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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – People have all sorts of preconceived ideas about orthodontic treatment when they come into the office. But many times the “facts” are actually fiction, according to Dr. David Alpan, a Las Vegas Invisalign pro and orthodontist.
Here he addresses the four he and his staff hear most frequently about Invisalign. Find out if they are true or false.
Invisalign is only appropriate for simple orthodontic cases.
False. Most malocclusions can be treated with Invisalign, including Class II and III malocclusions, overbite and underbite. Some cases may require a combination of Invisalign and short-term traditional braces.
“I have even treated patients requiring complex surgical intervention with Invisalign,” says Dr. Alpan, a TMD dentist and pediatric orthodontic expert.
This is a great video of the end of the movie “Modern Times” starring Charlie Chaplin in 1936. The comedian brought smiles to the faces of people around the world, which is why it is fitting that he wrote the music you hear playing in the background. In 1936, this theme song was nothing more than a beautiful melody, but in 1954, lyrics and the title “Smile” were given to this popular standard.
The message of the song is that even in the worst of times, you can make it through if you just smile. We all face difficult times, and sometimes, you just don’t have a reason to smile. But even forcing a smile can actually make you start to feel better as endorphins are released when you smile, helping to relieve physical and emotional stress. Just focus on putting happy thoughts into your head, take a few deep breaths, and smile. Smiling will not only make you start to feel better, but it will put others at ease and make them feel good as well. When you are facing a particularly hard time, offer up a smile. You’ll send a message that you are accepting the world around you, and the world will, in turn, smile back at you.
Bethany Hamilton – Before and After Damon System Braces
The story of Bethany Hamilton is one of inspiration, courage, and determination. Bethany won her first surfing competition in both long board and short board at a mere 8 years old, sparking her passion for competitive surfing. On October 31, 2003, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off the north shore of Kauai, leaving her with a severed left arm. Only one month after the incident, Bethany was back in the water pursuing her dream of being a professional surfer, winning her first national title just one year after the attack. In 2007, she fulfilled her dream of going pro, and today, Bethany is more than a championship surfer. Subject of the recent film, Soul Surfer Movie, she travels all over the world sharing her incredible story about faith, hope and overcoming whatever life throws your way.
Several years ago Bethany was treated with Damon System braces and, much like her surfing accomplishments, she achieved amazing results with her smile. So, what are Damon braces? Damon System self-ligating braces (no elastic ties to hold the arch wire in place) are smaller than regular braces, more comfortable to the lips and cheek, and use a slide mechanism that eliminates the friction that elastics can cause. Teeth move faster and require fewer adjustments, shorter appointment times, and shorter total treatment time. Regular braces (metal braces, gold braces, lingual braces, hidden braces or invisible custom-made Incognito Braces) require elastics to hold arch wires in place. Elastics are like bungee cords, which cause friction and pressure, making treatment slower and less comfortable. If you take a look at the picture below, you can see the elastics around the traditional brackets. On the right, you can see the Damon brackets. These specific brackets are clear on top and metal on the bottom. They also come in all metal, or all clear, giving you many aesthetic options.
Regular Braces (Left) vs. Damon Braces (Right)
Bethany Hamilton’s story is truly inspirational, and her smile is infectious. If you are interested in learning more about Damon System braces and are eager to smile with the confidence that Bethany does, come into Aesthetic Orthodontics for a free consultation. We specialize in the Damon System and would love to help you achieve the results that you desire in your smile.
Los Angeles, CA – Many patients have questions about retainers and want to know if they are necessary for everyone – and for how long.
“After your braces come off, wearing a retainer is the next step,” says Dr. David Alpan, a Los Angeles pediatric orthodontics provider. “Retainers are important because they stabilize the teeth after the active orthodontic appliance is removed at the end of treatment.”
Without retainers, your teeth gradually would return to their original position over time. To keep your teeth in their ideal positions for the rest of your life, it is best to wear a retainer that long. Some retainers can be put in permanently. The ideal retainer is made of a clear, plastic removable material that fits on your teeth like a glove and can be worn at home while you sleep. Continue reading How About the Need for a Retainer?→
LAS VEGAS, NV – You do not have to live with the pain of Temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – also called Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) – and it is important to know the facts to see if you could suffer from this treatable condition, according to Dr. David Alpan, a Los Angeles TMJ dentist.
What are some of the signs? According to Los Angeles orthodontist Alpan, they include an incorrect relationship of the lower jaw to upper jaw and skull, an incorrect relationship of the mandible (lower jaw) to the temporal bones, and jaw joint problems. Some external signs are one eye higher than the other, one shoulder higher than the other, one hip higher than the other or one leg shorter than the other. Continue reading You Don’t Have to Live With TMJ→
It isn’t surprising that Lindsay Lohan is all over the news this week, but one of the hot topics regarding this Hollywood starlet is the dramatic change that her teeth have undergone in the past couple of weeks. Lindsay tweeted with the picture below that she had gotten a Zoom! teeth whitening treatment and thanked her dentist for her pearly whites.
There has been a lot of skepticism regarding whether or not Lindsay had more work done than just teeth whitening. Some doctors have suggested that she may have gotten crowns or veneers. I am not going to discredit what anyone has contended or opined, but here is what I am going to say: The Zoom! Teeth Whitening System, a service that we offer at Aesthetic Orthodontics, delivers amazing whitening results. That being said, Zoom! bleaching does not have the capability of changing the structure or the shape of a tooth. It is meant only to deliver a whiter smile.
Orthodontic treatment is similar. With braces, I create straight beautiful smiles, aligned jaws, and comfortable bites for my patients, but orthodontic treatment will not dramatically change the shape of their teeth.
Regardless of the cause of Lindsay Lohan’s dental dilemmas,the best advice I can give to avoid issues like discoloration and tooth decay is to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat a well-balanced diet, exercise, and avoid drugs, chemicals, and foods that can cause dental erosion.
I came across this post by a holistic dentist in Glendale, CA. Many of you are aware that my father, Dr. Jack Alpan, practiced dentistry and was also a naturopathic doctor. Through his tutelage and research of my own, I believe that using dental amalgam, or mercury-containing fillings, is dangerous and potentially very toxic to the body. If you have amalgam fillings, my recommendation would be to replace those fillings with composite or another less toxic alternative.
There’s been plenty of good news lately on the effort to end the Age of Toxic Dentistry, such as the Malibu City Council’s resolution supporting the global phase-out of dental mercury, which was unanimously approved just last week.
Muah ha ha ha ha! It’s that evil time of year again. A time when oral bacteria feeds on all of the sugar we consume turning our otherwise happy mouths into scary fright zones of plaque-forming ghouls and gobblins.
Now, I always recommend patients completely avoid foods like candy and soda, and use caution when eating hard, crunchy or sticky foods because they can damage orthodontic appliances and braces, bend wires, require extra visits for repairs and even set back treatment time. However, I realize that kids are going to eat candy during and long after Halloween (and I know the adults are sneaking pieces out of the candy bowl too). Because we are kicking off this two-month holiday season with a candy fest, it makes it that much more important that we are all taking good care of our teeth and still trying to eat a healthy well-balanced diet.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Twenty-five percent of all orthodontic patients over the past two decades have been adults, according to the American Association of Orthodontics. They report that women seeking treatment outnumber men by about three to one.
But according to adults and kids’ orthodontist Dr. David Alpan, this trend may be starting to shift. He has noticed more men, including lawyers, doctors and other business professionals, seeking orthodontic treatment at his practice Aesthetic Orthodontics in Los Angeles.
“Braces for children and adolescents have always been common, but the increase in invisible braces options like Invisalign and Incognito allow for bite correction and aesthetic improvement without the inconveniences regular braces may have for a business professional’s day-to-day life,” says Dr. Alpan.
Love is in the air at Aesthetic Orthodontics. One of my patients was sitting in the chair the other day making a big to-do about the fact that she couldn’t go to Vegas and have fun with her girlfriends because she had her braces on. She said she didn’t feel comfortable dating. “I’m on a dating hiatus,” she said. Another patient a couple of chairs down had overheard her complaining and said, “Are you kidding me? I met my boyfriend this way, and now I know he really likes me for me.” Everyone started laughing.
It isn’t surprising that Lindsay Lohan is all over the news this week, but one of the hot topics regarding this Hollywood starlet is the dramatic change that her teeth have undergone in the past couple of weeks. Lindsay tweeted with the picture below that she had gotten a Zoom! teeth whitening treatment and thanked her dentist for her pearly whites.
