Patient Appreciation Letter to Dr. Judith Okun

Read this letter from a happy patient to Dr. Judith Okun!

Dear Dr. Okun,

I am writing to thank you for suggesting that I bring my children to you for “electric medicine” treatments following their wisdom tooth extractions. It clearly worked like a charm to alleviate a great deal of the swelling, pain and discomfort that they had to endure. Although my oldest two children had all four teeth extracted at the same time, they came directly to your office for treatment and experienced minimal swelling and discomfort for a few days.

I was still a little skeptical that the treatments actually worked until my youngest daughter had her teeth pulled recently. The first tooth was pulled in August and I was unable to bring her to your office from the surgeon’s. The swelling and pain from this one tooth was extreme and lasted more than a week. After the other three teeth were pulled this past December we took no chances and came directly to your office. She used the “electric medicine” for the prescribed time and had no swelling on one side and minimal swelling on the other. Within a few days she was completely comfortable with no signs of the surgery.

We are all now firm believers in this method that noticeably speeds the healing process. My children used it whenever you adjusted their braces over the years and I can confirm that this “medicine” really worked. They never complained about pressure from their braces and the treatments definitely healed cuts in their mouths right before our eyes.

I am no longer skeptical in the least because this last success was not one that could be explained away by the power of suggestion. We saw and felt the results. I cannot thank you enough for all your wonderful work and sage advice.


Sincerely,

J.T.

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.

What Do We Need Spit For Anyway? -- Dr. Judith Okun Explains

This past week, Dr. Okun attended a lecture entitled “Clinical Pearls for Treating Older Patients” by Dr. Randy Huffines. One of the biggest issues with sickly and elderly patients is that they have decreased salivary flow (i.e. spit). Saliva is necessary to start the digestion of our food, but is also necessary to buffer acids in the mouth and keep minerals in our teeth. With poor quality saliva, or too little saliva, we not only have that uncomfortable dry-mouth feeling, but we also get MANY MORE cavities.

Why does an orthodontist need to know about treating older patients? Many more adults are wearing braces than ever before. Many of them want to achieve that smile they never had when they were young. Many of them were told by their dentists that they need to align their teeth in order make it possible to restore their broken- down teeth or replace their missing teeth. Some have even come to us because their improper bites are causing them pain. Okun Orthodontics attracts many adults seeking braces because we have individual treatment rooms for all of our procedures. This enables all of our patients, no matter how young or how old, to have the privacy they deserve at each visit.

What can we do for patients at increased risk for cavities? (This includes both the elderly as well as the young who have difficulty keeping their teeth clean.) We can show you how to clean around the braces with special aids like inter-proximal tooth brushes (mini-bottle brushes for cleaning teeth) and floss- threaders. (We often recommend that you have someone help you clean your teeth if you are not able to clean them well by yourself.) We also can provide you with MI Paste- a dentist supplied topical crème with calcium phosphate and fluoride that can strengthen your teeth and decrease your cavity-risk. Of course, we also recommend that you get more frequent dental cleanings so that both the gum disease and cavities are minimized.

Give a Smile, Get a Smile From Okun Orthodontics

There are few things in life that you can give away, and end up having many more. A smile is one of them. If you smile at someone they are very likely to return that smile!

Many of our patients at Okun Orthodontics have noticed that “everyone is smiling at them.” Some of them have noticed why. They are feeling so good about their “straight smile” that they are walking around smiling, and everyone is smiling back. It makes us all feel good when our day is full of smiling faces!

There are many reasons to smile. We found 10 on about.com and added one of our own.

Top 10 Reasons to Smile
By Mark Stibich, Ph.D.

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive
We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance your mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious
When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress
Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive
Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

Here’s another reason to smile.
11. Okunorthodontics is making smiling more affordable
Some people have told us that they are afraid to start braces (in this economic climate) because they might lose their job tomorrow and not be able to make the payments for their medical treatment.
Dr. Judith Okun has always offered interest-free payment plans that extend over the expected length of time of treatment. Now she is offering the option to halve each monthly payment for up to one year after the loss of a job. (This lengthens the payment plan by up to one year.) We don’t want finances to stand in the way of you or your child having that contagious smile. Schedule your consultation today. Call us at 914-908-5480.

Dr. Okun Judges Posters for Children's Dental Health Month

Dr. Judith Okun is one of the judges for the Ninth District Dental Society’s Annual Poster Contest for children from grades K through 12. The winners from our district are sent on to compete in the New York State Dental Health Poster Contest.

This year’s assignment was to design a place-mat style poster depicting ways to maintain our dental health. Entries included animated toothbrushes, floss, tooth-paste and mouth germs. There were also creative game-boards and computer generated characters. Many of the place-mats encouraged including healthy foods like fruits and vegetables in our diets, and eating fewer sugary treats. Brushing your teeth, visiting the dentist frequently, wearing braces for a beautiful smile, and wearing a protective sports guard for contact sports rounded out the themes.

Self-Litigating Braces -- A Great Alternative to Traditional Braces -- Okun Orthodontics

Feel confident about your smile- both during and after orthodontic treatment!

As always, braces with colors are available to those who want to make a statement with their smile. Now there is another option for those who don’t like to stand out because of their braces.

These new low friction brackets hold the wire in place without the colored ties, have less plaque build up (are easier to clean), and require fewer appointments. For many people the treatment is actually faster and more comfortable. This is a great option for adult patients with busy work schedules; Adults are less likely to break their appliances so they can afford to be seen less frequently. These high-tech self-ligating braces are available in metal and clear, and unlike the “braces with colors”, the “low friction brackets” do not discolor (turn yellow) over time.

If you know someone who is interested in this free-sliding technology- for braces that take less time and requires fewer appointments- have them ask us at Okun Orthodontics about In-Ovation system braces.

For more information about these new braces, call us and make an appointment.

How Headgear Can Improve Your Smile! --Dr. Judith Okun

Hollywood has given headgear a bad rap, but in certain cases, it’s the best tool for a tough job. The result is a stunning smile that can’t be attained any other way. Braces are capable appliances, and regularly achieve excellent results when it comes to straightening teeth. But our area of expertise includes your face and jaws as well as your teeth. At Okun Orthodontics, our specialty is not only the straightening of teeth, but also guiding the growth of the jaws and face.

When there is a discrepancy in the growth of the jaws – such as when the upper or lower jaw lags behind the other in development – we may prescribe headgear to help the jaws grow together properly. In order to guide the growth of a jaw, its teeth must be anchored to a fixed point outside the mouth. Headgear anchors the teeth to either the head or the back of the neck.

In some cases headgear is used to hold certain teeth in place, usually to keep them from crowding into a space from which a tooth has been extracted. Again, an extra-oral anchor point is needed, and headgear fits the bill.

If we have prescribed headgear as part of your treatment, you may feel some soreness during the first few days of wearing it. The trick is to persevere and keep wearing it until your teeth acclimate. If you take it off, you’ll have temporary relief, but the soreness will reappear when you wear it again. If you wear it consistently, your teeth will get used to it and any discomfort will recede.

While you’re acclimating, we recommend taking Tylenol (Acetaminophen) to ease any soreness, and sticking to soft foods for a few days. You can also try decreasing the force on the headgear by wearing it on a looser hole for the first week or two, and then return to the setting that was prescribed for you. If your teeth stay sore for more than a few days, or are too sore to wait a few days, let us know. We can schedule time for you to use the electric medicine (Electro-Accuscope) in our office to eliminate the soreness.

Keep in mind the following when you’re wearing headgear:
• Be careful when removing headgear to avoid injury to your face, mouth, or eyes.
• Remove your headgear when engaging in activities that could jolt it loose, such as sports.
• Avoid any situation in which your headgear could be grabbed or jostled.
• Bring your headgear each time you visit our office.
Every patient is different, and everyone with headgear will have a different prescription for how often and how long it must be worn. The key is to follow our instructions precisely. If you wear your headgear as directed, your treatment will go more smoothly, take less time, and have better results. Give us a call at Okun Orthodontics and we can evaluate if orthodontic treatment is right for you.

OkunOrtho.com Has a New Look!

We're excited to announce the recent launch of our beautiful new web site! Visit us at www.okunortho.com to learn more all about our orthodontic practice in Rye Brook, New York, or to find out more about Board-certified orthodontists Dr. Judith Okun.

Need to access your account information between appointments? You can look up the time of your next appointment, or whether that check you mailed was received. You can also print out how much you spent in the calendar year for your flex plan, or view your photos or x-rays that were taken at your last visit. Simply sign on using the Patient Login button at the top of our page. While you're there, you can also take a tour of our office and even enjoy a few arcade classics in our online Game Room!