A little over two years ago, I began my hunt to find an Orthodontist to align with my needs. I honestly felt a combination of emotions. First being, slightly silly and second, ashamed.
Silly because I was freshly 28, and I personally felt too old to be getting braces. I thought to myself, if I were to attend appointments were prepubescent teens trolling Tik-Tok going to be like, "Lady, J.JILL is around the corner, get outta here," (accent a la Joey Tribbiani from Friends) or "who's Mom is this?"
And ashamed because I wasted my teenage years not properly taking care of my teeth after my first treatment when I was 14. Mom, if you're reading this, I'm sorry for tossing your money down the drain--I hope I am still your favorite kid, I promise I won't tell my siblings, and you're the real MVP. 14 years later, and my teeth were back to square one.
In total, I went to 3 consultations. My third being with Dr. Estes. You know that phrase, "third times a charm?" While it probably shouldn't be said during open heart surgery or driving a heavily loaded SUV over a thin wooden bridge suspended 500 feet in the air-- I can say this with confidence, it flashed in my head, in LARGE, bold, letters, after meeting with Dr. Estes and her team. It just clicked--this was the squad that was going to help me achieve my teeth goals.
First and foremost, Dr. Estes administrative and billing team are quite literally, God sends (Claire, Krystal and Kathleen, ya'll are the bomb!) Any orthodontic treatment comes with an expected cost. They worked with my insurance, and my out of pocket flexibility--where I feel like the two other offices I consulted with, just straight up wanted my coins. Dr. Este's team was quick to respond to my eight hundred thousand questions, and all answers were laced with kindness while simultaneously being extremely informative. I never felt shortchanged through the entire process--it incredibly was seamless.
Dr. Estes' approach for my treatment was well thought out and straightforward. It was decided to do a two-year bout of Invisalign. Her bedside manner is THE BEST. She is kind, caring, personable, and professional. Dental work, in general can be nerve racking for me, but Dr. E truly put my crawl-into-the-fetal-position anxiety at ease. A year into my treatment was my wedding, and Dr. Estes offered to take off my Invisalign hardware for me, for photos. Although Invisalign isn't aggressively obvious, I found it so considerate of her to offer, as we all want to look the best on our big day. This is just one of many examples of how well Dr. E takes care of her patients.
Dr. E has a solid team of orthodontic assistants. One in particular who worked with me often, was Gary. Gary took my initial x-ray's and photos, did handful of my adjustments mid-treatment, and took my impressions for my retainers post-treatment. X-rays and impressions in particular can admittedly entail some uncomfortable moments. I was amazed how lightning FAST he was. I kid you not, impressions took less 5 minutes, and Gary is so knowledgeable in his field--he genuinely loves what he does and that translates to his work.
Today was my removal day, and I am incredibly happy with the results. The only thing I am sad about now, post-treatment, is that I won't get to see them as regularly. I whole heartedly recommend and back Dr. E and her team, and if I could give them a million stars, I would. read more