How hard is it to be an orthodontist?

I get asked this question fairly often. Mostly what people want to know is how long did I have to go school to be an orthodontist (10 years - 4 years at SMU for an undergraduate degree, 4 years at Baylor College of Dentistry to become a dentist and 2 years at St. Louis University to get my specialty training in orthodontics.) But I’ll tell you that these 10 years were not the hard part - they took a lot of time and a lot of hours studying, but for someone who liked school, this wasn’t “hard”.

For me, the hard part of being an orthodontist is a couple of things. 1) An orthodontist holds the responsibility for their patient’s orthodontic outcome. I have to give 100% every day, regardless of my own personal circumstances. Of course, patients have to do their parts as well, like wearing rubber bands, not breaking braces and such. However, the ultimate responsibility is in my hands and that responsibility is something that I must always take very seriously. 2) Sometimes my patients are having a bad day and really don’t want to be at the orthodontist office doing somethat that will make their teeth sore. Giving people grace and still getting work done can be tricky. 3) Managing a business is far different than straightening teeth. I love being an orthodontist and being my own boss, however there are times that running a business can be tough.

You may notice that the hard parts of being an orthodontist can also be some of the most rewarding parts of being an orthodontist. Getting to admire a beautiful smile on a face that once had a bunch of crooked teeth is something that brings me great joy. Having empathy with my patients and helping them to know that I’m on their side, even when it seems like the rest of the world is not, is a great priviledge. Providing employment and a good work environment to my staff is something that I’m so proud to be able to do.

But isn’t that how life goes? Things that come easy are not nearly as rewarding or memorable as those things that take a lot of effort. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be an orthodontist and to run Ellis Orthodontics - even if part of that opportunity is “hard”.

Technology Updates Update

Some of you may have noticed that Ellis Orthodontics is updating our technology. Last year, we introduced digital scanning with the Medit Scanner and digital printing with our FormLabs 2 digital printer. This has made the patient experience more comfortable and the quality of our lab work more predictable and precise. This year we are introducing our new patient management system Greyfinch, which will improve our ability to interact with our patients, allow our patients the ability to access Ellis Orthodontics related information and just all around improve the ability of our practice to serve our patients.

Please know that even though we are updating our technology, we still take great pride in delivering personalized, friendly orthodontic services to our patients and will continue to do so. As always, you are welcome to contact us directly the old fashioned way, via phone or email. Introducing new technology is not without it’s bumps and hiccups along the way. Thank you for your patience as we get all of these changes up and running.

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Help us welcome Kristen!

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Ellis Orthodontics is pleased to welcome Kristen to our staff.  Kristen has many years of experience in orthodontics and will lend a hand as both Dr. Ellis's chairside assistant and new patient coordinator.  Dr. Ellis is thrilled to have such an experienced, friendly person join the Ellis Orthodontics team.  Our mission is to provide exceptional orthodontic care to our patients.  The hard work of our valued staff make that mission possible.