hunter’s similar top + here + jeans + shoes  ||  hudson’s similar jacket + similar joggers + here + shoes

Somehow the years have flown by and we already have TWO kids in the braces stage! I feel like I was just going through all of that myself and yet here we are! A lot of you seem to be in the same boat too! As much as it can be a hard + stressful stage, we have loved working with Dr. Elison and his team! They are always so friendly and willing to answer alllll the questions we ever have. When we shared about our appointments over on Instagram you had so many questions too, so we reached out to Dr. Elison and he took the time to answer them all for you!! From why we chose him + his team to the ins and outs of braces, we’ve covered it all below!

:: WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE DR. ELISON AND HIS TEAM? (this first one was for me of course, not Dr. Elison)

Joe and I are a little crazy when it comes to things like this. We do a TON of research before committing. When we knew we were about ready to get the kids started on braces, I asked for all of your suggestions over on Instagram. We got probably 20 different ones. Once we narrowed it down to the ones closest to our area, we started asking around for friends opinions. We even went in, and had consultations with more than one office.

I can’t even begin to tell you how impressed we were with Dr. Elison and his whole office. He took the time to explain everything in a way we could all understand, and answered so many of our questions. And don’t get me started on his other employees. First of all they are so kind and welcoming. Sometimes when you come in to an office like that with a herd of 5 kids (2 of them toddlers) you can feel that you are a disturbance or a bother. We NEVER felt that with them. They always go out of their way to help me out with anything. In addition to that, they do such a great job of making sure your kids who are going through these crazy changes and pain of braces fully understand what is going on and feel like they understand and can ask questions.

I suggest really looking into the office and all of the employees, not just the orthodontist, when making your choice. This isn’t a one time thing, you are going to in there every 6 weeks, so you want it to be a place you really feel comfortable with how you are treated as well as their skills and professionalism. You will hands down get that from Dr. Elison!!

:: WHAT AGE SHOULD YOU START BRINGING YOUR KIDS IN TO CONSIDER BRACES? WHY HAS THE RECOMMENDATION CHANGED TO DOING BRACES IN 2 PHASES? IS IT BETTER TO START OUT YOUNGER?

When most people think of orthodontics, they think of teenagers. And the fact is, most orthodontic treatment begins between the ages of 9 and 14, however, by age 7, most children have a mix of adult and baby teeth. Orthodontists can spot subtle problems with the jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present. That’s important because some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are found early. For these reasons, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that your child get an orthodontic check- up no later than age 7. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.

Even if a problem is detected, your orthodontist may not recommend immediate treatment. Chances are, I will take a “wait-and–see” approach, checking on your child from time to time as the permanent teeth come in and the jaws and face continue to grow. For each patient who needs treatment, there is an ideal time for treatment to begin in order to achieve the best results.

Sometimes a problem might be found that can benefit from early treatment. Early treatment may prevent more serious problem from developing, and it may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. Typically, early treatment involves guiding the growth of young bones and creating a better environment for the adult teeth as they emerge. In some cases, we are able to achieve results that wouldn’t be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing. Early treatment gives us the chance to guide jaw growth, lower the risk of trauma to protruded teeth, correct harmful oral habits, improve appearance and self-esteem, guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position, and improve the way the lips meet.

:: What happens when you start braces early and then wisdom teeth arrive?

A common belief is that wisdom teeth cause crowding of the front teeth, but many studies have shown this is not the case. However, most people do need to have their wisdom teeth removed because there simply is not room for them to erupt. After each case is completed we do x-rays and evaluate the state of the wisdom teeth and make a plan with the patient as to what should be done. If necessary, we will then refer them to an oral surgeon.

:: Would you recommend braces or Invisalign as an adult? I had braces when I
was younger but my teeth have shifted.

Invisalign is great for cases that aren’t really complicated. For someone who has issues with their bite or crowding braces would more than likely be a better choice. Sounds like in this case, where the patient already went through braces and then has experienced some shifting, Invisalign would be just as good of an option as
normal braces.

:: BEFORE’S ::

:: Do you recommend getting a permanent retainer or not? Are there positives
and negatives to having one.

After orthodontic treatment is completed retainers are necessary to keep the teeth from shifting. I prefer to use retainers that are bonded to the back of the teeth. The great benefit of this is that they cannot be taken out and lost or forgotten about. Cleaning the teeth is a little harder but by using a floss threader cleaning between the teeth is not difficult. However, in certain cases, if hygiene is an issue, I will do a removable retainer instead.

:: How much does a round of braces typically cost?

The cost of braces depends on what the treatment is. Orthodontics costs about $2,000-$5,000. We do initial exams at no cost to the patient so it is easy to come in to our office and find out exactly what your individual case would entail.

:: Are bottom braces really necessary? Or is it just extra as more of a cosmetic
thing?

Yes, bottom braces are usually a necessary part of orthodontic treatment. As the teeth are moved, it is important that we are able to use both the top and lower arches to align the bite.

:: Why are braces better than invisalign for kids?

There are always exceptions, but for the most part braces are better for children because we are correcting not only crowding but in most case we are also correcting their bite. Invisalign is great for cases with minimal crowding, but doesn’t allow us to correct problems with the bite. And honestly, Invisalign requires a lot of compliance, which isn’t always easy for kids.

:: Do you offer any kind of family (multi-kid) discount?

Yes!! Each additional child in a family that is brought in to our office for treatment receives a discount.

:: My daughter just got braces a few months ago, and we are now moving out of
state. Can we continue with our current set with a new orthodontist, or are we
going to have to start completely over?

Great question. We have patients transfer in from other areas and we also have patients that move. A lot of orthodontists will accept patients who are already in treatment. I do, because I know that I would want my patients who move out of state to be able to continue their treatment. As far as continuing on with the braces that are already in place, for me, that depends on the individual case. If everything seems to be going well and I like the braces that they have on then I just pick up and continue on with their treatment. However, sometimes I will see patients that I don’t like what is happening with their previous treatment .

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Hopefully this helps answer your orthodontist questions! I know from experience making all the decisions regarding braces can be overwhelming, and we have been so grateful to Dr. Elison and his sweet team for not only being so knowledgeable, but always taking the time to explain things not only to me but to my kids so they understand the whole process and feel included in the changes. If you have any other questions, please leave them here and we will add it to the post!

joe’s top + pants + shoes  ||  my dress (similar) + here + heels

A couple months ago over on Instagram, I asked you guys to send over alllll your questions for Joe and I to answer in  little Q + A. We were absolutely shocked when a good chunk of the questions were all about our time in medical school and residency! From handling the time being apart, to where we applied, you guys wanted to know all the things. So today we are featuring a little “part 2” q + a with Joe, answering all your medical school and residency questions!

joe’s shirt + tie + pants + shoes  ||  my dress (old) cute option here + here  |  heels

:: Where did you go to Medical School and Residency?

I went to Medical School at University of Louisville in Kentucky. My residency and fellowship were at Loma Linda University in California.

:: Did you go through Medical School with together?

Yes were went through the whole process together from Day 1 because we were married!

:: What made you want to become a doctor?

I am not going to go into this much. What I will say is that I love learning/reading and this is especially true when it comes to how the human body works. The human body is an amazing gift to us. For those who are considering the field,  I would say do not go into it for the money. The road is long and difficult and if you don’t enjoy learning you will regret it. There are plenty of other ways to make money. You have to define what success looks like to you. Being a Dr may (and sometimes may not) bring you a good income. But the random on call nights and long hours that you put in are just a few (among many) of the costs that come with it.

It is definitely not a job that is Monday thru Friday with all weekends and holidays off and where you never have to worry about a your job when you are at home. To me it is almost a 24/7 job because it is kind of always on your mind. Success most definitely isn’t just how much money you make. So honestly define it for yourself and see what career puts you closest to that definition, which is different for everybody.

:: Was Anesthesiology your dream job? Why did you choose your specific field?

I wouldn’t say it was my dream job. Before Medical School, I shadowed an anesthesiologist and thought it was a cool job. I honestly enjoyed every rotation as a student except for OBGYN. But it was one of my first clinical rotations in my clinical years so probably a little unfair opinion there. Anyways, I did find that anesthesia and the things you need to know and be able to do as an anesthesiologist interested me a lot and kind of drew me to the specialty.

When it came down to decision time, I was between anesthesiologist and a family medicine doctor. I chose anesthesia because I enjoyed more critical care of patients in the operating room where things can change quickly and dramatically. What I didn’t know when I chose this specialty, was how much I would enjoy the patient interaction. A lot of people are scared and nervous about the operation and rightfully so. So it is so fun for me to help them through that time and to have a good experience that day. As good as can be expected anyways.

:: How did you apply to school/choose which schools? What was the application process like?

At the time the application was one central application that you filled out online. You literally clicked a box next to the schools you wanted to apply to. If after that they wanted more information some of them would have a secondary application. I applied to a lot of schools to increase the likely hood of being accepted somewhere that year. My brother who is a radiologist in Idaho told me to apply to some top rank schools, some lower ranked schools, and a lot of the middle ranged schools. We decided on what areas we would be willing to go to and went from there. I did this in close cooperation with Kailee since it was a high possibility that I would be asking her to move across the country.

:: How did you go about finding doctors to shadow to be able to apply to medical school?

This was easy for me, we had a family friend that was an Anesthesiologist. My mom is a nurse so I am sure she could have helped me find someone as well if needed.

:: How did you survive having a family and going to medical school/residency?

It was very difficult at times. There were week stretches where I wouldn’t see the kids because I left before they woke up and got back after they were in bed. When I get asked this by people I will usually just say I have an awesome wife. Kailee is the only reason we have survived, and I mean that. She has been a huge support and has put up with so much through the years.

:: What is your advice on dating through medical school?

I didn’t date I was married. Always make the effort to just go do something simple with your spouse. Go grocery shopping together, go get a treat at dairy queen. A date doesn’t have to be a huge thing. We both grew up in homes that taught us the value of the family. Having kids was something that we both wanted to do and we knew that from the start even before we were married so we have worked hard to create a good environment for the kids and that similar goal has got us through a lot. Your spouse always come first.

:: For Kailee, was it hard for you to keep everything running smoothly when Joe was in Medical School?

Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. At the time we only had 2 of the little people, and not a lot of things to go and do, so it was just taking care of them during the day. We didn’t have a lot on our plate besides grocery shopping and a few years down the road preschool. Nothing too extreme.

:: How did you survive never seeing him?

Medical school was new to get used to, but not terrible. You still got to see them on the weekends, so like with a lot of jobs I just told myself I had to survive until Friday, and then we would get to see him and have his help. I tried to do all the things during the week, so when the weekend came around we could truly enjoy those 48 hours and not waste them on chores or shopping. Residency is a whole different ball park. The 2nd and 3rd year are pure hell, there is no sugar coating it. You basically do not see them ever, and we had more of the little people so they missed him too.

The best advice I probably ever got in regards to this whole experience was from my sister in law. She told me to plan on him never being there. By that I mean anything from dinner time to a trip to the park, plan on doing it without them. Basically don’t get your hopes up. I think it gave me a more positive experience when we would go and do things because in my head I knew I was on my own. If we got lucky and he got off early and was able to come, we were all extra happy. But I would much rather have the bonus happiness than the disappointment or let down from getting my hopes up. If we knew he had a day off, we would not do anything else but enjoy the time with him. Everything else in life went on hold.

Another thing I can stress enough is to let people in. The other residency wives are the closest people on the planet to knowing exactly what you are going through. They get the long days, and weeks without really having a full conversation with your spouse. A lot of the time there family dynamic is the same as well. You can plan activities to go and do together. We often joked that they were more like sister wives. We would just take our herd of kids along husband free. I can truly say they are some of my very best friends still to this day because we were there for each other through some of the hardest years of our lives.

:: How have you been able to manage medical school debt and your loan repayment?

We planned ahead for what we were getting in to from the get go. We were able to figure out about how much our monthly payments would be on these loans, and then we did our best to see what other expenses would likely be for things like utilities, rent, food, etc. The whole reason was because we really wanted to make sure that we would have enough to save as well as pay off our debt quickly. I had a rough idea of what I would be making, but we planned conservatively in case it was lower than expected. We then overestimated our expenses, so we always had a buffer and were able to cover the needs as well as save.

I think it is important to talk about what you are willing to go in to debt for. For us it pretty much stops at school and home loans, so we take the time to save for any other purchases.

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Hopefully that answers all your medical school + residency questions for us!! If we missed any, please leave them here in the comments or over on Instagram and we will add them to this post!