Stephanie has been in orthodontics since 1971 when she began working for her own orthodontist before going to school to be a dental assistant. She spent 15 years working as a chair-side assistant then had an orthodontic laboratory business for seven years. Stephanie missed the interaction with patients and their families so she began working as our patient coordinator in 1994. Stephanie grew up in Carlsbad and loves baseball, entertaining and traveling with her family and friends. The best part about having orthodontics be such a big part of my life is all the friendships Ive made and seeing all the beautiful smiles weve created.
Lona is Dr. Hursts Financial Coordinator and joined the team in 2017. She has 5 years of experience in the medical field, and now feels right at home in the Orthodontic field. Lona feels truly fortunate to be part of Dr. Hursts team and is happy to take care of your accounts and insurance claims. In her free time, Lona enjoys spending time with her husband and their cats, crocheting and playing video games. She loves exploring new places to eat and always feels most at home when taking a trip to Disneyland.
Stephanie is a Dental Assistant who graduated from Chaffey College in September 2019. She joined Dr. Hursts team in February 2020 after moving to sunny San Diego. She enjoys spending time with her family and 2 younger sisters. Steph also enjoys embroidering, kayaking, cooking, reading and going to Disneyland. She has 3 dogs, a Maltipoo named Ozzy, a cocker spaniel named Rusty and a chihuahua named Eddy.
Lexi is a Registered Dental Assistant that has worked in Orthodontics for 10 years. She worked for the orthodontist that did her braces as a child before joining Dr. Hursts team. Lexi grew up in Vista, CA and loves working with people, especially children. She says they light up my life and make my day every day!. Lexis favorite past times are spending time with her son, Dean, walking on the beach, playing sports with her son and playing with her cat and dog. Basketball is Lexis favorite sport. She also enjoys crafting, especially with sunflowers!
Saige is a Dental Assistant with 6 years of experience in Orthodontics. She graduated from Dental Pros in February of 2016. Saige joined Dr. Hursts team in May of 2020 and is so excited and honored to be a part of it! She enjoys spending time with her husband, Nick, her 5 siblings, her dog Yogi and bunny Roo. Her favorite activities include going to the beach, hanging out with friends, shopping, camping and going to her favorite place, Disneyland!
Jessica started working for Dr. Hurst in 2020 as his Treatment Coordinator. Jessica is new to Orthodontics and is enjoying learning and creating new relationships in this next chapter of life. Jessica has been a stay at home mom for the last 19 years. Jessica grew up in Northern California and moved to Carlsbad in 2002. She feels blessed to have raised her 2 kids, Cole and Lexi, in such a wonderful community! She enjoys being outdoors and staying active. She is a football and soccer mom and has been married to her husband, Josh, for 21 years!
Its more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy during orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning.
What can you eat? Lets talk about what you shouldnt eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, youll be able to bite a cucumber again. But youll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as youre wearing braces.
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 3 5 days. Take Tylenol or whatever you normally take for headache or discomfort. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the braces.
To successfully complete orthodontic treatment, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed. Lack of cooperation following instructions and damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time so please follow instructions.