SPOTLIGHT on KATIE

Katie is originally from the Lakes Region who has spent half of her life in TN and traveled.  She re-planted her roots back in the Lakes Region two years ago when she joined the awesome Kennell Ortho Team!  Katie graduated the Dental Assisting Program in Chattanooga, TN in 2007.  She has since worked as an assistant, treatment coordinator and office manager in general, periodontics, oral surgery and orthodontic offices.

Katie enjoys spending time with family, traveling, painting, camping, hiking, skiing and being at the beach any chance she can get.  She has two beautiful daughters who are the light of her life! Berylin is soon to be five and full of life… and sass. Aribella is nine months old and happy as can be.

Katie is extremely honored and grateful to be a part of this fantastic team!

The number one goal of orthodontic treatment is to give you or your child a good bite, meaning straight teeth that work well with the teeth in the opposite jaw. A good bite makes it easier for you to eat, chew and speak. It can enhance your dental health and overall health, and may well improve your self-esteem. As a part of your comprehensive dental health care plan, orthodontic treatment can help you retain your teeth—and your smile—for a lifetime.

Let your smile express yourself! Nothing can show the world how happy you are quite like a beautiful smile. In fact, it’s one of the first things others notice about you, too. With orthodontics, you can be proud to flash your smile, because you’ll know that your smile truly represents your positive attitude.

Make your mouth healthy! Straight teeth aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy as well. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to clean, reducing the amount of plaque buildup and risk for gingivitis. The cleaner you keep your teeth, the longer they’ll last!

Feel free to live your life! Orthodontics is easier today than ever before, with treatment options that fit your lifestyle and schedule. We can personalize your treatment to suit all of your needs!

Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder if your smile could be straighter? Do you wonder how your bite would benefit from orthodontic treatment? With spring in full swing, Kennell Orthodontics hopes that you’ll see the new season as a fresh start for your dental health!

It's National Teen self-esteem month in the month of May, so what better time to talk about the importance of teen self-esteem. Actually self-esteem in all ages is really important! National Teen Self-Esteem Month was established to create awareness about the negative effects poor self-esteem causes among the teen population. During this month, parents and guardians are encouraged to act as positive role models, help stop negative self-images, and improve confidence and security among adolescents.

What is self -esteem? The Webster’s dictionary says: Self-Esteem-The esteem or good opinion of oneself. Now lets look at what Esteem is- to set value on, to regard with respect. So, for us to have self-esteem we need to have a good view of ourselves and be respectful to ourselves as well. Why is self-esteem so important? One, we make better decisions for ourselves when we are not lacking self-esteem. We want to value who we are, love who we are and make good decisions for our self, to reinforce our self worth, thereby strengthening our self-esteem.

Treating ourselves with respect is totally in our hands, we have complete control over this one. If you have the choice to do something good or bad for yourself, you have the choice to do what’s good, and no one can stop you. We have to remember that our opinion of ourselves really starts with us, not outside influences - not people, not the media!

Here are a couple quick tips to strengthen and maintain our sense of self and build confidence:

• Learn to love yourself for who you are
• Respect yourself, make good decisions
• Know your opinions of yourself, come from you, not the opinions of others
• Realize what make you shine is on the inside, not what you look like

So, go out in the world and know you are good enough and are perfect just the way you are. And remember, although it might sound cliche, treat others the way you want to be treated!