How Much Do Braces Cost - 5 Tips To Help You Get The Best Treatment For Your Needs

The conventional way to straighten teeth is through the wearing of braces. Of course before someone thinks about getting such a device fitted it is important that they learn more about them. One of the most important questions that will of course be asked is how much do braces cost?

This article will hopefully go some way to answering the question that has been posed above for you. There are certain factors that will have a huge impact on how much you have to spend on this form of treatment to get your teeth straightened. Below we take a look at just what these are.

1. The first thing that will determine how much do braces cost is how bad the problem is. So the more severe the problem then of course the more expensive the treatment will be as a different style of brace will have to be made and fitted.

2. The next thing that will have an effect on how much such treatment costs is how long the dentist carrying out this treatment has been practicing for. Dentists with more experience who specially in treating such dental conditions as crooked teeth can expect to charge more for their services. But then you know you will be treated by someone with the utmost respect and care. Plus how much experience they have of performing this type of treatment will determine how much you spend. So the more experienced the dentist is at carrying out this form of treatment then the more you will expect to pay for them to treat you.

3. Another thing that is going to have an effect on how much do braces cost is who actually makes them. The costs not only vary from one brace manufacturer to another but from one style of braces to another.

4. The materials that the braces happen to be made from will also affect how much this form of treatment costs you. For example you will find that the traditional metal braces that your parents may have worn will cost considerably less than the braces worn as part of a treatment known as Invisalign cost Ferntree Gully. Although the Invisalign braces may look much easier to make the problem is that the material used to make them is in fact more expensive to buy than steel.

5. Another factor that is going to affect how much your braces cost is where they are placed. If the braces are worn in front of your teeth then these are the least expensive. However if you choose to wear metal braces which sit behind your teeth then these cost more as they are much more difficult to insert.

Have you got wonky teeth? Or are you thinking about getting your teeth straightened so you can have a great smile? If you are then find out now the best way to straighten teeth so you too can feel confident when smiling.

Brace on your own: buying a back brace in a medication store is not comparable to a back brace gotten specially from the chiropractic specialist.(MULTIDISCIPLINARY Services).

I just recently began to carry back braces. Prior to this factor, I had merely purchase one when a patient concerned me complaining of severe reduced back pain.

The transforming factor came when a client involved me after wounding her reasonable back while stuffing her property for a move across the country. She was antalgic, in moderate-to-severe pain, and frantic because the movers were being available in 1 week. She feared she would not be ready as she couldn't pack anymore as a result of the pain.

I presumed a sprain/strain of the iliolumbar tendon due to overuse, and handled her correctly. After therapy, I advised she remainder and ice for the remaining day despite the fact that she felt significantly better after procedure. She objected, and I worried she was going to try to stuff anyhow due to her time constraint.

I voiced my concern, explaining that it was important she not continue bending and lifting boxes, and suggested a back brace to support her when she resumed packing. The problem was that it was Friday; the brace wouldn't arrive until Monday.

Therefore, I suggested she pick one up at a local drugstore in the event that she couldn't wait through the weekend. I explained that a brace would stabilize her lumbar spine, as well as support her when she needed to bend, limiting the amount of movement in her low back so she wouldn't further aggravate the problem, and this would allow it to heal. She took my advice and picked one up at a drugstore for $20.99.
Fitting In

I ordered a back brace from Meyer Distributing. I chose a Criss Cross Lumbosacral back brace, meaning you pulled one side around your belly from the back, then the other side, and it Velcros at the middle of your belly. I chose it for the price. It cost $13.99, and I would sell it for $20 plus shipping. I got one small and one medium in case the sizes weren't accurate; the small is for a 28- to 32-inch waist. The medium was for a 32- to 36-inch waist. The measurement is taken at the widest point--your hips. I chose a lumbosacral brace over a cheaper Sure Fit Lumbar Brace because her injury was to the L5-S1 area, and I wanted to limit movement at this level completely.

This means if she tried to bend over, the brace would limit her movement in the lumbar spine and the sacrum. The ilio-lumbar ligament goes from the ilium to the lumbar spine at L5. A sprain to this area means the ligament has been taxed, pulled to the point where it is peeling from the bone.

In an effort to understand how they worked, how they should be worn, and to make sure she got the right size, I tried them both on myself. I put the small on first; it felt super tight, the amount of effort needed to pull it around my waist resulted in the need to brace oneself, as it was a very tight fit. This wasn't a problem for me. However, I imagined it would be a problem for someone with acute low back pain.

I assumed it ran small and tried the medium. This was much easier to get around my waist, and I didn't have to brace myself so much to pull it from each side. I wore it for about 30 minutes to get a feel for it and decided it wasn't tight enough. Although it initially felt more comfortable, it allowed too much movement. I settled on the small. The intention is to limit movement. It needed to be tight. The patient arrived for her appointment complaining again of moderate back pain, she was also antalgic once again.
Back to the Store

On my request, she had brought the drugstore brace in with her. I asked her to put it on; I was interested to see if it supported her well enough. I realized that it was generic in that it only supported her lumbar spine. It did not extend to her sacrum. She stated she had a 30-inch waist, so I handed her the small. Her instinct was to wrap it around her waist, rather than her hips. I explained the proper way to wear it. I noticed that I had been correct in my assumption that she would exacerbate her pain in her attempt to pull it around each side of her waist; she winced while pulling each side around her waist. She felt it was too tight. Although she liked the way the medium felt better, she agreed that it allowed too much movement and not enough support. She went home with the small.

She came in one more time that week feeling much better. She was no longer antalgic and her pain had decreased, despite the fact that she had been packing all week. She stated she had worn the brace as instructed, and she had returned the other brace to the drugstore. She said the difference between the one she purchased and the one I purchased was remarkable.

The experience taught me several things. First, I now carry a small inventory of back Braces Ferntree Gully. I have each size available. Also, I understand that buying a back brace in a drugstore is not comparable to a back brace ordered from the doctor. I have switched to using back braces by Body Sport. The company sells a two-pull lumbosacral support brace that allows the patient to wrap the brace around his or her waist first, then provides two pulls--one on each side--that draws it up tight.

Adults embracing braces; Move over, Junior: For both health and cosmetic explanations, one out of every 5 orthodontic patients today is a grownup.

NOT JUST FOR KIDS MANY ORTHODONTIC issues - uneven teeth, bad bites - can be dealt with as quickly and as well for adults as for kids. Orthodontic forces move the teeth in the same way for both a 75-year-old adult and a 12-year-old kid. ONE IN FIVE orthodontic patients is an adult. The American Association of Orthodontists estimates that nearly 1,000,000 grownups in the United States and Canada are receiving treatment from an orthodontist. COMPLICATING FACTORS, such as lack of jaw growth, may make unique treatment planning demands for the adult. GROWNUPS ARE NOT growing and might have experienced some breakdown or reduction of their teeth and bone that assists the teeth. Orthodontic therapy could then be just a part of the client's total therapy plan. For More Details on grownup orthodontic therapy, featuring braces, visit the AAO internet site at www.braces.org. American Association of Orthodontists BRACE YOURSELF ONE OF THE REASONS others adults seem to be willing to wear braces on their teeth is that braces are not almost as visually jarring as they utilized to be. Conventional braces of TWENTY years ago were all metal - metal brackets on your teeth, metal wire around the brackets, along the teeth. The term, "steel mouth." Today there are a number of less metal choices: CLEAR BRACES: These consist of ceramic brackets along with clear rubber bands, that assimilate along with the shade of teeth. The only actually noticeable part is the slim steel cable that bumps into the front of the teeth. INVISIBLE BRACES: Not braces in the traditional sense, however clear plastic mouth protectors that are detachable. Mostly utilized for slight adjustments, will not move teeth almost as successfully or as long as braces will. Invisalign is among the better well-known brands of these. GOLD BRACES: Braces with gold plating are big today in California. Yes, they stand out, but aren't quite as jarring to look at as a mouthful of steel. SELF- LIGATING BRACES: With these braces, the brackets on each tooth have a self-locking clip, so no rubber band or cable is had to give the stress - though there is still a cable that runs along all the teeth. Orthodontists point out self-ligating braces are the most efficient in relocating teeth, which at some point, somebody will market ceramic ones, which will certainly integrate visual appeals with cutting edge technology.

American Association of Orthodontists BRACE YOURSELF ONE OF THE REASONS a lot more adults seem to be prepared to wear braces on their teeth is that Braces Ferntree Gully are not nearly as aesthetically jarring as they utilized to be. Typical braces of TWENTY years ago were all metal - metal brackets on your teeth, metal wire around the brackets, along the teeth. INVISIBLE BRACES: Not braces in the typical sense, but clear plastic mouth protectors that are removable. GOLD BRACES: Braces with gold plating are huge right now in California.

Lindsay Harris made it to adulthood without having to wear braces.

But she wasn't as happy about it as you might think.
"I should have had them when I was a kid. I was fitted for head gear once, but I was 10 and I didn't really cooperate, so it sort of fell through the cracks," said Harris, 31, a mother of two from Scarborough.

"Both of my incisors on top stuck out, enough that when I shut my mouth, they'd catch."

As an adult, Harris began thinking about getting braces to correct her protruding teeth. She asked her dentist about it, who recommended that she see an orthodontist.

Getting braces wasn't anything she really needed to do, but she chose to. Now she has braces and will wear them for about two years.

More adults are choosing to wear braces today, to the point where the American Association of Orthodontists - their Web site is braces.org - says that one out of five orthodontic patients is an adult. That's about 1 million adults, the association says.

A couple of the big reasons for this, orthodontists and dental health professionals say, is that because of increased health awareness and advances in dental care - like fluoride in the water - people expect to keep their teeth longer. Perhaps their entire life. And they want those teeth to be as straight and healthy as possible.

"I think it's a change in attitude, where people used to figure they'd lose their teeth and have dentures, but now they realize they can keep their teeth their whole lives," said Lisa Howard, an orthodontist in Scarborough. AVERTING PROBLEMS, IMPROVING LOOKS

Some of the problems that crooked teeth can cause include an off- kilter bite, which may cause teeth to crack, or other problems. Crooked teeth can also be harder to floss, leading to tooth decay, Howard said.

People also get braces for cosmetic reasons. They don't really need to correct their crooked teeth, but they want to so they feel better about how they look. And it stands to reason that if people want to keep their teeth longer, they want them to look good, too.

Another big reason more adults are getting braces is that braces are no longer the visually jarring contraptions they once were. Today there are several kinds of so-called "clear" braces, where ceramic brackets and clear rubber bands blend in with the teeth. Only a very thin metal wire across the teeth is clearly visible.

Then there are the so-called invisible braces, clear plastic mouthguards. Unlike regular braces, or clear ceramic braces, they don't have brackets on each tooth, tightened by individual rubber bands and a wire running the length of all the teeth.

The invisible braces come in two pieces - upper and lower - and are removable. But they don't provide as much pressure to move teeth, so they are used for relatively minor corrections.

Still, they probably help persuade a lot of people to do some sort of correction, when they might not have in the past.

"Ceramic braces certainly lead more adults into braces," said Bruce Podhouser, an orthodontist with Orthodontic Associates in South Portland. "And with the (invisible braces) we can get teeth very straight as well."

Orthodontists are dentists who have gone beyond dental school - two to three years' worth, usually - to become specialists in the field of orthodontics, which is the work of correcting problems with bites and with the alignment of teeth. WHY CHOOSE BRACES?

Any dentist, by law, can put braces on and do the same procedures as any orthodontist. But if there is a problem they are held to the same legal standard as an orthodontist. That's why many dentists refer candidates for braces to orthodontists. Some pediatric dentists, however, pursue more training in orthodontics, to put on braces and do other work in young mouths.

Podhouser estimated that when he started with his current practice 13 years ago, 15 to 20 of the patients were adults. Now he says that number is closer to 40 percent.

Cost is a reason, too. Braces for adults and children are still expensive - Howard says most start at about $4,000 to $5,000 - but they haven't increased in price that much over time.

For instance, Podhouser, 42, remembers his family paying $3,000 for his braces some 30 years ago. Some dental insurance will cover a portion of braces, Podhouser said, but most people have to pay the balance off over time.

Elaine Burnham, 39, is one of those adults who wants to keep her teeth her whole life. Her teeth had been slightly crooked on the bottom, and were getting worse, when she happened to visit an orthodontist with her stepdaughter.

At the orthodontist's office, she saw a picture of an older woman with silver hair and her own, perfectly aligned teeth. And beautiful teeth.

"I decided I wanted to be a silver-haired lady with fabulous teeth," said Burnham.

So Burnham got her braces in May 2004, and got them off in January. Now she'll wear a retainer - a thin wire running along the inside of her teeth - for 24 hours a day for at least six months, to finish the job.

Burnham's braces feature clear ceramic brackets on her top teeth and metal brackets on her lower ones. She chose pink rubber bands to go around the brackets on each tooth. A lot of children and teenagers choose different-colored rubber bands to add some fun color.

While wearing the braces, Burnham found out she was pregnant. After finding out she'd have a boy, she switched her rubber band color to blue. FAMILIAR RULES

One thing that has not changed about wearing braces is that the wearer is still supposed to avoid food that could break the brackets or mess up the braces. For instance, Burnham was told to stay away from popcorn, bubble gum, corn on the cob. Staying away from popcorn was tough, but the other no-nos were not, she said.

And as far as being self-conscious about wearing them, Burnham - a co-owner of Acres of Wildlife Campground in Sebago - said braces are great conversation-starters. She met lots of other adults who either had braces or were curious about them.

"There were times when they were uncomfortable," said Burnham. "But my teeth are straighter, they're much more appealing."

Harris, who is a patient of Howard, got her braces more than a year ago and still has them. She's been told she'll probably have them on for two years.

Hers are clear ceramic on top, with clear rubber bands. The bottoms are metal.

"It's pretty much what I expected, not painful, but my mouth was sore when they were first put on, the first few weeks," said Harris. "But I can see the results already."

Harris said there was no significant event that prompted her to get braces.

"It was just about wanting to do this and being ready," she said.

Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at:

Orthodontist in New Jacket on Significance of Seeing Orthodontist at an Early Age.

These problems can easily become harder to mend as age proceeds, which is why going to an orthodontist early on is vital to receive a healthy and balanced smile. Dr. Patrick Cuozzo, a board-certified orthodontist in New Jersey, points out malocclusions need to be treated at a youthful age before the teeth stop expanding.

At his New Jersey orthodontics practice, Dr. Cuozzo concentrates specifically on the correction of teeth and the advancement of jaw bones. He states with effective analysis and preventative therapy, he can correct oral and face abnormalities that might be more difficult to treat as a patient ages:.

"The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) advises an evaluation as early as the age of 7. Our average client age is somewhere around 10 to 11. Exactly what the AAO is seeking at a youthful age are malocclusions that can be intervened and dealt with. A few of our clients can take advantage of just what we call an 'very early treatment phase.' We like to see clients at 7 or eight years old, simply to see whether or not they are within that phase.".

Dr. Cuozzo says that almost 90 percent of his young patients are on "recall," meaning they will come in for a check-up to make sure everything looks fine, and if the teeth are coming in the way they are supposed to, Dr. Cuozzo will have the patient return at a later time. For patients who have more critical issues, Dr. Cuozzo says patients may need dental facial orthopedics or dental braces. "If patients get to the age where they are 16 or 17 years old and their teeth have completed their growth, we can no longer fix the overbite, but we can perform other treatments. Some of these treatments include orthognathic jaw surgical procedures to correct and realign the jaw bones."

Having been recognized as one of the top dentists in New Jersey, Dr. Cuozzo uses his extensive knowledge and expertise to help give patients the best results possible. "This is a very moldable time in people's lives and we have a chance to make a positive impact on them," he says. Whether patients opt for traditional braces or Invisalign[R], Dr. Cuozzo says visiting a board-certified Orthodontist Ferntree Gully before undergoing any orthodontic treatment is fundamental to the success of any treatment. He adds that he and his staff are empathetic to what patients are going through and can help them understand that the eventual results will pay off once their treatment is complete (see also Medical, Healthcare).

From orthodontist to consultant: a coachable clinician creates a passion for aiding others develop their methods

My career in orthodontics began when I signed up with the practice of Wick Alexander, DDS, in Arlington, Tex, in 1977. I found out a wonderful offer from Alexander regarding the "real world" of orthodontics and the crucial people-management facets of method.

While still in Alexander's method, I began my own and designed much of what I did after Alexander, Jay Barnett, and other extremely successful designs. After my 4th year in solo practice I had six staff members and was grossing merely more compared to $1 million each year.

Since of the incredible transformational and life-enhancing value we offer to the clients we treat, it was easy to enjoy orthodontics. I have actually never shed the enthusiasm for the job, and I desire affect others with that interest. I had a very good technique and a gifted team. They carried out much better than the majority of, yet I understood something was missing.

If I was to make my life simpler and elevate my team and my practice's success to what we were capable of achieving, I needed to grow to a new level as an orthodontist-leader (CEO). At times, we all got stressed over management and communication issues. It was a challenge to be the orthodontist, boss, manager, and friend--all at the same time.

Then it happened! The answer came very unexpectedly. I was treating my brother Dave's wife, and Dave offered to pay for the treatment by offering his business-consulting advice and coaching skills in exchange. He was a Fortune 100 CEO coach and a business-team-development expert for world-class companies. Yet, I wondered, what could he know about orthodontics? It's such a unique business! I regularly did two off-site retreats per year with my staff, so I agreed to let Dave be our consultant for that year's annual retreat. That experience changed my life.

Starting With a Vision

I was impressed in the beginning by his persistence with me in helping me discover my real vision for the practice (and my life). He talked to me not only about my vision for the practice but also about the gap between where I was then and where I wanted to be. We talked about leadership and developing a culture in my practice based upon my values and purpose, and how that would be connected with my staff's core values. At first, this seemed too much on the "soft side" of practice success, yet it became tangible soon. My (now clear) vision helped me come more alive with passion, and caused me to develop a laserlike focus in my leadership and development of the practice culture in which I wanted to work and live.
Dave and I knew that the real drivers of practice success and fulfillment for all resided in the orthodontist's most valuable asset: the staff.

Our goal was to help the staff get the most out of themselves and push

the envelope of what was possible by an inspired, passionate, and unified practice, using what we called Valued Partners[TM]. These are the career-oriented knowledge workers who are engaged and passionate about the work and the practice. These are the 10s in a practice.

My staff loved Dave, and we all loved his perspective on the value of team unity. We worked through our strategies in practice management, clinical, financial, and marketing for practice growth and business health. I was shocked at what we accomplished, and we hired Dave to come in many times in the years that followed. He was a great coach for me and, in many ways, I was a great coach to him. We even joked about someday putting our talents and experience together and doing some consulting--the marriage of "highly successful business thinking and orthodontics." Now, that is what we do for many other practices.

A Thriving Practice

My practice prospered; my team grew and developed professionally, personally, and financially each year. We had realized the true "Power of We" as a practice and business. We had orthodontists who would come out of residencies and want to work for a year (or so) with our practice, and that was really helpful. It further leveraged my time and effectiveness. I had seven associates over a period of 14 years. I ended up with the main practice and two branch practices, one of which was the size of a full practice.

Due to this success, many people came to visit our practice. Then I was asked to speak on practice effectiveness and team development. I had Dave as a coach; and I had a major passion for creative business development, staff development, and creative marketing strategies ... I was having a ball. I loved to present my strategy and findings to groups and was a decent speaker and presenter. I did feel a spiritual "tugging" to create more fun, excitement, and value for my clients and to leverage what I had learned somehow in a bigger way--but I loved the practice, my team, our contribution. I was at the peak of my career. Then it happened.

A Career Cut Short

In early 1997, I suffered a hand injury that forced me to leave practice. Thankfully, I had an associate and two other orthodontists who wanted to take over my practices. Financially, I could easily have retired, but I felt that my practice joy and contribution had been cut short. I had a period of remorse and was disappointed over the forced loss of my ability to practice, my beloved team, and the great feeling I received through my contribution to the patients.

I retired to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, had hand surgeries, and got the final confirmation that I would never practice again. Although we all have fantasized about what it would be like to retire and have time to pursue our other interests in life, it just isn't all it is made up to be for someone who loves the business, the people, and the contribution we make to others. Contribution to others wasn't the most important thing to me while in practice--largely because we contribute to our patients daily and we take it for granted, so we are "numbed to the miracles" we create daily.

A New Path

A few months went by after the hand surgeries. I was asked to be CEO of a small golf company, and later I was asked to run a relationship marketing program for a high-end golf-real estate development. I liked the new challenges. I grew personally and in business experience as a result, yet it never rivaled the passion I had for orthodontics.

Later, some of the orthodontists that knew of my ability to develop practices hired me to consult in their practices. My wife always said that it was hard to wipe the smile off my face when I was involved in helping other practices. I was somewhat bored with the other jobs that kept me busy. I realized that I needed to share what I had so diligently worked to learn and perfect in practice. I had acquired a tremendous understanding about personal growth, relationship management, organizational processes for growth, and practice success. I had studied, experienced, and understood personal and team development, transition dynamics, and organizational success factors.

Because of the nature of my practice experience, I had extensive knowledge of the associate-partner dynamics in orthodontic practice and its impact on the staff, the referring practices, and the community. The relational and practice-growth aspects of a practice in transition can be a minefield of problems that should be addressed before bringing in an associate or partner. The disruption and inefficiencies caused can be costly in both profitability and stress for the orthodontist and the staff.

Brothers in Arms
Fortunately, in late 2001 my brother came to visit and approached me about working together and blending our two specialties into a new paradigm of thinking and teaching in orthodontic consulting. He had 25 years' experience as a corporate executive coach. We both knew our model worked to organize, manage, grow, and impassion practices. We knew we had the tools to help orthodontists develop themselves, their staff, and their practice strategies and systems into world-class small businesses. We knew it began with the orthodontist's vision, good leadership, and the active development of a winning practice culture. And we rounded off Daugherty Consulting's Fundamental 4 with what we called the Valued Partners.

What Are Valued Partners?

When we interviewed many orthodontists and asked how many of their staff members would they rate as perfect 10s, in a practice of 10, the common answer was about three or four--only one third! You don't have to be a business or orthodontic guru to see that that is not a good number. Especially when we all realize that the staff drives the practice for better or worse; they have many more contact points with our patients, parents, and referring practices.

By the way, that committed 30% number, based upon our survey of staff members, is by no means a result of the staff wanting to be less than the best they can be in the practice.

So What's the Disconnect?

Lack of a truly clear vision! I am not referring to that plaque on the wall called your mission statement. We find that most orthodontists really haven't resolved what their true vision really is, and it is such a "soft" concept that they overlook it and race on toward the more tangible issues in the practice, sometimes confusing activity with accomplishment. True visionary orthodontists have found that once the vision is clear, the leadership path becomes clear and much easier. It unleashes a laser-like focus and passion toward the practice culture you desire and the success you deserve. Coincidently, most staffs will rally around the cause.

So What is Practice Culture?

Practice culture is basically, "the way we do things here," what and who we are as a practice, the way we behave, our work ethic, our practice values, and how we and others view us as a practice team. All great companies have a great culture. Culture becomes the framework for how we hire and why we fire, and a powerful draw for people who want to be part of "our kind of practice." The vision is transformed to culture through good leadership. The Daugherty Consulting leadership approach is simple, yet effective. Our survey results with staff members shows that most staffs believe that their Orthodontist Ferntree Gully is not a great leader; yet most orthodontists interviewed believe they are good leaders. Either way, it requires some simple leadership skills to transform your staff into Valued Partners.

The End of the Story

Back to the transition from practice to consulting. A couple of takeaways are that being a consultant is one of the hardest jobs that I have ever had. The profession you are now in, no matter how famous you are, will likely not immediately embrace you as a consultant for a variety of reasons. If you are willing to take a pay cut and are reasonably comfortable with taking 3 to 5 years to build up a consulting practice, then go for it. The other consultants have been great to me, and they are an honorable group of professionals. As my friend Joe O'Neil says, "It's hard until it becomes easier."

While practicing, I studied a great deal about how great businesses became world-class businesses. I read lots of relational psychology about teams, patients, and customer service. I tried to apply what I had to my practice--when I had time. Now, we get to spend much more research time in our busy speaking and consulting practice. We constantly study world-class businesses principles and apply them to practices.
We are in the final stages of releasing our Practice Success System[TM] products that we teach in our consulting business. They will be on CDs and in workbook formats. We will launch a quarterly CD subscription that will offer innovative practice ideas, practice pearls, and inspirational information and messages (one for orthodontists and one for staff).

We do seminars on subjects ranging from team development, to practice growth strategies, to transition dynamics. Additionally, we are creating Master-Mind Groups that are "think tank" environments for practices of specific levels. We facilitate the group thinking around enhancing the entire group's practice success.
We love what we do, and I needed the added challenge and stimulation after leaving practice. It is a labor of love, and I feel very blessed to be doing what I am doing with my career as a founder-partner in Daugherty Consulting. Orthodontists are great to work with, and the results can be remarkable.