Pickering & Allen Orthodontics

Orthodontics & Divine Design

Journey of Faith and Transformation with Pickering and Allen

At 14 years old, Jim Pickering was a month away from getting his braces off when he was hit with a baseball that knocked out six of his front teeth. He thought his mouth was ruined forever, but with time, kindness, and expertise, his orthodontist was able to put everything back into place. “He made me proud to smile again,” he says.

Jim couldn’t believe how perfectly his mouth had been restored. When it was time for him to choose a career, he thought back to that experience as a teenager and knew he wanted to do the same for other people.

Today, Dr. Pickering, as his patients know him, is an orthodontist with Pickering & Allen Orthodontics, a practice he runs alongside Dr. Tyler Allen. He’s been working in orthodontics since 1995. It’s ironic, he says, that the very experience that seemed so daunting and earth-shattering at the time, is the very same experience that turned out to be a blessing in disguise and lead him on his path to orthodontics. He can’t help but see God’s hand in this.

Ironically, it was Dr. Allen’s own experience as a youth that led him down this path as well. “I remember being ashamed to smile as a 2nd grader,” Dr. Allen says. “Braces changed this for me… I love that I get to make a difference in a child’s/person’s life and their confidence. I get to form relationships with patients and their parents day in and day out.”

With the impact they can make through their work in mind, both Dr. Pickering & Dr. Allen begin their mornings looking to God through a devotional or quiet time. As Dr. Allen says, “I have hope, peace, and love for others because God has changed, and continues to change, my heart.” Because of this, the two strive to love their patients and team, and work to treat each and every one of them like family.

This faith is critical to many members of the Pickering & Allen team, as well. As Pickering explains: “In the end, the thing that always sets us apart is our team. We have been blessed with the most amazing group of godly people to work with daily. We very much feel like family because we take care of our patients like we do each other.”

Pickering & Allen are Diamond Plus Invisalign providers, but what sets them apart from other practices is their use of the Passive Self-Ligating bracket system. This allows the use of the lightest forces possible to move teeth, resulting in more a comfortable and better result. “This innovative system is only used by about 20 percent of practicing orthodontists,” Dr. Pickering says. “We place these braces with a technique called indirect bonding which allows us to place all braces at once, but more importantly in the most accurate position possible.”

In the end, this team finds something so special about seeing a patient’s transformation from the time they come into the office to the time they leave. Staff note that it’s not just about getting to see a change in a patient’s teeth, but getting to see a change in their level of confidence and their spirit. 

With expertise as their foundation, faith as their why, the two lead a practice that supports its neighbors in many ways. “We sponsor all sorts of athletic teams, we donate to schools and fall festivals, we hold a blood drive each year, we have been sponsoring a team in Race Against Cancer, and much more,” Dr. Allen says. “We are privileged to be the orthodontic provider for anyone seen at the cleft lip and palate clinic at Children’s Hospital.”

The team also has a unique relationship with the UT Vols as well. “We provide mouth guards and treatment to student athletes who need us,” Dr. Allen says. “We are so thankful for the rich volunteer spirit that exists in Knoxville and do our best to take part in that.”legacy of improving lives for decades to come. I think that’s pretty awesome.”

Gold Winner :
Dentist – Orthodontist

865-687-9412
120 Capital Drive, Suite 104
Knoxville, TN 37922
4741 N. Broadway Street, Suite C
Knoxville, TN 37919
Pickeringorthodontics.com