Message From Dr. Kemp

 

Your smile is your greeting to the world.  It is also a window to an important part of your dental health, the alignment of your teeth.   Not everyone is born with beautifully aligned teeth.  Crooked teeth or spaces between your teeth may be a source of embarrassment or self-consciousness.  Improperly aligned teeth and jaws are called a “malocclusion.”  Not only does a malocclusion cause emotional discomfort, but having a malocclusion can lead to a host of sometimes painful physical dental disorders.

The good news is that orthodontic treatment can correct these problems and help you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile that's good for life.

What would you like to know about orthodontics?  Use the comment space below to ask questions, and It will be my pleasure to answer them.

Sincerely,

Dr. David Kemp

Fast Forward: What are you up to?

Singer/Songwriter, Actress, Model, Writer

Known for her smile and youthful look, Mercedes is a signed model/actress with Talent Trek Agency.  Dr. David Kemp of Kemp Orthodontics has helped keep her smile beautiful since she started seeing him on May 21, 1997.

In May 2011, Mercedes Davis obtained a B.S. degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Recording Industry - Commercial Songwriting/Entrepreneurship.  Her experiences include performances in the independent film "The New, True Charlie Wu", Miss Tennessee USA Pageant and other talent shows and plays. She is currently cast in the Alvin Moore Entertainment dinner theater production of "When The Lights Go Out" as well as auditioning for various modeling and acting opportunities through her agency.

Education and family are strong values in Mercedes' family. Born in Hoffman Estates IL, she is a 5th generation Williamson County, TN resident.  She the granddaughter of The late Monroe and Mary Booker, who sent all 12 of their children to college.  The Booker family has been recognized by U.S. President (George H. W. Bush), Jet Magazine, Williamson AM and other news media.

Mercedes' other interests include exercising, photography, reading, travel and Internet Marketing.  She currently lives in Franklin, TN.

Kemp Orthodontics Embraces Modern Technology

At Kemp Orthodontics we embrace modern technology. Whether it is through our innovative orthodontic treatment, our high-tech website and social networks, or our modern offices located in Franklin and Brentwood, Tennessee, we believe we offer our patients and their families a state-of-the-art treatment experience.

 

Creating Beautiful Smiles

The famous musician Victor Borge often said during his concerts, “The shortest distance between two people is a smile.”  At Kemp Orthodontics we believe that well-aligned teeth look good and are good for you, too!

Straight, well-aligned teeth are easier to clean and maintain.  Well-aligned teeth can help you avoid such problems as abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, difficulty in chewing and/or speaking, and excess stress on supporting bone and gum tissue. Without treatment, many problems may become worse and can require additional dental care later in life. Your teeth should be with you all your life.  Don't you want to ensure your teeth are strong and healthy? 

Kemp Orthodontic Announces Winner!

Kemp Orthodontics congratulates Trace Alexander.  He is the winner of the Guess How Many Contest.  He was off by 1!  Come by the Franklin office and see if you can guess how many Jelly Beans are in the jar.  The contest ends 4/30/12.

Kemp Orthodontics Welcomes American Idol

Being an orthodontist in “Music City” and being a patient of an orthodontist in “Music City” brings smiles in more ways than one. As my patients can tell you, you never know who will be sitting in Kemp Orthodontics in the chair right alongside you getting their braces tightened. Just yesterday, we welcomed “American Idol” star Danny Gokey and his wife Leyicet into our practice. Danny has been in treatment with us wearing Invisalign appliances for a while. On my recommendation, Danny decided to finish his treatment with our new clear aesthetic Clarity Advance braces. His wife began her treatment yesterday when she, too, got these virtually invisible braces.

Danny and Leyicet were so happy with their clear Clarity braces, as you can see in the photo below. Come in soon to see these state of the art braces. You never know who will be in the chair next to you at Kemp Orthodontics.  



 

Seminar Principle #3: The Gardening Principle

“All relationships need cultivation.”  I think we can all agree with this quote from John C. Maxwell's book Winning with People.  Another wise quote from Mr. Maxwell states, “It is more rewarding to resolve a situation then to dissolve a relationship.”  At our recent seminar, Gary Johnson had the members of each doctor's office break into groups and answer this question, “What things can cause a relationship to deteriorate? “ Some of the answers we came up with are --

• Apathy


• Lack of effort


• Taking the other person for granted


• Unresolved conflict


• Stop listening/Stop asking

If we know what can deteriorate a relationship, then the next question we must ask ourselves is, “What does it mean to cultivate a relationship?”  John C. Maxwell gives us six things to focus on.

1. Commitment


2. Communication


3. Friendship


4. Memories


5. Growth


6. Spoiling Each Other

Voltaire noted,“If the first law of friendship is that it has to be cultivated, the second law is to be indulgent when the first law has been neglected.

What a rich lesson.  I plan on practicing the gardening principle.  How about you?

Seminar Principle #2: Remember, Hurting People Hurt People

In John C. Maxwell's book Winning with People, he introduces an idea he calls “The Pain Principle.” Maxwell teaches that whenever someone does something hurtful to you or those around you, you need to “look beyond the Person for the Problem.” Instead of reacting with anger or frustration, react with compassion. Look for the source of his or her pain to find a connection between the two of you. As you interact with others, remember this:  anytime a person's response to an issue is larger than the issue at hand, that response is almost always triggered by something other than the issue itself.

In Mark Goulston's book Just Listen, he gives 6 steps to Dealing with Hurting People.

1. Attach an emotion to what you think the other person is feeling.


2. Say, “I am trying to get a sense of what you are feeling and I think it is _________. Is this correct?” If it is not , then ask, “What are you feeling?”


3. Then say, “How frustrated (angry, upset, etc.) are you?” Count at least to 20 to give the person time to respond.  Be prepared for a torrent of emotions.


4. “And the reason you get so frustrated is because….?”


5. Then say, “Tell me what needs to happen for that feeling to feel better?”


6. Next say, “What part can I play in making that happen?”

I hope you are enjoying the excerpts from our recent seminar “How to Communicate and Connect with Your Staff and Patients.” In my next blog post, I will share with you Principle #3: “The Gardening Principle: All Relationships Need Cultivation.”

Connectivity

The #1 principle of connectivity that Gary Johnson discussed in the recent seminar is “We Must First Understand Before We Try to Be Understood.”  This principle certainly rang true with me and my staff.  How many times have you been having a conversation with someone only to find your mind wandering while he or she is speaking? When he or she finishes talking, you then find yourself thinking, “What did he just say?”  If we are honest with ourselves, we all have had this happen.  Listening is a challenging skill.  It requires considerable effort and focus.  Gary asked each office this question, “What things do great listeners do?”  Some of the ideas we came up with were:  to establish eye contact, to let the other person know you are listening by a nod, to repeat back what they said, and to let them know you care.  Two key points that really hit home with me are “Listen to Understand Not to Respond” and “It is more important to be interested than interesting.” What a challenging seminar!  In my next blog I will talk about Principle #2: “Remember, Hurting People Hurt People.”  

Seminar on Connectivity

My staff and I had the pleasure of hosting the renowned motivational speaker, Gary Johnson, for a third seminar held Friday, January 20, 2011.  This seminar was all about “How to Communicate and Connect with Your Staff and Patient: The Three Key Principles to Connectivity.”  Gary's session on Friday was based on concepts from two great books:  Just Listen by Dr. Mark Goultson and Winning with People by John C. Maxwell.  Dr. Goulston is a highly respected expert on connectivity.  He trains all types of companies, including FBI hostage negotiators.  Mr. Maxwell is an acclaimed author and leadership expert.

Each dental office that attended our seminar was given the book Winning with People.  My staff and I are currently reading Maxwell's book and will pick up Just Listen next. Throughout the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing with you excerpts from our seminar.  I hope you will find them helpful in building and growing your own relationships.

Creating Beautiful Art

I have the most creative patients.  Julie Johnson  and Mary Husmann made me these  awesome pictures, and I wanted to share them with you. I'm so fortunate to Create Beautiful Smiles for this area's most creative people!