Orthodontist Wants to Help Mom Straighten Up

Chocolates and flowers will almost always bring a smile to mom’s face on Mother’s Day, but what if this year’s gift could be the smile itself?

For the second year, Macomb Township’s is giving a free Invisalign treatment to one lucky Macomb County mom.

“The Mother’s Day event started because we see a lot of mothers bring in their kids,” said Dr. Zvi Kennet. “Sometimes there are a lot of kids in the family and mom is hiding her smile. She puts the kids’ needs first. Orthodontics are fairly expensive and most adults are not covered for insurance.”

Macomb Township resident and winner of last year’s contest, Patti Houston, is one of these moms.

“I’ve always wanted straight teeth,” Houston said. “I was supposed to get braces when I was younger, but braces were un-cool then. I think you’re cool if you get them now. I fought my mom as a kid and it means a great deal now that I’m in my upper 40s to have great teeth.”

It was Houston’s sons, Shane, 10, and Evan, 9, who entered their mom in the contest last year.

“They are both patients (at Kennet Orthodontics)," Houston said. "We saw the contest last year and they said they wanted to write an article. I was definitely shocked (to learn I'd won). I would have been happy with just half getting paid for.” 

As the grand-prize winner, Houston received a free, $6,500-value Invisalign treatment. This year's contest will award an Invasalign treatment as well as two additional $1,000 gift certificates that can be used toward orthodontic treatment for the winning moms or their children.

“I think it’s a great way to appreciate moms altogether,” Kennet said. “You want to do something for the mothers. It’s a fairly expensive treatment and if we can make one person happy, why not? We also structure it so the kids have to actually make the submission, so maybe they get something out of it, too.”

The contest is open to all Macomb County residents, but entries must be received by 5 p.m. May 2.

“We want to make sure it is open to as many people as possible,” Kennet said. “We’re hoping more people hear about it and it opens the door to anybody.”

To enter, write a short half-page essay beginning with the sentence, “My mom is the greatest and deserves a beautiful smile because … ” Entries should include the name and age of the person making the entry, the mom’s name, address, phone number and email address, and a recent photo of mom smiling. Check the PDFs attached to this article for complete contest rules.

Entries should be emailed to contest@kennetortho.com or sent to Kennet Orthodontics, 19991 Hall Road, Suite 101, Macomb, MI 48044.

Kennet Orthodontics is the only Invisalign premier preferred provider in Macomb County and is in the top 5 percent of Invisalign providers in North America.

“It is a more efficient system than braces, so it takes less time,” Kennet said. “We have treated some 250 people over the years with Invasalign.”

Unlike braces, Invisalign liners are removable. Using a 3-D model on a computer, a series of clear, plastic liners are created specifically for the patient’s teeth. These liners sit very tightly on the teeth and are replaced every few weeks to move the teeth a little more.

"Last year, my boys gave me the best Mother's Day present ever ... my chance to have straight teeth," Houston said.