Owner of Saxe Orthodontics

When Dr. Alana Saxe moved to Nevada in 1995, it was to take a position as a registered nurse at University Medical Center's Burn Intensive Care Unit. But while she enjoyed providing care to burn victims, her heart was in orthodontics.
“I think every kid that gets braces, it’s such a life changing experience for them that we all become fascinated with it,” she says. “To have had these horrible buck teeth and have them turn into a great smile was an incredible experience for me.”
            In 2002, Saxe graduated from UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine, also receiving a specialty certificate in orthodontics and dento-facial orthopedics. By 2006, she had her own practice in an office environment that was built with sustainability in mind. Saxe’s office is paperless, has countertops and carpet made of recycled materials, VOC (volatile organic compound)-free paint, among many other green touches. She even uses organic gauze and digital x-rays.

Saxe also promotes dental hygiene through Clark County School District. In February, national dental hygiene month, she visits roughly 20 schools each year in her dental-themed “Happy Bus” a 1962 VW bus she affectionately refers to as here mid-life crisis car. In two years, she has done presentations to more than 4,000 first graders. Saxe also started a scholarship fund allowing three Valley juniors high students each year to win free braces.
            “People can’t afford braces now and are putting it on the back-burner because of  the economy,” she adds. “It was such a high to be able to give those kids that service.”
- Brian Sodoma