Diablo Orthodontic Specialists

In 1988, Following a year-long journey of self discovery in Japan, I dedicated myself to a long-time goal of becoming an orthodontist. I was fascinated by the technology and by the transformations that the braces made in their appearance and in the subsequent improved quality of their lives. The practice of orthodontics later came to have special appeal because I realized that, just as with my sis

ters, orthodontists are able to create relationships over time with their patients and to actually make positive and on going changes in their lives. Orthodontists are not merely fixing something broken or relieving pain; they are engaged in promoting self-improvement and making dramatic quality-of-life transformations for their patients. I had previously earned a degree in Biology, which had served to satisfy my science requirements, so after returning from Japan I enrolled in the UCSF School of Dentistry, which turned out to be a rigorous training program that packed a lot of learning into four years. We were forced to master the basic sciences and then to understand how chemistry and physics worked in the materials and products of our profession. The best part of the program turned out to be the deep and enduring associations that I made with many of my classmates. Following graduation in 1994, I did a three year residency and earned a masters degree in Orthodontics at the University of Michigan, one of the top three orthodontic residency programs in the country. They have a reputation for applying the findings of progressive clinical research in creating out-of-the-box practical applications and solutions for orthodontic problems. After returning to sunny California one of my professors referred me to Northern California colleagues, and I subsequently spent ten years working as an associate in an orthodontic office in Moraga. The decade was a great one for me, exposing me to important details of an actual orthodontic practice that were never covered in school. I learned the day-to-day operations of an orthodontics office, mastered the art of care-management, and learned the most effective ways of encouraging and inspiring patients to thrive during their orthodontic experience including techniques for managing their rubber bands and keeping teeth clean. Diablo Orthodontic Specialists will never become a high volume practice; I want to preserve a level of service so high that nobody who comes to us will have any reason to enjoy a less than awesome orthodontic experience.