When you get braces at Waldman Orthodontics there are a few things you’ll have to adjust to get optimal results in the shortest amount of time. If you have any questions about the “do’s and don’ts” of living with braces, feel free to ask Dr. Alexander Waldman or any member of our staff during your next adjustment!

Eating

When you have braces, there are a few types of food that can damage your brackets and bend your wires, leading to more appointments and longer treatment times. By simply avoiding sticky, chewy, crunchy, and hard foods, as well as foods that require biting into like corn on the cob, your orthodontic experience will be much easier.

Cleaning

You’ll never believe the amount of food that can get stuck between your braces when you eat. In addition to causing bad breath and tooth decay, it looks pretty gross, too. It’s so important to brush your teeth after every meal and floss every day, and even though it’s kind of a hassle, it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Sports

Protecting your smile if you play sports is essential when you have braces. Mouth guards help protect your teeth and gums from injury.

Your smile is totally unique, so the time you’ll need to spend undergoing orthodontic treatment will also be unique. Generally, orthodontic treatment will take about two years, and this is for good reason. During this time, your teeth will slowly move into their desired positions, leaving you with a great smile with as little discomfort as possible. Rushing treatment can result in a less than perfect smile with a greater chance of tooth movement after your treatment is complete. At Waldman Orthodontics, we don’t want to waste your time with treatment that won’t retain your smile for the rest of your life.

Of course, treatment time will vary depending on your specific situation. Very minor tooth movement may only take a few months to correct, while serious malocclusion (poor bite) may need more than two years to correct. Only Dr. Alexander Waldman will be able to accurately estimate the time your treatment will take. But trust us—it’ll all be worth it in the end!

Has your child or teen visited Waldman Orthodontics for a consultation? If not, please give us a call and let us help him or her begin the journey to a gorgeous smile!

Each February for the past 62 years, the American Dental Association (ADA) has sponsored National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

For kids wearing braces, brushing and flossing can become more difficult, requiring extra time and vigilance to remove food particles that accumulate on and between the teeth and in braces. New options for braces such as Invisalign Teen, which is removable, make it easier for kids to maintain good oral health during orthodontic treatment.

If the health of your teeth is ignored during treatment with braces, the results can be significantly compromised. Dr. Waldman is available and happy to explain why effective brushing and flossing is one of the most critical actions needed from patients during orthodontic treatment. Have you visited us lately? Give our Beverly Hills office a call and schedule an appointment!

I am a big fan of the hit TV series “24,” and recently had a “24 hour experience” that came as close to that 24 TV experience as I could ever imagine. No, I was not saving America from a nuclear attack by terrorists, or protecting the President from an assassination plot. Rather, I spent 24 non-stop hours immersing myself in continuing dental education. Here is how it broke down:

Thursday

5:00pm - I finished my last patient. Locked-up the office, headed out.

6:00pm - Attended a monthly meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary Study Group of Beverly Hills and heard a lecture on the topic of Microsurgery and CT diagnosis in Endodontics, by Dr. Fayad of Chicago, IL. Fabulous lecture on the application of new technology to diagnosis of complex endodontic (think root canal) and surgical (think everything you are scared of at the dentist’s office) problems. Seriously, it was impressive to see the advances that are being made in all areas of dentistry to improve the quality of care we deliver.

9:00pm - Quick house call to fix a poking wire. Unlike Jack Bauer, I did not have to knock the door down to get in.

10:00pm - Logged in to the office, designed 3 Invisalign treatments on the computer. Still amazes me how much has changed in our profession in the last decade since the advent of new digital technologies.

11:00pm - Sleep! :)

Friday

8:00am - Attended Los Angeles Center for Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery annual Orthognathic (jaw) Surgery Symposium on the topic of 3-D treatment planning. The future is definitely here, and I was intrigued by the potential of using new technology in imaging and 3-D reconstruction for our complex orthodontic and surgical patients.

12:00pm - Lunch :) Did you ever notice that Jack Bauer never eats? Not sure how he makes it for 24 hours.

1:00pm - Attended West Coast ITI study club. This is an implant study club in which we study implant dentistry and other areas of advanced techniques within the practice of dentistry. I was particularly excited that the topic was “surgically assisted orthodontic treatment”. This is a relatively new technique, sometimes called “Wilckodontics” in which a minor surgical procedure is used to speed up routine orthodontic treatment and to expand the scope of care that we can offer our patients

5:00pm - Time to go home and hang out with the family for the weekend.

What an amazing 24 hours it’s been, full of everything I love to do: treating orthodontic patients, creating beautiful smiles, embracing new technology, and learning more about orthodontics and dentistry!! I am sure that Jack Bauer would be jealous!

- Dr. Alexander Waldman