Dr. Jones attended a Girls in Science Day at Brookhaven Community College. A local dentist took impressions of her teeth and she thought it was the coolest thing she had ever experienced! Later, she started her own orthodontic treatment and even made her own retainer and headgear out of soldering wire and hot glue for fun! She then met a mentor, who was the 9th female orthodontist in the state of Texas. She took Dr. Jones under her wings and taught her about how orthodontic treatment can change lives, and how to provide great care to each of her patients, cementing her decision to go to school to become an orthodontist.
Once Dr. Jones completed her undergraduate career at Southern Methodist University as a Hunt Scholar, she took her dental admission test and received the highest score in the country that year! At Baylor College of Dentistry-Texas A&M Health Science Center, she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery and chose to pursue orthodontics as her specialty. She then attended The University of Texas at Houston, one of the top programs in the country, where after 27 months of advanced training, she completed her Masters and Certificate in Orthodontics.
Dr. Jones and her husband Jason, who is an army veteran, have two children named Kenton and Madeline, and an adorable Sheepadoodle named Skye. Whenever shes not in the orthodontic office, youll be able to find her baking, swimming, preparing for her next triathlon, or spending quality time with her loved ones.
For Dr. Hanson, the best thing about her job isnt the teeth, its the people! Nothing makes her happier than enabling a patient to feel comfortable and then working alongside our excellent team to give them a stellar smile. Before joining our practice, she pursued 11 years of higher education to become an engineer, a dentist, and an orthodontist, and now, she is excited to create a beautiful, healthy smile with you. To start getting to know her ahead of your visit, read on below.
Dr. Hanson never knew she wanted to be an orthodontist growing up--no one in her family was a doctor or dentist. She was a mechanical engineering major in college, and she did an internship with a medical device company after her freshman year that got her interested in biology and the human applications of engineering. She then started considering some of the medical professions after that because she loved interacting with people. After shadowing an orthodontist, she was hooked because it was all of her passions combined: engineering, getting to work with people, and a fast-paced environment!
Dr. Hanson graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, where she eventually saw the light and decided to switch to dentistry. She went on to earn her DDS degree from The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston. While there, she earned numerous awards, was nominated to join the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, and was frequently on the Deans Student Excellence List.
After dental school, Dr. Hanson completed a two-year orthodontic residency in Houston, earning a Master of Science in Dentistry along with her Certificate in Orthodontics. She has since had her work published in both the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics and the American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics.
When shes not crafting smiles at the office, Dr. Hanson loves making guacamole and eating tacos with her husband, Troy. They met in the engineering program at UT, and he works as a strategy consultant. The Hansons enjoy being outdoors and traveling to places with mountains where they can hike or go snow skiing. Dr. Hanson likes learning new things, whether from a podcast, book, or documentary, so when you see her, make sure you recommend your recent favorites!