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!