Smiling in Italy

It always feels good when someone appreciates something you've done, but it is even more rewarding when you can change someone's whole self image.

Today I was speaking to the father of one of my teen patients. He said "Oh my god Dr. Okun, I have to tell you. I have to tell you that my daughter's smile is so gorgeous. We went to Italy this summer, I'm an Italian American, but anyway, she knocked them dead over there. The men and the boys. You did it. It was entirely you."

When you feel good about your smile, you smile more often. And when you're smiling, people smile back at you. Being surrounded by those return- smiles makes you feel more confident, and then you change your posture, and how you present yourself. This is how I was able to change this young lady's life. With braces and dentofacial orthopedics, I changed the balance of her face, and how her teeth supported her lips, which changed her smile and her entire self image. This new self-confidence also changed her whole experience in Italy!

Happy Mother's Day

For Mother's Day I slept late, had brunch with extended family, helped my son pick his courses for spring semester, went for a long walk with my husband, and shopped on the internet for baby presents for my new niece and nephew. Yes, my sister-in-law is a new mom and had twins! What did you do for Mother's Day?
In the past few weeks I've done consultations for several mothers who told me that they brought their children to the orthodontist for braces, and now that their children are grown it is their turn to get those straight teeth they've always wanted. I don't think it is a coincidence that these consultations were within weeks of Mother's Day. There is no need for you to wait for Mother's Day to be on your way to a beautiful smile.

How Can You Have Fun If You’re Embarrassed To Smile?

Last night Okun Orthodontics was a sponsor for the WFAS “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” event at the Riverview in Hastings-on-Hudson. Our presentation was based on the fact that its hard to have fun if you’re embarrassed to smile (because your teeth don’t look nice) or if you’re in too much pain to smile (from jaw-joint or face pain either due to an accident or from clenching/grinding your teeth.) One of the ladies said to Dr. Okun, “It’s so true” and started relating to me the story of how she used to have horrible self esteem because she was embarrassed to smile. After a lot of dental work- which she had in her twenties- she loved her smile, and smiled all the time, and developed a great self-image. Recently, however, she has not been able to afford to go to the dentist to maintain her dental work and she said that she is now emotionally back to where she was before her dental work was done. Dr. Judith Okun is the one to see if you need to “get your smile back”. She can create the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted with straight teeth and no TMJ pain.

A beautiful smile can change your self image.

A beautiful smile can change your self image. It’s never too late to wear braces. Although orthodontic need can be evaluated in children as young as age 7 (to guide growth and create the proper balance for teeth to erupt), adults often wear braces to help them achieve that winning smile they never had, or to help them look young again. Dr. Judith A. Okun is a board certified orthodontist committed to providing her patients with comprehensive orthodontic care and TMJ treatment. When she eliminates jaw-joint and face pain in patients who grind their teeth or have sustained a trauma to the jaw, she helps “TMJ patients” to smile too. Dr. Okun incorporates the latest technology, including the Electro-Acuscope/Myopulse System for pain management; metal, clear, lingual and removable braces, aligner treatment (Clear Correct/ Invisalign), temporary anchorage devices, dental- guards for TMJ, and custom athletic mouth-guards. Our technological advancements include digital x-rays, photos and study models, as well as 24/7 patient access web services. You too can have a beautiful smile.

I love to smile

I love to smile!!! Today I heard once again "the most common phrase" that I hear from my "retention patients (when they have completed orthodontic treatment) "they look so good I love to smile now." Samara even said that I could show her smile pictures to you on my blog.

(The before picture is on the right side. The after picture is on the left side.)

A Layperson's View of a Beautiful Smile as Relayed to Dr. Okun

I’ve known Barbara* for years. She never really had an awful smile. She was a cute girl. She had her orthodontics in high school and got her retainers. I didn’t see her much after high school until yesterday. I was wearing my retainers and was smiling big. I love my smile both with and without my retainers. Barbara was covering her mouth. I thought she was covering her mouth because of my retainer.

As I was walking, I didn’t cover my mouth because I wasn’t shy about wearing my retainers. I saw her teeth when I hugged her and was really shocked. They were awful. The teeth were crooked and her mouth was dirty. You could tell that she just let them go. Right now, in this day and age, your smile is everything. It’s going to get you your job and get you noticed. You want to have a beautiful smile. A beautiful smile goes a long way.

I spoke to one of Barbara’s friends. She told me that Barbara didn’t comply with her orthodontics, and didn’t wear her retainers. I couldn’t believe it. Why would anyone spend money on a beautiful smile and not do what she needed to do to keep it. No matter what you have to do, you have to do it. Your smile is everything.

If you’re just standing at a party looking at two people, would you go to the person with the smile, or the person who was not smiling, who had their mouth closed? Of course you’d go to the person who was smiling. That’s what’s going to stand out.

My sister-in-law had this really huge gap in the front of her mouth. Now she’s wearing braces. She wears her elastics and everything. I can see her teeth moving every day. She’s going to get the surgery (frenectomy) to help the space stay closed. She’s going to be a model, and will do everything she needs to do to get that pretty smile. She has a pretty smile and she knows its worth it. And honestly, what is two years to have something for the rest of your life. It’s not a lot of time to correct something.

*name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual

If you care about your smile and want to receive the highest quality service in a state-of-the-art practice, give Dr. Okun a call. She'd love to have a consultation and let you know what you can do to keep smiling.