Meet Dr. Sytek
Dr. Lauren Sytek grew up in Alpena, trained at the University of Michigan, and came home to practice. One doctor, one team, and the time to get to know you.
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Her story
The short version: she knows what it feels like to be the kid who can't wait for braces, and she pointed her career at doing the same for other people.
Lauren sucked her thumb until she was nine, and between that and a little genetics, she grew up with a narrow palate, prominent front teeth, and a bite that needed serious correction. The kids at school had a nickname for it. She can laugh about it now, but she never forgot how it made her feel.
Getting braces and transforming her smile changed how she carried herself. At fifteen, she decided she wanted to provide that change for others, and she pointed every decision after that toward becoming an orthodontist.
She trained at the University of Michigan and came back to Northeast Michigan at the perfect time, a time that lined up with what she and her husband wanted, which was to start and raise their family in their hometown. Today they live on a farm, and Lauren still spends her off hours looking at teeth far more often than her husband thinks is normal.
How she practices
Sytek Ortho is a single-doctor practice on purpose. The person who plans your treatment is the same person who carries it out and sees you at every appointment. Three ideas guide how Lauren treats every patient.
Patient-centered
Sometimes that means recommending treatment. Sometimes it means telling a family it isn't the right time yet. Sometimes it means reassuring someone who's worried about cost, or even ending treatment early when that's what's right. The clinical call and the human one get the same weight.
Always evolving
Lauren has no patience for "that's how we've always done it." She uses the systems she uses because they move teeth predictably and comfortably: Damon Ultima braces, Oliv aligners, and Dental Monitoring. When something better comes along, she tests it. She was a test provider for Oliv for 18 months before it launched publicly. She fell in love with the system, which is why the practice no longer uses Invisalign.
Efficient
Lauren likes to say treatment is exciting for exactly two days: the first one and the last one. Her job is to get you through treatment as quickly and as comfortably as possible.
Training and teaching
Continuing education isn't a box she checks. It's how she stays current on the systems and techniques that make treatment better.
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Orthodontic residency at the University of Michigan Teaches current orthodontic residents at the University of Michigan Active in continuing education and orthodontic study groups year round Board certified orthodontist
The team
Same faces every time. The team is small on purpose, and it's a big part of why patients keep coming back.
Office Manager/Treatment Coordinator
Affectionately nicknamed "Miss Alpena"
Lead Clinical Assistant
Will definitely gush over your dog, any size, any breed.
Clinical Assistant
Loudest laugh, biggest heart.
Clinical Assistant
Connoisseur of eclectic earrings.
Lab Technician/Office Support
Have fabric, will sew.
Scheduling Coordinator
Want to make her day? Jimmy John's #12 with Jalapeno Chips.
In the community
Lauren's long-term goal is bigger than her own practice.
For years, people in Northeast Michigan have driven hours for all types of specialist care, and many have come to believe good healthcare is something you have to leave town to get. She wants to change that, and to make Alpena a place people come to for exceptional care rather than a place they leave to find it. We routinely participate in the city-wide Trunk or Treat Event and the Bolenz Holiday parade.
No pressure. Real options.
