Meet Dolorine Vela

You can't spend time at St. Clair's without meeting Dolorine Vela.  She has worked as an Orthodontic Assistant for St. Clair's for almost 10 years.  Our practice would not be the same without her.

Dolorine grew up in Clovis, where she attended Clovis High School and Clovis Community College.  She was trained to be an Orthodontic Assistant and then came to work for St. Clair's.

When we asked her what she most loves about her job, Dolorine's immediate answer was the patients.  She loves the opportunity to spend time with you all and getting to know you better.  Being able to invest in your lives means more to her than anything.

When she's not at work, she enjoys being able to spend time with her friends and family.  One of their favorite things to do together is share a meal as family, and it's even better if it's Mexican food (which is Dolorine's favorite).

The next time you're in the office, be sure and tell Dolorine hi.  It would make her day!

Before and After: Jamy Parker

When Jamy Parker came to us, she had gone through orthodontic treatment before.  However, her teeth had started to shift back to their previous position, and one of her front teeth was beginning to protrude.  

The result was that Jamy wasn't super confident in her smile.  She hesitated to smile too big because she didn't want people to notice her crooked front tooth.  So, she came to St. Clair Orthodontics for a consultation.

Because she previously had orthodontic treatment, Jamy was able to use Invisalign.  Her treatment time took less than a year, and the results were well worth every single minute.

She says, "I'm so happy to have my smile back! Invisalign was an easy and quick fix to my protruding front tooth.  I am no longer self-conscious and can smile a big smile."

Jamy's story is very similar to many of our patients who have gone through the Invisalign treatment process.  Most of these patients have had braces in the past, and so their estimated treatment time is less than a year (this will vary based on each case, but the time span is usually shorter than traditional braces.  Come see us for a consultation to find out how long your treatment would be!).

We loved the chance to be a part of Jamy's smile transformation.  She was such a great patient to work with, and we're so thankful for her kind words about our office and staff:

"Everyone at St. Clair was awesome, and your love for Christ shows in your service toward your patients.  Thanks, Dr. Massey, for making me smile again!"

Do you want a smile story like Jamy's?  Come talk to us today to hear how you can have a smile you're proud to show!

Meet Cheri Hurley!

It's very likely that you've seen Cheri Hurley as you've come to our office for an appointment.  We hope you've had the chance to tell her hi, and talk to her for a bit.  But, if not, we'd love to take a second and introduce her to you.

Before coming to St. Clair's, Cheri grew up right here in the Lubbock area, on a farm by Shallowater.  She went to Trinity High School and then attended Midland College, where she received a degree in General Studies, and Texas Tech, where she received a degree in Human Development and Family Studies.  

Cheri has been one of our orthodontist assistants for a year and a half.  Her favorite thing about working with our office is the opportunity to meet so may people, as well as getting to work with so many different patients and cases.

When she's not at work getting to be around so many of you, Cheri loves being active.  She enjoys playing basketball, working out, doing water sports, and spending time with her friends.  If she gets to pick where she and her friends are going to eat, she said the answer is a no brainer:  Italian always wins.  Given the choice of where she would spend her time, she would choose the beach any day. (And with our cooler temperatures lately, who could blame her!)

Since she is so active, it just makes sense that one of the people she would most love to meet is Coach K (boys' head basketball Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University).  She sees him as a very influential person for our generation.  Not only has he been incredibly successful in his career at Duke, he is always very intentional in the lives of his players as athletes and as people.  

Now that you know a little more about Cheri, you should give her a big hello the next time you're in the office.  And if you happen to be a Duke fan, feel free to yell out "Go Blue Devils!" the next time you see her (chances are she'll yell right along with you!).

Before and After: Lori Carver

Lori Carver is perfect proof you're never too old for braces.  And one look at her beautiful smile goes on to show that your smile can become even more beautiful with age.

When Lori first came to our office, she had some problems with her smile:  because of some issues with spacing and alignment, her teeth had become overcrowded.  Some were pushed forward while others were forced backward.  The overcrowding had also caused her to have some spaces in places that they didn't belong.

Fast forward to the end of her treatment.  Her teeth are lined up almost perfectly, and the random spaces are gone.  Because her teeth are correctly aligned now, it also changes the way her individual teeth look.  When they were not in line, some of them stuck out and were more noticeable when they should be.

Now, though, the only thing you notice is her beautiful smile.  And we think it couldn't be more perfect.

When asked what Lori thought about her treatment, and whether or not she would recommend braces, here is what she said:

"I was much older than most when I got braces. I was a little hesitant about
getting them but the staff was so supportive and informative about the
process. They made me feel better about getting them. The treatment time
went by so fast and it was a fun day when they came off  because of the
removal celebration they do for each patient.  I would recommend braces for
anyone at any age."

We would love to help give you the perfect smile you've always wanted!  Come see us today!

Meet Becky Moore!

Our featured staff member for the month of September is Bekcy Moore.  Becky has worked in our office for 18 years.  She worked here for six years, and then took a break to be  at home with her kids while they were still little.  She came back to work with us in 2000 this summer marked her 12th year with us.

Becky is our Lab Technician.  Her job is to make almost all of the appliances our office uses:  clear retainers, whitening trays, Damon and TMJ splints, space maintainers, expansion appliances, and many more.  Not only does Becky love getting to work with her hands, she loves the people she gets to work with at our office, and she loves our patients even more.  She says that one of her favorite things about her job is getting to help transform the smiles and the lives of our patients.

Becky grew up in Clovis, NM and graduated from Clovis High School.  She loves spending time with her family:  her husband Barry and their three children, Erin, Emily, and Nathan.  They are very active in their church (trinity Church) and really enjoy working with college students.  They try to encourage them to love God and to commit their ways into His plan for their lives.

When she's not spending time with family, working, or volunteering with her church, Becky spends her time cooking, gardening, and traveling.  .  Her favorite vacation spot has been the Oregon Coast.  She says that the Pacific Northwest is absolutely beautiful  with so many interesting places to enjoy and see.

If Becky could meet any celebrity, she would choose Laura Bush.  She thinks the former First Lady was a great role model, and Becky admires the way she was an advoate for literacy and children's education, as well as the way she carried herself during the time her husband was President.  

We hope you enjoyed getting to know more about Becky.  The next time you're in the office, be sure to tell her hi!

Before and After: Sergio

We love getting to share any and all of our patients' smile transformations.  It's so incredible for us to get to be a part of your lives in such a way.  But, it's really special for us to get be a part of this transformation for adults.  Sometimes adults think that they are too old for braces, or that they're too far past being able to change their smiles in such a way.

Sergio is visible proof that this is not even close to truth.  

Take a look at his smile before.  He's a good looking guy with a good smile, but looking close you can see a few things that he wanted to change.  There is a small gap between the front two teeth, and some issues in spacing and overcrowding.  

After a year of treatment at St. Clair's, Sergio was able to have the smile he wanted.  We love getting to see how great it looks on him now.  Take a closer look to see the changes:  the small gap between his front two teeth is gone, and the spacing issues have been corrected.  You can also tell a difference in his jaw line:  it's more defined and slightly more prominent than before.

Sergio's smile not only transformed his face, it also affected him in other ways:  he says that, "My new smile has given me more energy and confidence!  Everybody I run into now tells me what a great smile I have and how they wish their teeth looked as good as mine.  That's when I tell them that St. Clair Orthodontics works magic!"

We don't know that we're exactly magicians, but we do love getting to be a part of giving patients the smile they've always wanted.  We loved getting the chance to work with Sergio, and we would love to do the exact same thing for you!  

Meet Paula

At St. Clair Orthodontics, our specialty is bringing smiles to our patients' faces.  Most of the time, this work solely involves orthodontic treatment.  But sometimes our patients come with needs beyond their teeth.  That's where Paula Black comes in.

Paula is our Chaplain and Patient Relation Coordinator.  She has been with St. Clair's for five years, and her work with us has involved building relationships with any of our patients that might be hurting and need prayer, compassion, and concern.

When she's not caring for patients in our office, Paula loves spending her time with family and friends.  Her favorite past-time used to be riding motorcycles with her husband (can you picture her as a motorcycle mama?), but then she says that age and wisdom took over and she decided it was a little too dangerous for her.

Now her favorite way to spend her time outside of the office is by going with friends to watch girly movies.  One of her favorite actresses is Sandra Bullock, not just for her acting abilities, but also for the fact that she is caring and confident as a person, actress, and mother.  She also loves going to a good Chinese restaurant with her husband or friends.

Because she and her husband have family scattered far and wide, they get to travel a lot.  She loves going to Kauai, Hawaii and the Bahamas to see her daughters and their families (we still haven't been able to convince her to take our office staff yet, but we're working on it!).

We're so thankful to have Paula in our office.  The next time you come in for an appointment, be sure and tell her hi!  And if you need someone to talk to about anything, know that she's here for you!

Meet Kassy!

Have you met Kassy at our office?  Chances are you have a lot in common with her.

Kassy has been an orthodontic assistant at St. Clair's for a year and a half.  She grew up in Lubbock, went to school at Lubbock High, and graduated from Tech with a Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Studies.  We're so thankful that life brought her to work in our office.

Kassy loves her job, and it shows in the way she treats her patients.  She says that she loves the people she gets to meet and work with, and that she really loves the transformations she gets to see.

When Kassy isn't working at the office, she has several different hobbies.  She loves to read and cook, to play sand volleyball, and she plays the viloin.Her favorite food is anything Mexican, and she loves the travelling whenever she getst the chance.  She would be content going anywere near the beach, and for her summertime means baseball season.  She's a big Rangers fan, and Ian Kinsler if her favorite athlete, hands down.

Now that you know a little more about her, you should make it a point to tell her hi the next time you're in the office!

Before and After: Kaily

Take one look at Kaily Miller's before and after pictures, and the word transformation comes to mind.  When Kaily came to our office, we all thought she was a beautiful girl with a sweet spirit.  But, Kaily really wanted help achieving the smile she had always wanted.  

Kaily's smiler story is a great example of just how amazing of a smile the Damon system of braces can create.

Before her treatment, Kaily had a lot of issues with over-crowding, so much so that some of her teeth were forced to come in crooked.  Her alignment was off, and she had a few teeth that weren't quite the shape they should be.

After several months of treatments and using the Damon system of braces, Kaily now has an incredible smile.  It's amazing to see how fixing her alignment and overcrowding issues has not only enhanced her smile but her entire face.  Not only are her teeth all in a straight line, they also all have a uniform shape and appearance, giving her smile a much more pleasant brightness to it.

Kaily not only loves her new smile and the way it makes her feel, she says she also loved being in our office.  When we asked if she would recommend St. Clair's to a friend, she said, "Definitely!"

We would love the chance to transform your smile, just like Kaily's.  Come by and see us to find out more!

Meet Denice!

Denice Giannitti has worked as an orthodontic assistant at St. Clair's in Clovis for 10 years.  Denice grew up in Peru, Indiana and received her certification to work as an orthodontic assistant.  Life eventually brought her to Lubbock, and to our office.  We are so thankful that she is here.  

Even if you've met Denice before, there may be a lot you still don't know about her.  She loves games like sudoku and spider solitaire, and can out-play almost all of us.  Some of her favorite things include:

• playing with and walking her dogs
• baked chicken and homemade dressing
• The Enchanted Circle near Taos, New Mexico
• getting to see her patients' smiles every day

Denice says that if she could meet any famous person, she would pick Barbara Bush because she seems like such a kind, sweet person, almost like a grandmother figure.

We happen to think Denice is pretty great herself.  The next time you're in our office, be sure and tell her hi!

Before and After: Kim

Kim came to our office already having a glowing smile.  When you look at her before picture, you can see that.

However, you can also see that her smile had some issues with the way her teeth were aligned.  There are places where the teeth are overcrowded and some have been pushed in different directions.  If you look closely, you can also see that some of her teeth were a little mis-shapen.  

Kim says she really struggled with her confidence level before getting braces.  She had a hard time wanting to smile, and was conscious of what other people thought of her teeth.

  

Take a look at the beautiful impact braces can have.  Kim's teeth are beautifully aligned:  there are no signs of overcrowding or uneven spacing.  Her teeth also have a more uniform look and shape.  Don't you even think it has affected her face shape?  Before, her cheek/jawbone area seemed to protrude just a bit.  After braces, things have slimmed up a ton, and she has an incredibly beautiful face shape.

And she says that now, she can't stop smiling.

Besides the fact that Kim is so pleased with the result of her braces, we also appreciate her kind words about our office staff:  she says that everyone was so sweet and helpful and made having braces even better.  Those words mean a lot to us.  We are so grateful for each of our patients, just like Kim, and we work hard to serve you and make your experience with braces one you can smile about.

For those who don't yet have braces or have just started their treatment, Kim says to hang in there, because "It's totally worth it in the long run, and you'll have the best smile ever!"

Meet Suelin!

We love getting to introduce you to the different members of our St. Clair's team.  Up this month is Suelin.  Suelin works as an Orthodontic Assistant, which means she helps put your braces on, change out wires, and fix any problems you might have (like a loose bracket or a broken wire).  She has been with us for three and a half years, and really enjoys what she does.  Not only does she enjoy working with the different members of our staff, she also loves getting to be around all of you.

But what really makes Suelin's story so neat to us is how she came to work at our office.  Suelin has always been a Lubbock girl.  As a kid, she had issues with her teeth:  they were pretty crooked and poorly aligned.  Growing up, other kids made fun of her, and she was incredibly insecure about her smile.  Her family wasn't able to get braces for her until she was a senior in high school.  

The office they chose?  St. Clair Orthodontics.  Suelin says she loved coming to the office--the staff was incredibly encouraging, and she loved knowing that we were helping her to have a smile she could feel confident about.  Her time as one of our patients helped her realize she wanted to do the same thing for others.

After graduating from Lubbock High, she attended Dental Assisting Training Schools (DATS for short).  When she and her husband moved, she got a job as a dental assistant.  A few years later, they came back to Lubbock, and she ended up working with us.  We have been very thankful to have her as one of our staff for the past three years, and we're looking forward to having her on our team for many more.  

When Suelin isn't at the office, she likes to spend her time relaxing with her family.  She and her family all love living here in the LBK, and you can usually find them all having fun together at a local park, cooking up some delicious barbeque.  She also really enjoys playing tennis and learning about different make-up techniques and hair styles.  Someday, she wants her whole family to get to go on a cruise.  While she would prefer the beach, she thinks her kids would match rather go on a Disney World Cruise.  

Suelin says that if she could meet a celebrity, she would choose Beyonce.  Not only does she think Beyonce has an incredible voice, she also shows a lot of humility.  Plus, Sheila says that they are the same age and have somethings in common...except for the singing voice, of course :).

Suelin, we're so glad that you're here at St. Clair's.  And who knows?  Maybe some of you could end up working here someday!

Have you gotten the chance to meet Suelin?  Be sure and tell her "Hello" the next time you're in the office! 

Before and After: Abby

We would like you to meet Abby.  Abby is a former patient of ours, and we think she has an incredible smile.  We'd like to take a second to tell you about it.

When Abby first came to our office to get braces, she was a beautiful red-headed girl with a great, bright smile.  However, her smile had a few issues with alignment, spacing, and teeth shape.

If you take a look at a close-up picture of her smile before she began her treatment, you can see some of these issues.  Problems with spacing are visible, and you can see that her teeth are overcrowded, so much so that they actually point in towards her mouth, rather that staying mostly straight up and down.  

Besides these problems, Abby admits that her teeth also bothered her on an emotional level.  "I've always had issues and worries with my teeth."  Her smile is the last thing we want a beautiful girl like Abby worrying about.

But, check out the difference her treatment made:

Not only are her teeth more aligned, they are also now spaced out evenly.  There are no more issues with over-crowding, and they are all shaped uniformly.  And how does Abby feel about her new teeth?

"My new smile makes me feel really happy when I look in a mirror," she says.  

One thing to note.  As you can see from Abby's pictures, she began her treatment when she was still fairly young, right after most of her baby teeth had been lost.  She's a great example of the benefits of starting your braces treatment early on, so that new teeth can be trained to grow in correctly, aligned with the others.  

Thank you, Abby, for letting us be a part of helping you have such a bright smile!  If you're interested in finding out how we can be a part of your smile story, contact us today at 806.799.6780!

Meet Gwen!

You've probably seen Gwen Martin many times when you come into the office. She is one of our treatment coordinators here at St. Clair Orthodontics, and we are proud to say that she has been with us for 20 years. Gwen's job is to explain to a patient and their family how braces work, what their treatment will look like, and cover financial information. Whenever you first came into our office, you probably met with Gwen or someone like her, and she walked you through what things would be like for you.

Gwen loves the work she gets to do with all of our patients. Her favorite aspect of her work is meeting new patients and getting to build a relationship with them throughout their treatment time. She also loves getting to help each one of them achieve the perfect smile they've always wanted.

Besides developing relationships with all of you, family is incredibly important to Gwen. If you talk to her for very long, she'll definitely share with you about her beautiful granddaughter, 20 month old Tenley June, who loves to call Gwen "Mimzie." In just a few months, Gwen will have even more to share: granddaughter Suri Gray is due at the beginning of the summer.

Gwen's close family ties are also seen in her strong relationships with her husband, Dale (they have been married for 29 years, which we think is really cool!), her son, Matt, and her daughter, Natalie, as well as her mom and her sister. Since everyone lives pretty close to the Lubbock area, Gwen gets to spend a lot of her time with family (and she wouldn't have it any other way!)

Here are a few other things you might not know about Gwen: if she could go anywhere in the world, she would definitely pick the beach. She loves to be active, and her favorite food is Mexican (delicioso, right?!). Of all the people she could meet, at the very top of her list is Charles Stanley, a man who has dedicated his life to teaching God's truth boldly, and in a way that has really touched Gwen's heart.

Now that you know more about Gwen, be sure and tell her hi the next time you see her in the office. She really loves our patients, and your smiles make her day!

Meet Stacy

Remember those awkward pictures you had to take before you got your braces on: the ones where we put all kinds of things in your mouth and make it stretch farther than you ever thought it could?

If you do remember them, you also remember Stacy. She's the one behind the camera, who can make you laugh even when you have lots of things in your mouth.

Stacy has been a part of our St. Clair's team for seven years, working as our Records Coordinator. It's her job to make sure that we have pictures of what your smile looked like before you had braces, how it changes throughout the time of your treatment, and what the amazing final result looks like when your treatment is complete.

While she does her job well, there is so much more that Stacy does that goes beyond her job description. She makes you feel comfortable as soon as you meet her, and she will remember who you are the next time she sees you. Our office is definitely a much more enjoyable place to be because of her presence.

When she's not taking pictures in our office, Stacy enjoys shopping and reading a good book. Her favorite food is anything Italian, and she loves to take her nieces out for pizza. She also happens to be a Lady Gaga fan (how's that for something you might not have known about her?).

We can't tell you enough how thankful we are that Stacy is a part of our team. The next time you see her in the office, be sure and say hi to her (just make sure you do that before you have to put all the awkward things in your mouth).

Before and After: Ms. Platt

Our featured patient before and after story for February is Ms. Platt. Ms. Platt is one of our Clovis patients, and we loved getting to work with her, and to be a part of her smile transformation.

Here is a picture of what Ms. Platt's smile looked like before the braces. We definitely think she has always had a beautiful smile, but she wasn't pleased with the fact that her chin went so far forward.

If you look at a close-up of her teeth, you can also see that she had a slight underbite, which means that her top teeth actually went behind her bottom ones. Besides the underbite, you can also notice that her teeth seemed to angle in somewhat. None of these are huge cosmetic fixes, but we were definitely excited to help give Ms. Platt the smile she wanted!

After about 14 months of treatment, we have a completely different smile! The underbite is corrected, and the top and bottom teeth don't angle in any longer.

Ms. Platt's treatment consisted of changing her wires every 8-10 weeks and wearing rubber bands to help draw her teeth into better alignment.

When we asked her about her experience with us, and how she feels about her new smile, Ms. Platt said, "It was a very good experience, everyone in the office was so nice. I now show more confidence because my underbite is corrected!"

We also love the way her new smile really lights up her entire face. With the corrections made through our treatments, it really stretches out more, immediately drawing your attention to how beautiful it is. Julia Roberts, anyone?

Are you interested in being one of our amazing before and after stories? If so, contact our office today, and begin your smile transformation!

Meet Tammi!

What's not to love about Tammi? Besides the fact that she's been at St. Clair's for 20 years (yes, you read that right. She was 10 when she started!), she's one of the most energetic, fun people to be around.

Tammi grew up in Lubbock and has lived here since she was young. She loves this area and the people here, and wouldn't want to call anywhere else home. She takes a lot of joy in getting to know our patients and be a part of their lives, and she truly loves the co-workers she gets to work with (we think she's pretty great, too!).

Tammi works as on orthodontic assistant and clinical coordinator, which means you've probably seen her at the front desk and in the back when you get your braces on or have a check-up.

When she's not working, Tammi loves to be outside, working out, spending time with friends, or getting a nice tan. She loves a good steak (good thing she lives in Texas, right?), and one of her hobbies is music. In fact, when asked one person she would really love to meet some day, her answer was Adele--just so she could teach Tammi how to sing like her.

We happen to love your voice the way it is Tammi, and we're so thankful we get to work with you!

Be sure and tell Tammi hi the next time you're in the office. If you're really nice, she might even sing for you :).

Before and After: Krystiana

One of the things we love most here at St. Clair's is the transformation we get to see in the smiles of our patients. Krystiana's transformation is an incredible one.

When she first came to us, she was a beautiful girl, but she really wanted to see a change in her smile. After time with us, and after using the awesome Damon technology, Krystiana got to experience the change she was looking for.
She says:

"I love my smile! I have more confidence and Iove the compliments I get on my smile! I thank St. Clair for everything they have done to help make my smile so amazing. All the time, all I wanna do is smile!"

We thought Krystiana always had a great smile, but now it's one she is even more confident in sharing with others. The transformation has been surprising, even for those who saw her everyday:

"My friends were all amazed to see my final results. When my friends say they are wanting braces I recommend St. Clair."

But, the best news we can get is a smile that never stops--that's a true sign of success. And with Krystiana, we think we got just that:

"I must admit I have never smiled as much as I do now! Thank you so much St. Clair!"

You are more than welcome, Krystiana--we hope you never stop smiling!

Meet Sandra!

Have you ever wanted to know just a little bit more about the people that work at St. Clair's Orthodontics? It really only seems fair, since they already know a whole lot about you!

Once a month we want to feature one of our great staff members, and give you a little more information about him or her.

First up is Sandra Peterson. You've all seen her at the front desk, and made your next appointment with her. Sandra is the appointment coordinator at St. Clair's, and it's her job to make sure we don't schedule everyone to come see us all at once.

Here is just a little more you might not have known about Sandra:

Next month will mark her sixth year at St. Clair's. Her favorite thing about working here is getting to be the first person you see when you walk in, and getting to see your beautiful smile when you're done with your braces.

Before Sandra came to be part of our time, she grew up in Abilene, and went to college at Tech.

But besides working at St. Clair's, Sandra also loves to garden, entertain guests, hang out with girlfriends, and be Grandma to two really cute grandsons. Her favorite place to vacation is Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and she plans on taking the entire office staff there this summer (just kidding, Sandra!). She also really likes Mexican food, but found it was hard to eat with braces. She also would love to meet Richard Gere someday--she happens to think he's pretty good looking!

We hope you'll say hi to Sandra the next time you're in the office. Not only is she really good at her job, she also loves getting to see our patients. Make sure you show her your smile!