Leslie Pitner DDS MS

I never planned to be an orthodontist. That was my father's job, and as a kid, I thought his job was pretty strange – who wants to put their hands in people’s mouths? Yuck (and this was before gloves!). In fact, after college, I began a Ph.D. program in Art History on track to be a professor. But I realized I was not happy spending time just reading and writing. I wanted to do something that made the world more beautiful, but also made a difference in people’s lives. Suddenly my dad’s strange job started to look pretty amazing. So I made the switch and went to dental school and completed my residency to specialize in orthodontics. Once I started treating patients, I quickly began to see how a new smile transforms lives and decided I wanted to study the psychology behind the smile, so I completed a unique Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology. Now I am doing the work I always dreamed of – creating beautiful smiles that truly transform people’s lives! Because of my research on the importance of a smile, I wrote "Improve Your Smile, Transform Your Life: A Guide to Orthodontics for Adults." I know that a smile can change your brain and your life in ways you may have never imagined. A confident smile can take you to places you never dreamed and the benefits continue to build over a lifetime.