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Being an orthodontist is already a rewarding job — you get to transform smiles, boost confidence, and improve oral health every day. But imagine combining that with courtside energy, elite athletes, and a professional sports franchise. That’s the kind of next-level experience that comes with being the team orthodontist for the Denver Nuggets.

So what does it really mean to be the smile expert behind one of the NBA’s most dynamic teams? Let’s take a look behind the scenes.

More Than Just Straightening Teeth

When people hear “orthodontist,” they usually think braces, aligners, and teens in retainers. And while that’s definitely a big part of the job, working with pro athletes brings an entirely different focus. The goal isn’t just straight teeth — it’s performance, protection, and long-term oral health.

For athletes at the top of their game, even the smallest detail matters. That includes how their teeth come together, how they breathe during intense games, and whether their jaw alignment could be causing strain or discomfort. It’s all connected.

Custom Mouthguards for Elite Performance

One of the biggest roles a team orthodontist plays? Creating custom mouthguards. These aren’t your standard store-bought guards — they’re high-tech, precision-fit pieces that:

• Protect teeth and jaws from injury
• Support better breathing and airflow
• Help reduce risk of concussions
• Provide comfort during high-impact moments

Each guard is tailored to the individual player’s bite, smile, and playing style. The right fit can mean the difference between staying in the game or heading to the locker room

Preventive Care for Long Seasons

NBA seasons are long and physically demanding. The last thing a player needs is a dental emergency in the middle of a playoff run. That’s why the team orthodontist also focuses on preventive care — identifying alignment issues early, helping manage grinding or jaw clenching, and making sure smiles stay strong throughout the season.

Whether it’s adjusting retainers, checking for early signs of TMJ discomfort, or just making sure each player has a winning smile for media day, it’s all part of the job.

Building Trust With the Team

Being the Nuggets’ team orthodontist isn’t just about expertise — it’s about trust. These athletes are entrusting you with their health, comfort, and performance. That relationship is built on years of consistent care, attention to detail, and understanding the unique needs of professional athletes.

It’s not unusual for a quick courtside consultation to turn into a late-night mouthguard adjustment before a big game. That’s the kind of dedication the role requires.

Representing the City of Denver

To be the orthodontist for a major NBA franchise like the Nuggets also means representing the Mile High City in a unique way. You’re not just helping the players — you’re showing fans, families, and the community that high-level care and professional sports go hand in hand.

It’s a blend of passion for dentistry, love for the game, and commitment to excellence that makes the role so meaningful.

Being the team orthodontist for the Denver Nuggets is about more than fixing crooked teeth — it’s about keeping athletes healthy, protected, and performing at their best. It's about supporting the team from behind the scenes and making sure every smile that hits the hardwood is ready for prime time.

It’s a slam dunk of a job — and a true honor to be part of the Nuggets family.

Did you know that it is not normal to breathe through your mouth? Mouth breathing can be detrimental to your health for several reasons, especially when it becomes a habit. If you find yourself or your child breathing through your mouth often, especially at night, it may be a good idea to have an evaluation that can help identify any underlying issues as mouth breathing can lead to several dental and breathing related issues and it can, in fact, be a sign of bigger problems. Here are seven ways that mouth breathing can have a negative effect on your health.

 Bad Breath! Dry Mouth and Increased Risk of Cavities - When you breathe through your mouth, your saliva evaporates more quickly, leading to a dry mouth. Saliva plays a crucial role in protecting your teeth from cavities, as it helps neutralize acids and wash away food particles and bacteria. A dry mouth can increase the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.

 Impaired Breathing Function - Breathing through the nose has several advantages over mouth breathing, including filtration, warming, and humidification of the air. Your nose also produces nitric oxide, which helps with the efficient delivery of oxygen to your lungs and enhances immune function. Mouth breathing bypasses these benefits, making it less effective and potentially more harmful in the long term.

 Increased Risk of Respiratory Issues - Nasal breathing helps filter out dust, allergens, and pathogens, preventing them from reaching your lungs. Mouth breathing, on the other hand, doesn’t offer this protection, increasing the chances of inhaling irritants and pathogens. Over time, this can contribute to respiratory issues, including asthma, bronchitis, and frequent infections.

Posture and Jaw Development Issues - Chronic mouth breathing can negatively affect your posture and facial development, particularly in children. It can lead to improper tongue posture, which can affect the alignment of the teeth and jaw. This can result in issues like open bites (front teeth do not touch one another), overbites, underbites, and even changes in facial appearance over time. In some cases, it can contribute to conditions like "long face syndrome," where the face appears elongated due to the constant downward posture of the lower jaw and tongue.

Sleep Disturbances & Snoring - Are you drowsy during the day with no explanation? Do you snore loudly or wake up breathless in the middle of the night? If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, you may be one of more than 12 million Americans who are affected by sleep apnea. Mouth breathing during sleep can cause snoring, and in more severe cases, it can contribute to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The lack of proper airflow through the nose can cause the airway to collapse, leading to breathing interruptions during sleep and poor-quality rest.

Lower Oxygen Intake - Breathing through the nose ensures a more controlled, efficient intake of oxygen. It allows for deeper breaths, which can increase oxygen absorption. Mouth breathing, especially if it’s shallow, may not deliver as much oxygen to the body, which can lead to feelings of fatigue and decreased performance during physical activity.

Worsening of Allergies or Sinus Issues - People who breathe through their mouth may be more prone to developing sinus issues or exacerbating existing allergies. The nose acts as a filter for allergens, and when you bypass it by breathing through the mouth, you expose your respiratory system to more irritants.The nose has natural defense mechanisms like mucus and cilia that help trap and remove harmful particles, protecting your body from infections. Mouth breathing bypasses these protective features, making it easier for pathogens to enter the body and cause illnesses.

An evaluation from an orthodontist may help! When anatomical variations are present in the nasal passageway, jaw structure, or tongue posture, improper breathing or sleep disturbances can develop. An airway consultation can help identify potential issues and help treat the palate and jaw to restore proper healthy breathing through the nose.  Call Holt Orthodontics, 303-798-0928, now for your complimentary consultation and see how we can help.

It is a little known fact that Invisalign can help keep your teeth healthier in more than one way. By promoting better alignment, it makes it easier to clean the teeth, and it also improves the bite function. Here are some important ways that Invisalign can improve your overall dental health:

1. Improved Alignment

• Better bite and tooth positioning: Invisalign aligners gradually move teeth into more optimal positions, correcting misalignments such as overbites, underbites, crossbites, and crowding. Properly aligned teeth are easier to clean and less prone to developing issues like cavities, gum disease, and wear from improper bite.
• Reduced wear and tear: When teeth are misaligned, they can cause uneven pressure and friction during biting, leading to tooth enamel wear or damage. Invisalign helps correct these issues, preserving tooth structure over time.

2. Easier Cleaning

• Removable aligners: One of the biggest advantages of Invisalign over traditional braces is that the aligners are removable. This allows for much easier cleaning of both your teeth and the aligners themselves. With traditional braces, food can get stuck in brackets and wires, making it harder to keep teeth clean and contributing to plaque buildup and cavities.
• Less plaque buildup: With properly aligned teeth, you can brush and floss more effectively, which reduces plaque and tartar buildup. Maintaining oral hygiene is one of the best ways to prevent cavities and gum disease.

3. Prevention of Gum Disease

• Less gum irritation: Traditional braces can cause irritation to the gums and mouth due to brackets and wires. Invisalign aligners, being smooth and custom-fit, are less likely to cause these issues. Healthy gums are essential for overall oral health, and better gum health means fewer complications like gingivitis or periodontal disease.

4. Better Function

• Improved chewing and speaking: When teeth are properly aligned, it becomes easier to chew food and speak clearly. Misaligned teeth or bite issues can affect your ability to chew, which may lead to jaw discomfort or even digestive problems if food isn’t chewed properly. Proper alignment also helps balance the bite, reducing jaw stress or pain.

5. Reduced Risk of Tooth Damage

• Avoiding tooth grinding: Invisalign can help correct certain bite issues that may contribute to bruxism (teeth grinding), which can wear down enamel and cause jaw pain. Some aligners come with additional features, like night guards, to protect against grinding.

6. Long-Term Health Benefits

• More predictable long-term oral health: By aligning your teeth and improving bite function, Invisalign not only enhances aesthetics but also helps create a more stable oral environment. Proper alignment reduces the likelihood of issues like tooth movement, jaw pain, and wear-and-tear problems in the future.

By addressing both aesthetic and functional concerns, Invisalign can significantly contribute to overall dental health. While you are excited about a beautiful, new smile Invisalign can also contribute to your overall dental health in a big way! 

Did you have braces when you were young, but now, as you’ve aged, you notice that your teeth have been shifting? The natural aging process can bring about many changes for the teeth.  Over time it is normal to see teeth move slightly upward. The soft tissues and muscles around the mouth and face also change with age, which can alter the pressure on the teeth and contribute to shifts in position and contribute to crowding.

The crowding that occurs as we age can also be due to a variety of factors, some genetic, and others primarily related to changes in the jawbone, dental structure, and oral health. Here are some of the main reasons why the mouth changes and teeth shift and become crowded as we age:

Jawbone Changes - Over time, the jawbone can lose bone density decreases, especially in the lower jaw. This can cause the jaw to shrink slightly, leading to less space for teeth, which may shift and crowd together.

Forward Shifting of Teeth - As we age, the teeth naturally tend to drift slightly forward. This forward movement can cause the teeth in the front of the mouth to crowd together, especially the lower front teeth.

Narrowing of the Dental Arch - The dental arch (the curved shape of the row of teeth) can gradually narrow as we age, reducing the space available for teeth. This can lead to crowding, particularly in the front teeth.

Wear and Tear - Grinding or clenching of the teeth, often due to stress or sleep disorders, can wear down the teeth over time. This can also cause teeth to shift position and become crowded.

Tooth Loss: If a tooth is lost and not replaced, the surrounding teeth may shift into the empty space, leading to crowding or misalignment of the remaining teeth as the support for the remaining teeth diminishes it can lead to shifting and crowding.

Gum Disease: Periodontal disease can cause the gums to recede, and this also leads to the loss of the support structure which holds the teeth in place, as that happens the teeth can move out of alignment and become crowded.

Changes in the Bite or Jaw Alignment - As we age, changes in the alignment of the jaw, due to factors like bone loss or arthritis, can also contribute to crowding.

Genetics - Genetic factors can play a role in the alignment of teeth and the structure of the jaw. Some people may be more prone to crowding due to their genetic makeup, and this can become more pronounced with age.

As these factors combine, they cause teeth to shift, leading to the crowding that many people experience as they get older. Regular dental care, including orthodontic check-ups, can help manage or prevent some of these changes. There are several options available today to help manage and correct these changes.  It is important to address any concerns early so that you can keep a healthy and beautiful smile!