Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2014 - (Page 14)
NEW AND YOUNGER MEMBERS continued
YOUNGER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
Dr. Melissa Bailey
I asked Dr. Melissa Bailey, an AAO and PCSO member and
2012 graduate of the Loma Linda School of Dentistry's (LLUSD)
postgraduate orthodontic program, to share some highlights
about her life as a new orthodontist.
VB: Where are you currently practicing?
MB: I am self-employed in private practice in Orinda, CA. I also
work as the managing orthodontist at two branches (Pittsburg
and Livermore, CA) of a corporate-owned practice.
private practice and my two corporate jobs, so it has been
difficult to find even some personal time.
VB: Do you believe the curriculum of your postgraduate
orthodontic program provided sufficient depth and breadth to
prepare you for the clinical practice of orthodontic care?
MB: I feel very fortunate to have attended the residency
program at Loma Linda. I was able to learn from first-rate
clinical faculty members who supported the residents and
encouraged us to try a variety of treatment modalities. For
Class II correction, for example, I have used the Herbst, the
MARA, the Forsusā¢ Fatigue Resistant Device, headgear, the
CarriereĀ® Distalizer, and TADs, and have prepared patients
for orthognathic surgery. A faculty member once told me that
for every orthodontic problem, I should be able to think of at
least five different treatment modalities. This really opened
my mind and challenged me to explore all of the various
treatment options available.
VB: Tell us about your office.
MB: I have a very small office of about 600 square feet, with
two chairs in the bay. I chuckle when my friends complain that
their 1,200-square-foot offices are too small. You learn to be
very creative with space management when your practice is
tiny. I consider my private practice to be a modified start-up
VB: Looking back, what has been the most positive aspect of
in the sense that the basics (chairs, instruments, supplies,
your residency since graduation?
etc.) were here, but the patients
MB: I really enjoyed working
were not. When I took over
as part of a mini-practice
the practice, there were just a
group with my "big brother"
handful of existing patients.
Greg Olson and my "little
The office was very outdated
brother" Chris Wood. We
and did not have a panoramic/
managed the same pool of
cephalometric machine. I
orthodontic patients during
Dr. Bailey with her
Dr. Bailey's big brother (Dr.
Dr. Melissa Bailey in her
knew that in order to grow the
husband, Jeff, and
Greg Olson) and little brother
Orinda private practice;
residency; we had a dedicated
son, Benjamin.
practice, the office needed a
(Dr. Chris Wood) in residency;
front office staff member
facelift and the ability to take
who scheduled all the patient appointments as well as dental
radiographs. It took me a year into practicing before I finally
assistants who helped us with our patients. We had so much
got the courage to spend the money to remodel the office. I was
fun in clinic and we learned a great deal from each other.
extremely happy with the results of the remodel and wished
that I had done it earlier.
VB: What advice do you have for graduating residents?
VB: With the high student debt load orthodontic residents are
facing, can you tell us how you are handling your debt burden
at this time?
MB: My debt burden was $325,000. The student loans I
accumulated are a heavy financial burden for me and my
family. In order to make ends meet, I have had to extend my
payment terms to 15 years. Even then, it was difficult to obtain
financing to purchase a modest family home. My plan is to
refinance my high interest student loans (some of which are as
high as 7.7%) and pay as much toward the principal as possible
each month.
VB: Are you currently certified by the American Board of
Orthodontics (ABO)? If not, are you planning to get your
certification in the future?
MB: I am hoping to get certified within five years of starting
my practice.
VB: Are you involved in any professional or non-professional
community service in your area, and if so, which one(s)?
MB: I am not at this moment, but I am planning to participate
as a volunteer orthodontist at the Craniofacial Center in
Oakland. In several years, when I have gained more practice
experience, I hope to become a part-time clinical faculty
member at an orthodontic residency program. At this time,
I am working an average of six days a week, between my
14
MB: Be open-minded and try to learn as much as you can from
your clinical faculty. Visit as many private practices as you
can, because that door closes when you graduate. Try to figure
out what you want to do once you graduate, and start making
plans while you're still in residency in order to make those
goals a reality. Enjoy your time as a resident, because you will
look back one day and think that your residency days were
"the good old days."
VB: This issue of the PCSO Bulletin focuses on TADs. Have
you incorporated TADs into your practice?
MB: I practice in a town where premolar extractions (and
extractions of some primary teeth) are referred out to the oral
surgeons because many of the general and pediatric dentists
do not want their patients to associate them with unpleasant
procedures. I placed six TADs while in residency, and feel
comfortable with it. I have not yet incorporated TADs into my
practice.
VB: What is your favorite part of the PCSO Bulletin?
MB: My favorite part is "Earl's Pearls." Dr. Johnson's clinical
tips are great because they are relatively simple to implement,
and very practical. In fact, I recently bought the e-book edition
of Earl's Pearls from Amazon. It's a compilation of some of his
most popular clinical "pearls." It's an easy read and I highly
recommend it.
S
PCSO BULLETIN * SUMMER
2014
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2014
The Big Easy: Not Always So Easy
About the PCSO Mission Statement
AAO Trustee Report
PCSO Business
AAO Council on Scientific Affairs (COSA) Report
Component Reports
PCSO at a Glance
AAOF Report
Decrease Stress and Increase Volume
Resident Spotlight: Loma Linda School of Dentistry Postgraduate Orthodontic Program
Younger Member Spotlight: Dr. Melissa Bailey
Third Molar Protocols
Editorial: Special Section
PCSO Program Talk: Orthodontic Residency Programs and the Use of TADs
Case Report: Pre-Treatment
Faculty Files: TADs in Orthodontics: A Review
Seasoned Practitioner's Corner: Dr. Terry McDonald Interviews Dr. Michael Chaffee on TADs
Case Report: Post-Treatment
Pearls of the Pacific: Instant Edentulous Anchorage
Portrait of a Professional: Dr. Earl S. Johnson
Sweet Farewell: Retainers and Retention
In Memory: Dr. Burton Littleton Fletcher
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Summer 2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/bulletin_summer2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/95-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/95-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/94-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/94-03
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/94-02
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/93-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/93-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/93-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/92-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/92-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/92-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/91-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/91-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/91-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/91-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/90-04
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/90-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/90-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/90-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/83-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/89-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/89-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/89-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/88-4
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/88-3
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/88-2
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/88-1
http://www.brightcopy.net/allen/pcso/87-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/87-03
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/87-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/87-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/86-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/86-3
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/86-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/86-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/85-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/85-3
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/85-2
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/85-1
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/preview-program-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/84-4
https://www.nxtbook.com/allen/pcso/84-2
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com