Being an orthodontist is the best job in the world, really! I get to help people look better and improve their confidence. Our patients are happy to be here, and that makes for a fun work environment. We are serious about orthodontics, but we don't take ourselves seriously. After a few visits, even the most reticent patient is full of smiles! Helping a person improve their confidence with a new smile is very rewarding. The team here at Shuswap Orthodontics is the core of the practice. If I am the architect of your smile, then they are the contractors. I could not do this without them and consider the team as my partners on an mission to improve lives. After completing my undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University, I attended dental school at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. After graduation, I was quite fortunate to be accepted to a five-year combined residency program in Orthodontics and Prosthodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where I was chief resident and recipient of the Patel Award in Orthodontics. I am certified in orthodontics by the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and am one of 13 dual-certified orthodontist / prosthodontists in the United States. I typically acquire over 100 hours of continuing education per year. My wife would call it an obsession, but I have always enjoyed learning and teaching. Throughout my career, I have been awarded four different fellowships in dentistry. I have given several presentations to various dental associations and am excited to present my first international lecture in Croatia this year! My efforts in continuing education at this time focus on contemporary orthodontic techniques, temporomandibular joint disorders, and growth modification for the purposes of facial balance and airway improvement. Knowledge is truly power, and in healthcare, power translates into helping people. The more you know, the more you can leverage information to improve lives. Improving lives is just cool and makes me feel good! I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and spent much of my childhood growing up in Wyoming. It was during that time in Wyoming where I fell in love with the mountains and snow. I moved back down south for educational purposes but always had a longing to get back to a cooler climate. My family and I feel extremely fortunate to call Salmon Arm home. We have been here 4 years now and still feel like we are on vacation. This is paradise! I have been lucky to be married to my lovely wife, Jennifer, (who you may see around the office) for 15 years now. We have two very active children, Estelle, who is 11 years old, and Oliver, who is 9. They both enjoy the outdoors, on the lake in summer, and on the ski hill at Revelstoke in the winter. My number-one hobby is alpine skiing. During the summer months, I enjoy biking, hiking, and wakeboarding on the lake, but it when it starts to cool and snow is in the forecast, I really get excited. I went on my first backcountry helicopter ski trip last season and it was a fantastic adventure!