Last time I blogged here, we talked about new year’s resolutions and how hard they are to keep for a whole year, but how easy they are to keep for just a month. That gave me the idea to pick 12 different new year’s resolutions and commit to just one per month. You can be more successful with your  goals if you just keep one resolution a month and then move onto the next one.

And they don't even have to be tough resolutions. Maybe it’s as simple as abstaining from salt for a month. Maybe it's just keeping the dictionary by your bed and flipping it open every day to find a new word you don't know. Or saying “I love you” to your loved one every day—just for a month.

Another nice benefit is you take it easy on yourself. Without the guilt hanging over you you're more likely to keep doing it. And it's more fun!

When you accomplish your sit-ups in January, you may have started a good habit and you keep doing it without thinking about it. you don't worry about the other eleven months because you already met your goal. Now you just do it because you’ve developed the good habit.

And you don't feel guilty for quitting or giving up. You’ve reached your goal and fulfilled your commitment. When you're done, you're DONE!

Of course, I'd be a negligent orthodontist if I didn’t suggest choosing one month to commit to your oral care. Just promise yourself three minutes each morning and three at night for just one month and see if you don't develop a good habit thereafter.

You know the drill: brush gently for 30 seconds on your lower left teeth, 30 secs on your lower right, 30 on each your upper left and upper right. I taught my kids when they were little to hum the ‘Alphabet Song’ and ‘Row-Row-Row Your Boat’ for each quadrant.

Then spend the last minute flossing. Just promise yourself you'll be really, really good for just one month. Thereafter it will be easier: like any normal good habit.

When you visit us during the year, let me know if you have a ‘resolution of the month’ each time you visit!

Cheers! And good luck to you in 2010!

Dr. Jeff

3! ...2! ...1! ...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Is it REALLY 2010?! Like in, two-zero, one-zero? I mean, look at that date: 01.01.10--looks like a computer code! Seems like only yesterday it was 2009! (oh, wait... It was.)

Okay: Resolution time! What do you think the most popular resolutions are every year? I bet a dozen of them have already popped into your mind: get out of debt; diet; work out; develop good habits; eat right; etc. Believe it or not, one of the more popular ones is to spend more time with family.

There’s no shortage of ways we can improve ourselves. How many of you considered my idea of picking 12 different resolutions and knocking them out one month at a time?

What I like about the 12-resolution deal is that you not only accomplish more, but it’s also easier. Don't believe me? Try this: take a cell phone picture of the parking lot of any health club in January and compare it with a photo from the same angle in March. You, ‘get the picture.’

I don't criticize the ‘drop-outs.’ I know all too well how it is: we start off with all the best intentions in the world. We're ambitious to ‘knock out our goals’ and we're pumped up. Then comes February. Then comes March. Then we start dragging. Then I realize I'm not even halfway done and I'm already out of steam. That’s where most of us quit.

But if you have 12 short little resolutions: one for January, a different one for February, etc., you break your task down into neat little bite-size pieces. You might get tired of doing sit-ups by January 25th, but if you know you have less than a week to go, its easier to follow through and finish it! Chalk that one off and you're on to the next, new self-improvement with vigor and the added benefit of knowing you accomplished your goal.

That’s the general idea. I have more to say about this, but this blog is already too long. I'll wrap this up in a week or two.

Check back here later and I'll get you the rest of the scoop.

Cheers!

Your friend,
Dr. Jeff

I talk to a lot of other doctors in my business. One thing that sometimes comes up, not often but once in a while, is: how do I motivate my patients to ‘do their homework?’

For the most part, adults are easy: they're paying for it! Also, an adult who is willing to take the time needed for ortho treatment are already motivated to do what it takes to make a better smile. Kids, on the other hand, kinda take it for granted. This is something my parents make me do, they think. Some of my girl patients, for example, think of it as ‘tooth jewelry!’

But boy or girl, when they get out of the chair, say goodbye to the Village Orthodontics staff and are out the door, that’s when I worry. I wonder: will they wear their appliances? Will they obey the food restrictions? And are they caring for their teeth with regular brushing and proper flossing?

I don't wonder a month later when they come back in; I know! As soon as they get back in our chair again it’s obvious to us who’s been following instructions and who hasn’t.

That’s why we let our kid patients know up front on their first visit that we PAY THEM to care for their teeth--yeah, that’s right!! We reward the kids who are keeping up. Kids earn prizes if they 1) have no broken brackets, 2) for brushing and flossing regularly and properly, 3) if they're wearing their elastics and appliances and 4) if they make it to their appointments on time.

On their first successful return visit, they win a gold, one-dollar coin (Wait! It gets better!). When their second visit is successful they get a two-dollar bill—get it? One... Two... THEN, if their THIRD visit is successful, they get ... No, not a three dollar bill, but ... they get to SPIN THE PRIZE WHEEL!

This is a good motivator. We have awesome prizes for kids who earn the privilege to spin The Prize Wheel. They can win gift certificates for Coldstone ice cream, Blockbuster videos, Borders books, Target, McDonalds, Sonic, Starbucks, Bath and Body, and more!

So you see? It pays to give props to your chops! Later in life the kids, like my adult patients, will come to realize that have a great smile can be it's own reward.

Thanks for reading!

Your friend,
Dr. Jeff

I am looking forward to enjoying my family and friends this holiday weekend.

I'm thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for: my wife, my kids, my job, my staff, my patients and friends, living in this great country, my health and the health of my loved ones... and FOOD! Wow. There are people out there who don't have enough food. That's humbling.

I encourage you to ask yourself: 'what am I thankful for?' I imagine everyone has SOMETHING to be thankful for. Today is a great time to make a list of your blessings. When you're done, be sure to thank The One who provided you with those blessings.

After you have taken stock of what you have to be thankful for, it's good to think about how you can help someone less fortunate than yourself. You can't change the world, but you CAN change someone's world.

Blessings! and have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Dr. J.

At what age should you consider orthodontics for your kids?

7.

Thanks for logging in. Until next week....

Wait! Come back! I'm kidding!! Actually, the short answer really is “7-years-old,” but I think you deserve a more thorough answer than that.

Except in some rare instances, we almost never put a 7-year-old in braces. But age-seven is a great time to have the INITIAL examination (which means you should start THINKING about it when they're 6-1/2).

Most kids don't need braces until later, but at seven we can catch some orthodontic problems before they occur. There are certain ‘tells’ we can identify when a child is seven that can help us avert an orthodontic issue down the road.

One instance to consider is that orthodontic problems can ‘run in the family.’ If you have a kid already in braces with a younger sibling, it’s a good idea to bring in little brother or sister for a visit. We want to see if they have the beginning stages of an orthodontic problem. Sometimes a patient can avoid braces altogether if a problem is caught early.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking your child doesn’t need an ORTHO exam because their dentist hasn’t referred them. If your dentist is like most doctors I know, I trust them with their professional dental examinations. BUT (and this is an important ‘BUT’) only a specialist like one of us at Village Orthodontics has the training and experience necessary to spot early problems. It could be a pre-issue with their jaws, or their teeth. These are issues dealt with by an orthodontist, but not necessarily by a dentist.

And I'm not at all knocking my dentist friends: I send my kids to them for dental exams, and they send their kids to me for ortho exams. Your dentist will send you in for an ortho exam IF they spot a problem, but keep in mind they send their kids to me to spot problems they are not trained to detect.

You should read more about this on our webpage: ‘Why 9-year-olds in braces?’ for a more detailed explanation.

Keep in mind that you might save money down the road with an early examination. Start thinking about it when the kids are 6-1/2. It may be worth more to you and your child later on.

Until next time!

Dr. J.

Don't be surprised if some upcoming evening very soon, a vertically-challenged skeleton knocks on your door and demands a trick or a treat. One of these days I'm going to do a trick, JUST to shake things up!

Speaking of skeletons, here's an interesting historical tidbit: European skulls before the 1500s have better dental quality than those dating after. Why do you suppose that is? Think: what changed in Europe after the 1490s? Hint: 1492. Why is that significant? There's an interesting answer that makes both good sense and a good point...

THE REASON European skulls prior to 1500 have better dental quality than those after is: sugar! Sugar was discovered in the new world and brought back to Europe by Christopher Columbus (His day was October 12. Pardon me whilst I pat myself on the back for tying it all together!)

For all it’s uses, sugar has a very devastating effect on teeth. (PARENTS:) If you have an extracted tooth or (KIDS:) a baby tooth you lost recently, and it hasn’t been cashed in with the tooth fairy yet, try this experiment...

Some evening before bed time, put the tooth in a glass of a clear pop, like a lemon-lime soda. NOT a sugar-free one—that would defeat the purpose of the experiment. See what happens to that tooth in the morning. It turns into jelly! Now imagine drinking that pop, or any other sugary cola, and going to bed without brushing your teeth! Same thing.

I'm told on good authority you can still put that goopy tooth in a plastic bag and the fairy will pay full cash value for it. Trust me: I'm an expert.

Because of ‘jelly-tooth’ syndrome, I usually give out cool, stylin’ toothbrushes instead of candy this time of year. The kids like them, and I always get calls from parents thanking me for this considerate alternative.

Regardless of the problems it causes, candy is here to stay and it ain't going away anytime soon. So I propose a parent/child truce: Parents: let your kids have EXTRA candy IN EXCHANGE FOR the promise to brush right after each time.

Kids: if your parents are willing to give up extra candy as part of the deal, reward them with a good, solid 2-minute brushing afterwards. If you don't feel like brushing, as we all do sometimes, just think of that “7-Up jellyfish” that used to be your molar. Then try saying “trick-or-treat” without teeth. You might get a “chicker-cheat” next year instead.

--Dr. Jeff

To get you on the path toward a great smile, we start with your health history. This history covers not just your oral health, but any health issue that may, even indirectly, relate to your situation.

It begins when you complete the Health History form: One form is just for ADULT PATIENTS ages 18 and up. The other is for parents of patients under 18. Filling out this form gets us up-to-speed on how to reach--dare I say ‘exceed’--your smile goals.

Filling out these forms on VillageOrtho.net will reduce your appointment wait-time because we’ll have your medical information in advance. We can be ready for you right when you walk in. Also, many people prefer to type the form rather than filling it out by hand.

By doing the form online your appt is never delayed by us having to interpret a variety of handwriting styles. It is also easier for you because you can do it at home before your appointment where you have all your necessary documentation handy.

Because these forms ask for personal information, we purchased an SSL Certificate from our web hosting company (SSL = ‘Secure Socket Layer’). They assures us that your data gets sent to us privately so that it cannot be intercepted. But just as an FYI...

SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH if you are NOT using Explorer on a Macintosh.
Microsoft Internet Explorer stopped supporting the Macintosh operating system. We’re told by the SSL people that IE on Mac IS STILL SECURE, even though you get an alert that says, “unable to establish a secure connection...” That’s what THEY say, but we prefer to KNOW your info is secure when transmitting it to us over the web. Therefore, if you're using a Mac we recommend you fill out the form using Safari, Firefox, or some browser OTHER THAN Explorer.

OK, CONTINUE HERE
Part one of the form is about your personal information: who you are, where you live, your contact info, insurance info, social security, emergency contact, etc. Stuff we need but you want kept secure.

The second half of the form deals more with your medical history: your reason for wanting ortho care, family medical history, your general health, allergies, medications, etc.

My entire staff knows the sensitivity of gathering such information. Therefore, once you hit “Submit” only a few of us will have access to it. Those of us in the "Need-To-Know" category who receive your info treat it with the utmost care and sensitivity. We are equally discreet with both the adult and child health history forms.

When we receive your health history form, we are armed with the tools we need to get you the smile you deserve! If you're ready to get that great smile now, fill out the form here. Then we’ll be ready to do our part to make your smile the best it can be!

--Dr. Jeff

Hey again! Did you read my last blog-jog down Memory Lane? If not, take a sec to look at it. You'll like this one more if you do.

In my last blog, the bottom-line was when I was a kid I liked my dentist. He was nice to us and did little things to show us he cared.

That inspired me to this day. That’s why we do prizes, games and contests. I want our patients and their and moms and dads to know we enjoy them and that we care.

One thing my dentist did when I was a kid was have a shelf of trinkety little prizes. This is a nice memory, but I chose NOT to have a “Shelf-O-Prizes” at Village Orthodontics. Instead, our prizes are experience-oriented; prizes to be enjoyed with others: a ticket to the movies, a gift card for dinner somewhere, or Coldstone ice cream, or Target.

So if my Chachki-memories were so much fun, why don't we give out the trinkets? It's because the BEST gifts I've ever received were ones I could experience with others. When I got a new football for my birthday, it wasn’t the ball I loved; it was the great time I had breaking it in with dad and my brothers in the yard.

That’s why we give out prizes that are experiential. I think the BEST prizes include moments you can enjoy with others: mom or dad, your sister or brother, or your best friend. Even spending your Target gift card with friends is a lot more fun than spending it by yourself.

Don't get me wrong: I LOVED the little eraser monster I got from my dentist and stuck on the end of my pencil. But the only thing mom got out of it was a half-hour of quiet while I was distracted. The pencil monster was fun, but it wasn’t a shared experience. New things are nice, but they get old. However, experiences with friends and loved ones last a lifetime. Many fun memories even get better with the passage of time.

So, Kids: think of your moms and dads when you go to spend your prizes from us. Sure, you can bring a friend with you, but don't forget to reward your parents for loving you enough to take you to the orthodontist. The best reward you can give them is to be with them while you're having fun.

See you later!

--Dr. J

I remember visiting my dentist when I was a kid. I remember the big aquarium, in the “Age of Aquarius” no less, in the fake-wood-paneled waiting area. And I remember the Scholastic magazines on the tables—do they still make those?

In the examination area, there were three dentist-chairs in a row. Sometimes one or more of my brothers would occupy the other chairs next to mine—no sense making extra trips, right moms? And I vividly remember that bizarre, 60s-style mural that covered the wall in front of the chairs—presumably for our entertainment.

It was a wallpaper-type materiel rolled on in sections (it was peeling a little at the edges where they came together) with a giant black and white image of four giant teenage faces smiling at you. Maybe they were young adults? To a kid my age at the time, those groups were kind of indistinguishable.

I mean, these were GIANT FACES: they covered one whole, entire wall. Their chins dipped below the green shag carpet and their foreheads disappeared into the asbestos-flocked ceiling. I remember being simultaneously fascinated by the idea of hundreds of those stark black and white 1” squares and dots forming a photograph, and yet also repulsed by the weirdness of the pop art image—oh well, that was the 60s!

And THEN... there was the ‘Shelf of Prizes,’ a built-in bookcase with three shelves. The top shelf was for the kids who, you could tell, worked hard on their teeth all year and had great check-ups (back then, check-ups were once a year). The middle shelf was for those who just ‘passed,’ and the bottom shelf toys were awarded to any kid who just showed up and still had teeth in his mouth. To be honest, I don't remember any distinction in the quality of prizes from shelf-to-shelf.

Anyway, depending on my mood on any particular visit, I would alternately choose the bubble-wand, or maybe the square puzzle with the sliding numbers, or the rubber ‘eraser monster’ you stick on the end of your pencil, but never worked as an eraser.

Looking back I think it was nice. I now realize as cheap as the ‘Shelf of Prizes’ was, it was still a demonstration of my dentist’s care for us. He wanted to make our yearly visit to the dentist office more pleasurable.

So, did you enjoy my little trip down Memory Lane? Come back next week because I want to compare—maybe even contrast—how that kind dentist inspired me: the ideas he had that I improved upon (one hopes), and how I like to reward my kid-patients when they visit me at Village Orthodontics.

‘Til Next time!

--Dr. J

Read part II here

We've been in business for 25 years. I think one of the reasons we've had the privilege of being around this long is because we really love what we do.

Loving our jobs, this practice, our coworkers and our patients is a spiral UP for everyone who touches this practice. Because we love our practice we treat our patients well. They reciprocate by being glad to be here, and that makes us love our job more.

Fun and friendship are important values we nurture here at VO, and we’re constantly seeking new ways to serve our patients.

We started as just an orthodontia practice back in 1984, and we’ve been continually in the process of growing Village Orthodontics into a full-service ortho-care facility by adding additional services such as Zoom whitening, Invisalign, Vivera, Radiance, and others.

Now today in 2009 we’ve ramped up our in-house pediatric dentistry, just for kids ages 0 all the way up to their 18th birthday.

I like to think Village Orthodontics will outlive me. That’s why I didn’t name my practice, “Dr. Jeff Haskins Orthodontics” back in ‘84, because then as now I hope with the right staff and successors, Village Ortho will be around for it’s 50th anniversary, long after I'm gone.

So, join us for the fun and friendship as we celebrate our 25th year serving our community. Let’s hope the next 25 are as great as the last! And so on!

And so on!

--Dr. J

Jennifer brought in her daughter Shae for the first time today and I asked her what her visit was like.

“It's awesome,” she said. “The office is beautiful and welcoming: fun for kids but appealing for adults.” I was glad to hear it because that’s what we aimed to do.

Our receptionist Marion was disappointed that Shae’s sister Ashie was sick and had to miss her appointment today. We hope she feels better quickly. Then Marion showed Shae how to check in with the computer on the counter. Shae, a junior-higher, enjoyed checking in by herself. She said it made her feel like she was taking responsibility for her doctor visit, and wasn’t just tagging along with mom.

Jen got a Starbucks from the complimentary coffee machine and was shown how to do the paperwork while Shae enjoyed a hot cocoa and watched ‘Night at the Museum’ in the waiting area. “I liked how your staff walked us through this,” Jennifer said. “You guys made it really easy and comfortable.”

Then they met with Chris Easton for the preliminary consultation. “I like it that she talked to me,” said Shae. “She didn’t just talk to mom ABOUT me. I got to be in the conversation.” Then we photographed Shae’s teeth and discussed the photos with her and mom.

Shae didn’t want braces, so we talked about her options. We explained our strategy and why we do what we do and how we do it. Chris showed them pictures while explaining the entire process. “It was a learning experience,” said Jennifer. “I felt really good about that. She told us exactly what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen... It’s comforting to be given that kind of ‘heads up’.”

Shae got spacers today, and she’ll come back for brackets and rubber bands next week. Because of her oral situation she’ll initially need to do braces for a little while. But fortunately she can have Invisalign Teen like she wanted by the time she’s in high school. Shae picked the colors for her rubber bands from the color wheel. “I usually don't get choices at a doctor’s office,” she said. “Other doctors TELL me what I have to do. I like it that I get to make decisions here.”

Shae’s excited to come back, and so is Mom. “It was like, full disclosure,” Jennifer said. “I've never had such a good visit to a doctor or dentist.”

That makes my day! Thanks Jen and Shae for visiting us today and letting me tell others about your experience here at Village Orthodontics.

Happy Days!

--Dr. J

Hey friends, the new Pediatric Dentistry office on Parker Rd. is almost done! When that August day is here, we’ll have a dentist that specializes in Kids teeth in all our locations.

If you're a regular patient of mine then you already know about the pedio-dentistry services we have in Greenwood Village and Arvada. Dr. Bryan Savage and I have teamed up to form the perfect dental-ortho team to be full-service for the families here in the south metro Denver areas.

Dr. Bryan went to high school in Littleton and later got a B.S. degree in Exercise and Sport Science at CSU. Dr. B continued his education at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in Denver, earning his Dental degree. He then completed a two-year pediatric specialty residency in Dallas, Texas.

During his time in Dallas, Dr. Bryan was a resident at Baylor College of Dentistry, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

As a certified member of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and an active member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association, he is a private practice preceptor for the advanced clinical training program at the University of Colorado School of Dentistry.

Dr. Bryan and his wife Krissy have two sons. In addition to spending time with his family, Dr. Bryan enjoys cycling, hiking, skiing, and watching Colorado Avalanche hockey. You can learn more about Dr. B here on our web site.

Cheers!

--Dr. J

Last week was a fun week for me. I love hockey and golf, and it was really cool to see two of my patients in the sports pages.

On Thursday my patient Wyndham Clark who goes to Valor CHS was written up in The Post’s ‘Golf Extra’ section. The headline reads, “Teen with big-time talent, ambition” -- There's one for the scrapbook!

Some of you who have seen my office may have surmised I take a little fancy to watching and playing golf, too. I get out on the course every chance Kristina lets me get away with the kids. So it’s been fun to watch Wyndham grow up and play. His short game is fabulous. Wyndham is a natural at his sport, and I look forward to seeing where he takes the game.

And if THAT weren't enough, the very next Tuesday I see The Shore boys in the same paper. The Shores have been friends and neighbors of the Haskins family for years, and it's exciting to see the Four Shores grow up and excel at their sport. Drew, 18, Nick, 16, Quentin, 15, and Baker, 9 were on the front of the Denver Post sports page on under the headline, "Brothers rank high in the rink." All of them look like they're on their way to exciting things in professional hockey.

The three older ones are in ortho care now, and Baker is almost ready for braces too soon. They're great patients and the Village Ortho staff loves it when these kids come in.

I’ve got other patients doing exciting things as well. Will tell you more about them as I learn more. And if YOU'RE a VO patient and you're doing something fun and interesting, let me know about it! I want to brag about you.

And Parents: Are your kids doing exciting things? Are they in the school newspaper? Are they in the local news? Let me know about that too so we can pass it along to their friends here at Village Orthodontics!

Thanks! Until next time... --Dr. Jeff

Hope you had an excellent Independence Day weekend!

Last time we talked about a couple of before-n-after cases that I thought were good examples of how Village Ortho can improve smiles. I want to tell you about just a few more.

The child in Case Three used to suck her thumb which caused an open bite problem for her later on. The matter was complicated by a tongue thrust swallowing pattern. Before we could begin ortho treatment, she needed to see a speech pathologist stop the thumb sucking and learn how to swallow properly.

We and the pathologist worked together to fix a complicated oral problem created by a simple childhood habit. Her ‘after’ picture shows you how great her smile looks now. Point to the picture to see the 'before-n-after' comparison: http://villageortho.net/Before_and_After/index.html#3

Our Case Four patient had a Class I malocclusion with a tendency to underbite: http://villageortho.net/Before_and_After/index.html#4 There was also a posterior crossbite with severe crowding. This patient's chief concern was the fanged upper eye tooth and the upper front teeth were behind the other teeth.

To fix this, we used a comprehensive non-extraction orthodontic treatment with an upper expansion. We corrected all areas of concern and gave the patient with a beautiful cuspid protected occlusion.

Finally, in Case Five we had an adult patient with a significant anterior open bite. There was also excessive spacing between the upper two front teeth. Her chief concern was with difficulty biting sandwiches, and the dark spaces when she smiled. The challenge was that she did want to wear braces for career reasons: http://villageortho.net/Before_and_After/index.html#3

The Solution: We used a clear aligner treatment to close the open bite and the front spaces. Thus we created an award-winning smile without braces!

So no matter what your situation, be sure to consult with Village Orthodontics. We’re certain we can improve your smile!

Have you seen some of these incredible 'Before-n-After' pictures of what good orthodontia work can do? You should see these.

Case One – This young lady had a Class 1 malocclusion (normal jaw relationship). Her teeth were crowding and her eye teeth were coming in high. Case one also had a gummy smile and couldn't close her lips without some discomfort.

We helped her with braces which corrected the gummy smile and lined up the moderate teeth-crowding. if you mouse-over this photo: http://villageortho.net/Before_and_After/index.html#1 -- you can see the before-and-after improvement in both her smile and her teeth.

In our next case, Case Two, this patient had what we call a "Class III malocclusion"--a fancy term for an underbite--along with a narrow upper jaw, aka "crossbite," and her lower jaw was too strong. Both arches had pretty bad crowding, but she was mainly concerned with the crossbite and the teeth-crowding.

But take a look at this picture and see how we were able to help: http://villageortho.net/Before_and_After/index.html#2 We chose to blog this case because it was a good example of how a crossbite and crowded teeth can be corrected with just braces and an expander in only one phase of treatment.

I want you to come back and check this blog later so you can see what we did in cases three, four and five.

Til next time!

Call me crazy, but I think every orthodontist should have a philosophy of treatment.

Now, when I say 'Philosophy' I'm not talking about Pascal or Kierkegaard here. What I mean is as a doctor I believe it's important to think through how I treat patients. Your oral care isn't just a 9-to-5 to me.

I've refined my 20+ years of experience to these three simple ideas:

1. Care and comfort. When I tackle a problem involving your physiology, I don't just go in 'gang-busters.' Your dental situation can be fixed with a minimal amount of discomfort because my staff and I take the time to care for you while helping you. You won't smile if you're in agony, and I want you to leave my office with a great smile!

2. Friendly atmosphere. We’re pretty proud of our Village Orthodontics people and offices because we’ve worked hard to make it a place you want to be. The parents and patients who come through our doors are family to us. We welcome you to think of us that way as well.

3. Technology is awesome! Long ago after college I knew that everything I learned would change—and it did! There are so many great advances in oral and dental technology, and I want to make sure I'm riding the crest of that wave. Let the other DDS’s stick with what they got 20 years ago--I'm always looking for new and advanced ways to make your smile look better, do it faster, with less pain, more convenience and better looks during treatment.

You can read more about my practice beliefs and treatment goals here on my philosophy of treatment web page.

Thanks for reading this. Cheers!!

Big News! VO Pediatric Dentistry is opening in the Piney Creek office August 7th.

Now our Centennial, Aurora  and Parker patients can have the convenience of top children's dentist Dr. Bryan Savage @ both Village Orthodontic locations plus in his Arvada office.

Dr. Bryan brings a wealth of experience and the knowledge of being a dad himself to the VO starting line-up.

Bryan and his wife Kristy are very active parents of two young boys themselves, Steven, age 6 and Collin, age 2.

Please call 303-422-3746 to schedule an initial visit with VO Pediatric Dentistry.

Howdy, all.

One of the nice things about having a new web site is you get a chance to learn more about the awesome staff here at Village Orthodontics.

For example: I'll bet you didn't know that Marion, the first person you meet when you call or enter Village Ortho, and her husband and kids have a passion for Boxers (the dogs, not the people who hit each other) and is an active volunteer for the Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue Society.

Or take my friend Chris for example, the Treatment Coordinator. Though she doesnt look like it, who knew that she has 4 grown kids and 6 grand kids, and has worked for me for 22 years!

You can learn a lot about the friends you have made here at your Ortho office by reading their bios. Let's see if you can figure out who owns a a beagle named Max, which of the Village People is my “Husker” connection, and who is the newest Clinical team member here at Village Orthodontics.

Anyway, we love our staff and are grateful for them. I would love it if you would click here to read more about them.

They are a real fun bunch to get to know. Enjoy!

Hey Guys: I am REALLY excited about my new web site! I hope you enjoy it as much as the team and I enjoyed creating it.

I have reason to believe it's the very best ORTHODONTICS web site IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! Am I being subjective? OK, what OTHER orthodontist web site would YOU nominate?

How many orthodontists do you know have CARTOONS on their site? And those created by my patients! I've teamed up with JamesSchuler.com to have my patients make their own cartoons. Our first winner is Blake Nolan of Littleton with his hit, 'Tooth Brigade!'

We plan on making a contest with the home-made cartoons--the idea being my kid patients draw pictures, write a story, and I'll pick a winner every other month or so for JamesSchuler.com to scan, record you and your friends, and animate it!

OK, so that's ONE new thing with the new web site. I'm guessing the first several blogs I post here will be about cool new things you will find here at VillageOrtho.net.

Stay tuned, and visit often!! There's more to come!!