Meet Dr. Michelle Mian | Orthodontist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Michelle Mian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Mian, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Orthodontists spend an extra 2-3 years in training (compared to general dentists) to specialize in malocclusion diagnosis and biomechanics of tooth movement.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I attribute a large part of my personal development to this sentiment. As a college student, I had the option to graduate one year early and attend dental school. I instead opted to study abroad, gaining a plethora of experiences that would later serve me. I have come to realize how such varied experiences plant seeds for both professional and personal growth. Following this mentality, I have been fortunate enough to practice orthodontics in three major metropolitan areas. This includes practicing at a large children’s hospital and teaching at a prestigious Ivy League institution. Orthodontic methodology varies by locale and because I was able to seize different opportunities, I now have a full toolbox of techniques to treat each of my cases uniquely. I attribute much of my success to the myriad of experiences I have had throughout my professional career.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being relatively new to Denver (I moved here a year and a half ago), I still feel like there is so much to explore! From my time spent here, I would kick off anyone’s visit with a trip up to Boulder to do the Mount Sainitas hike. It’s a great climb up to a beautiful vista overlooking the front range and Boulder. From there, we would explore Pearl street and grab a well deserved lunch on the patio. The rest of the day would include a stroll through Washington park followed by dinner at Root Down in LoHi. The evening wouldn’t be complete without stopping by the top deck of Avanti for a late night snack or drink. Yum!

After the proper introduction to Denver itself, no trip would be complete without visit to the mountains! Come summer or winter, a drive out to Breck or Vail would certainly be in order. Either breaking out the skis or hiking boots, we would find some outdoor adventures before calling it a successful Denver trip!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
After nearly a decade practicing orthodontics, it still holds true that mentorship early in my career shaped me into the clinician I am today. Dr. Steve Ely, in addition to being an phenomenal clinician, provided support as I navigated the waters of residency and beyond. Driving nearly 10 hours each time he taught at Harvard, he was dedicated to help not only forming my foundational knowledge within orthodontics, but also in making career path decisions. I owe much of my success to Dr. Ely.

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