I often get asked how I ended up becoming an orthodontist. Well the truth is, it wasn’t my first choice of career paths. In kindergarten, my teacher asked the class what we wanted to be when we grew up. Confidently, I stood up and told the class I wanted to be an astronaut. As I sat down, proud of my distinguished future profession, my best friend whispered in my ear: “sometimes when astronauts go up in space, they get lost and don’t come back down.” Needless to say, I never sent my application in to NASA. True story. I did, however, have the experience of getting braces in high school, and after getting them off, I spent many hours shadowing my orthodontist and other orthodontists throughout high school and college. I know everyone has an opinion of the “perfect” career. But for me, this was it. I am very proud and appreciative of what I get to do everyday. As a Macclenny, Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach, FL, orthodontist, I create smiles…what a job!
After college and a not so brief hiatus surfing in Hawaii, I spent 7 years in Gainesville, Florida receiving my dental and orthodontic training. It was there that I met the one and only love of my life, Jennifer, also a dentist practicing in Fernandina Beach. We have 4 children, Avery, Reese, Austin and Graham. Our children are our life, and they keep us on our toes endlessly. But we do manage to travel quite a bit, whether its up to the Carolinas to see my parents and 3 brothers, or right down the road for an afternoon at the beautiful North Florida beaches. Orthodontics is a constantly evolving and exciting field. At Coastline Orthodontics, we truly believe we have an obligation to provide our patients with the safest and most advanced treatment options available. This is not something that is learned once but an ongoing learning process with continuing education and a lifelong pursuit to be the best at what we do. These aspirations help us to give our patients individualized treatment geared for the most healthy and efficient path towards a beautiful smile.