Orthodontic Coach

My Story...

How long have you been doing what you do, and how did you become an Orthodontic Coach?

Let me share with you a defining moment, and a resulting “compelling story,” that brought me to where I am today – coaching professionals like you on exactly what to do to provide a safe and exclusive avenue for General Dentists to explore their orthodontic caseloads. That defining moment in my life happened during one of my speaking engagements in 2015.

After I completed my lecture on new technology with Orthodontics, several general dentists came up to me to thank me. They continued asking me questions “privately,” regarding specific treatment cases they had issues about. One said she thought providing Invisalign treatment would be a “safer” route rather than “braces” for her patients. Little did she realize that even these Invisalign attachments create enough force to cause significant root resorption on her patient. She mentioned to me that this was the “first and last” time she was going to do this because it caused her so much stress. She knew this patient and her family and felt very responsible for the damage it caused. With countless presentations after that, many General Dentists continue to share their treatment ordeals with me. Everyone had a similar underlying theme. They had taken comprehensive courses overseas or had taken multiple week-long orthodontic courses throughout the United States. However, after they completed the courses, each lacked what was truly needed. I made a decision right then and there that my colleagues needed mentoring, not that they weren’t smart or talented enough. They needed solidifying of essential fundamentals of Orthodontics, combined with short term mentoring, which would greatly improve their confidence and treatment outcome.

During my second year in Dental School at NYU, I wanted to become a Specialist in Orthodontics. Deciding this was the easy part. Getting accepted into the Orthodontic program was not. The competition was very fierce, and I didn’t get accepted after I graduated. I decided to begin a general hospital residency for a year. I would not say I liked it, but looking back, this was actually the best decision I made. It boosted my confidence in being able to handle all types of challenging cases. I continued to dream of becoming an Orthodontist that whole year and set aside fears of “what are you going to do if you don’t get in?” I reapplied again and “knew” this time, I would get accepted. I did.

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