Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2016

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Roberta Z. Gardner, dMd, MS,
has been practicing orthodontics for 20
years. Her formula for success? Approach
every day with a (pardon the pun) smile
and create a professional yet relaxed
atmosphere for her patients.
“I treat others as I would want to be treated,” said Dr.
Gardner. “I consider the entire
individual and not just another set
of jaws and teeth. I have one office, I’m the only doctor
and we give personalized attention.”
The married mother of two high
school-age daughters has thrived in
Mount Pleasant.
“There are many orthodontists, and
patients have several options to find the
practice that feels right. Orthodontics
is a lifelong investment, involving a
long-term relationship. It has to feel
right to the patient.”
Dr. Gardner has taught in the
Graduate Orthodontic residency
program at the Medical University of
South Carolina for a decade.
“I have to stay current with new
technology, state-of-the-art treatment
and current research. Teaching is one
way I feel I can give back to the profes-
sion, and I love to teach,” she explained.
Dr. Gardner also is passionate about giving back to the
community. Her practice sponsors school PTAs and sports,
the United Soccer Academy in Mount Pleasant, Recreation
Department activities and church functions.
Dr. Gardner is a diplomate of The American Board of
Orthodontics, a designation she earned by passing an ex-
amination that includes a rigorous set of written, verbal and
clinical evaluations. She must be recertified every 10 years.
The personal satisfaction from a job well done and
those smiles flashing back at her have motivated Dr. Gard-
ner for two decades.
Approach Every Day
with a Smile
Dr. Roberta Gardner
Feeling Good
“I get great joy seeing people feel good about their
smiles. I get teary-eyed when I see people look at them-
selves right after their braces are removed. I feel fortunate
to be able to help them not only have pretty smiles but to
feel good about themselves. There is not a better feeling,”
she said, adding that all her patients aren’t teenagers. “They
range from 5 to 82. Recently, one of my middle-aged pa-
tients wept with joy when he saw his new smile for the first
time. Wow, what a feeling!”
“New technology is improving the treatment options
I can offer patients,” Dr. Gardner commented. “The days
of headgear are gone. There are shorter
treatment times, 3D imaging for better
diagnosing and temporary anchorage
devices for treatment options that may
not have been possible in the past. Invis-
align is now able to produce results simi-
lar to traditional braces. There is also a
shift back to treating patients in one full
phase of braces. Some individuals need
two phases of braces, but the majority
can be treated in one full phase.”
At Dr. Gardner’s office, fun is
good.
“We love to decorate for holidays.
People come by just to see our decora-
tions,” she said. “We also have patient
contests with great prizes. We have
video game stations and a little tots play area for siblings.
We have Gordy’s Store, which is an incentive program for
good oral hygiene and cooperation. Patients can buy prizes
from little toys to gift cards for Starbucks and Barnes &
Noble. We love to have fun and believe a patient’s orth-
odontic experience should be fun.”
It’s that fun, along with excellent orthodontic results,
that continues to attract patients to her office.
Gardner Orthodontics is located at 887 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.,
suite 120. To learn more, visit or call
843-881-0767.
By JOhn TOrsIeLLO
Photo by Jenn Cady.