Los Angeles Orthodontist Blog

28
Aug
2013
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Los Angeles Orthodontist Explains the Nature of Dental Plaque

brushing-teeth-with-bracesDental plaque is always a threat, but when you wear braces, controlling the nuisance takes on a new importance. As the source of most dental health issues, plaque is created by masses of bacteria that, while native to your oral cavity, can pose a serious threat when allowed to grow out of control. Typically, a few moments spent brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day is your main defense against plaque. However, if you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, then you must take special care to clean bacterial plaque from between the brackets, wires, and your teeth. Today, your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, takes a close look at why plaque is dangerous, and offers advice for maintaining effective dental hygiene while wearing braces.

Big Problems in Small Packages

Tooth decay, gum disease, chronic bad breath, and other oral health complications often result from oral bacteria’s biological processes. For instance, some mouth germs turn sugar into acid through metabolization, and the acid depletes the enamel around your teeth, leaving them vulnerable to tooth decay-causing bacteria. Other germs can incite inflammation in your gums and cause them to pull away from your teeth, leading to gum disease and possible tooth loss. When allowed to gather in force, these microbes form plaque to protect them from your mouth’s natural defenses, like saliva. Continue reading Los Angeles Orthodontist Explains the Nature of Dental Plaque

 
26
Aug
2013
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Beverly Hills Orthodontist: Easier Dental Hygiene with Clear Braces

pretty-girl-brushing-teethThere are many considerations to straightening crooked teeth, and if you’re an older teen or an adult who requires orthodontic treatment, than many of those considerations are likely of a cosmetic nature. Crooked teeth can visibly mar your smile, but wearing metal braces to correct them may not add to your confidence within your personal and professional life. To address the aesthetic nature of malocclusion while maintaining the utmost discretion, your Beverly Hills orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, may recommend Invisalign clear braces. By eschewing the traditional bracket-and-wire setup of conventional braces, clear braces are designed for image-conscious patients who may otherwise postpone or neglect a serious dental problem. However, discretion isn’t the only benefit to Invisalign treatment; as removable aligners, clear braces also make good dental hygiene easier to maintain.

A Focus on Convenience

Although they’re called clear braces, Invisalign’s aligners aren’t braces in the typical sense. More accurately, they’re a series of custom-designed aligners that guide your teeth along a doctor-prescribed path of movement to their desired positions. Continue reading Beverly Hills Orthodontist: Easier Dental Hygiene with Clear Braces

 
23
Aug
2013
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L.A. Orthodontist—What You Probably Don’t Know About Your Teeth

closeup-model-of-teethAs a dedicated orthodontist in Los Angeles, Dr. David Alpan specializes in an interesting aspect of your teeth—their orientation, position, and contribution to your bite’s balance. Aside from remaining clean and disease-free, healthy teeth also have to be aligned properly to displace your bite’s pressure. However, maintaining your smile’s harmony is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your teeth’s abilities. Today, we explore a few interesting facts that you may not know about your teeth, and what makes them such a formidable part of your anatomy.

Did You Know?

 
21
Aug
2013
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When Tooth Extraction Can Save Your Smile, with Your L.A. Orthodontist

hiding-smile-behind-a-tableWhile losing a healthy tooth is typically a disastrous experience for your oral health, sometimes a tooth must go for the greater good of your smile. As Dr. David Alpan explains, most preferable dental treatments should focus on preserving as much healthy tooth tissue as possible; however, if a crooked, damaged, or severely diseased tooth interferes with your good dental health, then extraction may be the only solution. Today, your Los Angeles orthodontist describes when tooth extraction is the only viable option, and how it can serve your smile’s best interests.

Only When it’s Necessary

Wisdom teeth—the last four molars to erupt in a healthy adult mouth—are usually the only teeth that can be extracted without negatively affecting your oral health and function. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth often cause crowding, push existing teeth out of alignment, and disturb your smile’s delicate symmetry. Similarly, a severely crooked, diseased, or damaged tooth may interfere with your orthodontic treatment and require removal to make room for other teeth. Continue reading When Tooth Extraction Can Save Your Smile, with Your L.A. Orthodontist

 
19
Aug
2013
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L.A. Orthodontist—Healthy School Lunches for Children with Braces

school-lunch-tupperwarePlanning your children’s school lunches can be challenging alone, but if one or more of your children wear braces, then the challenge can be a bit more demanding. Aside from feeding your kids the minerals and nutrients they need, you also have to take into consideration the challenges they face when eating with braces. Your dedicated Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, helps take the stress out of school-lunch planning by offering a few tips on what to pack.

What to Steer Clear Of…

Foods that can stick to or damage your child’s braces should be avoided, such as;

 
16
Aug
2013
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The Difference that Adult Braces Can Make in Beverly Hills

FML-AP6Y6P.jpgThe need to straighten crooked teeth isn’t confined to young children, although traditional orthodontic treatment is typically associated with younger generations. In fact, crooked teeth can have a profound impact on your confidence as an adult, whether from the diminished appeal of a crooked smile or the possible embarrassment of wearing metal braces for a couple of years. The impact can be even more severe if your career depends on the appearance of confidence. Your Beverly Hills orthodontist understands this apprehension, and since ignoring crooked teeth should never be an option, Dr. Alpan innovative braces to suit your adult sensibilities, such as Invisalign clear braces that don’t utilize brackets and wires at all.

Invisalign Clear Braces—for the Image-Conscious Professional

There are a number of discrete orthodontic options designed to maintain discretion throughout your treatment, such as tooth-colored brackets and wires or lingual braces that are fitted behind your teeth. As one of the more popular choices, Invisalign clear braces chooses to ignore traditional brackets and wires, instead using a series of custom-designed, clear acrylic aligners. Continue reading The Difference that Adult Braces Can Make in Beverly Hills

 
14
Aug
2013
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An Overview of Affordable Orthodontics in Beverly Hills

braces-cartoonLike any good structure, maintaining a strong and properly-aligned smile is a long-term endeavor. Your Beverly Hills orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, specializes in offering effective, high-quality orthodontic procedures while keeping your treatment affordable. Since orthodontics focuses on your mouth’s continued alignment and good health, the initial cost of your treatment may not be the only cost to consider. Below, we explain the immediate and long-term cost of braces, and how we address these concerns as part of your affordable orthodontic treatment.

Immediate Cost of Braces

The most prominent expense is the immediate cost of braces, and the least expensive are typically the traditional metal bracket-and-wire assembly. As the most common and effective braces, metal ones are often prescribed to address early signs of malocclusion (bite misalignment), especially in younger children. Regardless of your choice, however, we offer a number of financing options at Alpan Orthodontics, including interest-free, in-house options with a down payment and monthly payments that fit your specific needs. Continue reading An Overview of Affordable Orthodontics in Beverly Hills

 
12
Aug
2013
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Los Angeles Orthodontist Explains TMJ Disorder

young-girl-jaw-painThere are a host of issues that can arise from crooked teeth, including the diminished confidence of a less-than-appealing smile, but your teeth’s alignment is about more than looks; it’s about balance, which is a necessary component of a well-functioning mouth. Your Los Angeles orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, believes it’s important to know the intricacies of your oral health, and enjoys helping patients find their smiles’ perfect balance through customized orthodontic treatment. Today, we explore a vital dysfunction that can result from unattended crooked teeth called TMJ disorder, which can negatively affect your smile’s integrity and the components that make it move.

Why Balance is Important

Your jaw is hinged to your skull at the temporal bones in front of each ear, and the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) move in tandem as your mouth opens and closes. When healthy and perfectly-aligned, your jaw displaces the pressure of your bite evenly among the joints and muscles that move it and the teeth that absorb the impact. Continue reading Los Angeles Orthodontist Explains TMJ Disorder

 
09
Aug
2013
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Beverly Hills Orthodontist Explains Lingual Braces

young-woman-confident-smileAs a dedicated orthodontist in Beverly Hills, Dr. David Alpan specializes in all aspects of orthodontic treatment, including your personal preferences, comfort, and confidence throughout the course of your treatment. For your convenience, we offer numerous different kinds of braces to suit various needs. Today, we explore the benefits of Incognito hidden braces—an advanced form of lingual braces that are fully customizable for optimal comfort and success.

What are Lingual Braces?

An important concern for many adult patients who need orthodontic treatment is the pronounced appearance of traditional braces. As the name suggests, lingual braces are placed on the lingual, or inside, surface of your teeth, facing towards your tongue. Incognito hidden braces are uniquely designed to your mouth’s specifications and contoured to fit the lingual surface of your teeth, offering you the precision and effectiveness of traditional braces without announcing your orthodontic treatment to the world. Aside from Incognito, Dr. Alpan has extensive with nearly every lingual system, including invisibraces, AOA lingual braces, 3M Creekmore lingual braces, Harmony braces, lingual care, and i-braces. Continue reading Beverly Hills Orthodontist Explains Lingual Braces

 
07
Aug
2013
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Las Vegas Orthodontist Discusses Braces for Children

Digital Image by Sean Locke Digital Planet Design www.digitalplanetdesign.comThere’s a reason why braces are often associated with younger children. As Dr. Alpan advises, early orthodontic treatment can help prevent the need for extensive treatment as your children grown older, and should be implemented (when needed) as early as possible. Your dedicated Las Vegas orthodontist, Dr. David Alpan, explains the advantage of early orthodontic intervention, and offers a variety of braces to suit the specific needs of your children.

The Importance of Early Intervention

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, your child should receive an initial occlusal analysis by age seven. Since your child’s teeth, jaws, and face are still forming at this age, intercepting functional and alignment problems can make it less complicated to finish treatment once your child’s permanent smile has finished growing. Depending on the case, children’s braces can help guide jawbone growth, direct permanent teeth into their optimal positions, and maintain/restore symmetry to your child’s smile. Continue reading Las Vegas Orthodontist Discusses Braces for Children