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!

Meet Becky Holmes

If "love-ful" was a word, it would be the perfect one to describe Becky.  

She has a lot of love for a lot of things:  she *loves* working at St. Clair's, and has been here for 14 years.  She *loves* the opportunity to care for people, and to be such a special part in transforming their lives through an amazing smile.  

She also *loves* Lubbock, where she has lived her entire life.  She went to high school at Monterrey and attended Texas Tech for two years.  Then she came to our office, and we love her so much we won't let her leave ;).

As if that wasn't enough love, Becky also loves chocolate--her all-time favorite food, interior design and riding bikes as often as she can.  Her favorite past time, though?  Spending time with her amazing kids.

Becky also has a strong love for the Lord.  One of her favorite people to meet would be Billy Graham.  She says, "to talk to someone so close to God would be invaluable.  To see life from his perspective would be an honor!"

We count it an honor to work with you, Becky!  Thank you for all you do!

Why Should I Get Braces?

Our smiles are a big part of our identity and how we are perceived by our peers. Consider this -- in a recent survey of more than 1,000 Americans (age 18 and over), 72% of the respondents agreed that people of all ages with healthy straight teeth are typically treated better in social situations than those with noticeably crooked teeth. Conversely, nearly half said that crooked teeth leave a negative first impression. With the breakthrough of new orthodontic technology, it's easier than ever to improve your smile and experience the difference.

How old is "too old" for orthodontic treatment?

Braces aren't just for kids anymore. Teeth alignment can be changed at any age if your gums and bone structure are healthy. Orthodontists offer a variety of treatments that are designed for different age groups - including adults. Orthodontic treatment at later stages in life can dramatically improve your personal appearance and self-esteem. Improving the health of your teeth and gums is equally important. Crooked teeth and a bad bite can contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay, abnormal wear of the tooth enamel and surfaces, even headaches, and sometimes jaw joint (TMJ/TMD) pain. A new smile can begin today.