Orthotown October 2012 - (Page 28)

office visit // feature One in a Million by Chelsea Knorr, Associate Editor, Dentaltown Magazine You could say that Dr. Marlene Ostby is one in a million – both figuratively and literally. She is the only female orthodontist in Montana, which just recently hit the onemillion mark in population. As for the figure of speech, her extensive education, specific knowledge of cleft palate and her chairside manner speak for themselves. Herein, she talks about what it’s like to practice in the “Last Best Place” in America. How and why did you get into orthodontics? At what point did you decide “this is what I want to do”? Ostby: I always knew that I wanted to somehow make a difference in people’s lives, and it was important to me to find a career that would allow me to balance my working life with being a mom. So, choosing to become an orthodontist was actually a calculated decision. My role model was my own Phase I orthodontist. She was a cheery, hard working, successful woman/mom who enhanced the self-esteem of her patients by creating beautiful smiles. This was the perfect scenario! What is your practice philosophy? Ostby: Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you! My priority is to educate people as well as I can about what orthodontic problems they have and if/how they would benefit from orthodontic treatment. I spend a considerable amount of time helping people understand the things they need to know to make informed decisions about their care. This is how I would want to be treated if the roles were reversed. Tell me a little about your practice. Ostby: We have two offices – both in Billings. Both of our offices are relatively simple office spaces. I think in Montana it is best to keep it simple! Both of our offices have four patient chairs and one exam/records room. There are three orthodontists working in our practice: our senior partner, Dr. Buddy Kastrop; my husband, Dr. Adam; and me. We have six employees and two locations. Adam and I each work at both offices, although I do spend more time at one location over the other. It works out well that we can easily see each other’s patients when the need arises, since our techniques are so similar. Photography by Tina Stinson Name: Marlene Ostby, DDS, MS, Board Certified Orthodontist Dental School Graduate From: Baylor College of Dentistry; 2003 Orthodontic School: University of Iowa; 2007 Practice Name: Ostby Orthodontics Practice Location: Billings, Montana Also in Practice: Dr. Buddy Kastrop Dr. Adam Ostby Web site: www.ostbyorthodontics.com What is the competition like in your area of orthodontics right now? Ostby: Practicing orthodontics in Montana is different than in 28 OCTOBER 2012 // orthotown.com http://www.ostbyorthodontics.com http://www.orthotown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown October 2012

Front Cover
Orthotown.com Highlights
Wired for Success
Townie Clinical: Phase I Decisions
Best Direct Bonding Protocol
AAO Dues
Corporate Profile: Ortho Classic
New Products
Office Visit: One in a Million
Insurance: We Love to Hate It… But Should We? (Part 2)
You Should Know: G&H Orthodontics
Industry News
Have You Really Thought About Your Schedule Lately?
“Go Mobile…”
Speeding Up Orthodontic Treatment with OrthoAccel’s AcceleDent System
Advantages of Self-Ligating Brackets
Adult Clinical Cases with Pathological Problems Treated with Lingual Orthodontics
Ad Index

Orthotown October 2012