Back to School Braces in Westchester

The fall season is just about to begin here in Rye Brook. School has begun, and now is the perfect time to start your orthodontic treatment! Many other students are wearing braces too; Treatment at a young age can be less complicated and you will often see better results than as an adult!

If you already have braces, it is important to remember the types of foods you can and cannot eat. Avoid the high sugar candies, snacks and beverages at the school cafeteria; these foods can damage your teeth and orthodontic appliances. Fruits and vegetables that you have to bite into should be cut up first, and any types of sticky food, such as chewing gum, should be avoided. You can find more information about what not to eat on our website, and if you have any questions you can always give us a call.

We here at Okun Orthodontics do our best to serve you, the Westchester County community, with quality orthodontic work. We work with all ages, and Dr. Okun has created amazing smiles for entire families! Give us a call at 914-253-0722, now is the perfect time to get started on the path to an amazing smile!

Pain and Tooth Fractures are Linked to Grind of Recession

Although there is no official data, dentists are noticing an increase in the number of patients seeking repair for chipped and fractured teeth. All the evidence points to tooth grinding (a.k.a. bruxism), brought on as a result of stress. And the stress levels have increased with the recent economic Recession.

The body reacts to stress, real or perceived, with what is known as the "fight or flight" reaction. Since most of us do not burn off this stress- reduction- energy with extreme physical activity, we burn it off by clenching or grinding our teeth at night.

Clenching teeth can cause cold sensitivity and sometimes nerve trauma in the teeth (requiring root canal treatment to fix.) Grinding teeth can cause wear or chipping of the biting surfaces of the teeth; cracking or fracturing of the cusps (or bumps on the biting surface of the teeth); destruction of the bone that holds teeth in the mouth; shortening of the roots of the teeth; pain and spasm of the chewing, face, and neck muscles; pain or ringing of the ears, and jaw joint pain. The damage to the jaw joint and its muscles is often referred to as "TMJ".

What can we do for tooth grinding? We can’t stay up all night to make sure we aren’t rubbing our teeth together while we sleep. We can, however, cover the biting surface of our teeth with a hard plastic guard or splint at night. This way the wear- and- tear happens to the guard instead of to our teeth and their supporting structures. The guard splints the teeth together so that clenching forces are shared and do less damage to the nerves of the teeth. The guard also decreases the muscle forces needed to slide our teeth side to side, therefor decreasing the spasm of the chewing and face muscles, and decreasing the stress on the jaw joint. Many patients try over- the- counter night guards, but although they are cheap, they are not effective. At Okun Orthodontics we make custom night guards. The cost of a custom night guard is significantly less than the cost to repair the damage done by those patients who grind their teeth without protection.

It pays to prevent the pain and avoid the tooth fractures that are caused by the "grind of Recession." As the expression goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

--Dr. Judith Okun

Another Heartwarming Patient Letter

July 23, 2009

Everyone in Dr. Okun’s office is loving and caring. Dr. Okun has always explained to me what the problems were with my teeth, and what she needs to do to fix them. She even explains step-by-step what she is doing, so that I don’t need to be nervous. My mother says that even after 9 years of college and a Masters in nursing, she is still amazed by the amount of knowledge you need to understand what is happening with the braces, and that Dr. Okun has explained everything so clearly. I never have any pain, and I never cry when I am here. When I walk out of the office I always smile; a lot! Lots of people love my braces and the colors. When I smile people are happy. It makes me feel good when they smile back at me.

My Grandmother and Aunt tell me a lot about my teeth; they say that my teeth have improved ever since I came to Dr. Okun. I tell lots of people at my church, White Plains Deliverance Center, about Dr. Okun, and I give them her business card. So many people love my smile.

My mother and I gave Dr. Okun’s card to the principal at Yonker’s Christian Academy. She was told that her ten year old daughter was too young to get orthodontic services, but we told her that she should see Dr. Okun to get another opinion.

Thank you Dr. Okun.
Courtney Scott

"Thank you to the best orthodontist." A Patient Letter to Dr. Judith Okun

Take a look at this wonderful letter we recently received from one of our patients:

So far, since I have been at the office I have had the best experience with everyone around me. Everyone feels like family in your office. When I come in, it is so warm and calm that I never feel nervous. Every time that I go in to the chair I never feel any pain because everyone is so nice. My mother feels the same way. She says that this is the only orthodontist she feels comfortable seeing, even though we had seen three orthodontists before, and my sister had already started treatment with one of them.

I work two days a week for my pediatrician Dr. Sukra. Her daughter is very nervous and scared about coming to the dentist, even if it is just for a cleaning. Every time I see Dr. Sukura’s daughter I tell her more and more about my experience at Dr. Okun’s office. Now I think she is considering coming to see Dr. Okun for braces.

Ever since I have been seeing Dr. Okun, people in my church, White Plains Deliverance Center, have commented that my teeth have never looked so straight, clean and pretty. Now that I have been at Dr. Okun’s office I always want to smile. Before, I never wanted to.

Every time I come to Dr. Okun’s office I am never nervous because I know I am in good hands.

Thank you Dr. Okun.
Kaitlin Scott


Thank you Kaitlin!

The Tip Of The Iceberg, By Dr. Judith Okun

"The tip of the iceberg" is a great expression. The small amount of ice that you can see above the water often does not indicate how much ice is hidden beneath the water. I’ve heard this expression used to represent many things. The ENT (Ears, nose and throat) doctor often describes tonsils this way: the amount of tonsil she can see in her patients throat is small compared to the amount present when she goes to remove it. I like to think of the "tip of the iceberg" as the crowns of your teeth- the part that you can see in your mouth. Under the gums, buried in bone. is a much larger part of each tooth, called the roots.

The rate of tooth movement, or "how fast teeth can move", is directly related to the size of the roots. Teeth with smaller roots move faster than teeth with larger roots, or teeth with multiple roots. This is because the bone that surrounds the teeth must remodel, or "move out of the way" so that the roots can move. The bigger the root, the more bone it must displace. Since it takes time for the bone to remodel, it takes time for the teeth to move. Understanding this is key to understanding how braces work!

So the next time you are wondering why the braces take so long to make your teeth straight, just remember that the teeth you see in your smile are just the tip of the iceberg!

--Dr. Judith Okun

How Does a Belly Flop Cause Root Resorption? Dr. Okun Explains

It doesn’t. But a belly flop is a great analogy for one of the reasons that roots resorb.

When you drag your hands through the water in the swimming pool you can feel the water resist the movement. The faster you move your hands the more you feel the water holding you back. But you can also feel the water moving out of the way to let your hands move.

Now imagine slapping the top of the water, or doing a belly flop. As your hand, or your stomach, hits the water, the water does not move nicely out of the way. The surface water splashes, but what you notice more keenly is the stinging pain you feel on your hand or stomach. It hurts! You’ve hit the water so hard that the water acts like a solid concrete wall, and it feels like the water hit you back.

At Okun Orthodontics, we use braces to move teeth. As they push gently on the teeth, the teeth push gently on the bone that surrounds them. The bone in turn remodels, or moves out of the way, allowing the teeth to move. Sometimes, however, the bone doesn’t "move out of the way" fast enough. The root of the tooth ends up taking the brunt of the force instead. The root "gets hurt" and displays its "pain" by getting shorter. The loss of root length is called "root resorption". Unfortunately, the root never grows back.

Since long roots increase the longevity of a tooth, it is best to preserve the roots of your teeth by moving them slowly, and continuously, with your braces. To keep those forces continuous it is necessary to have your braces adjusted on a regular basis. (This is why you should schedule your orthodontic appointments at Okun Orthodontics approximately every three to six weeks.)

Now you know how the pain from a belly flop can represent the remodeling of the roots of your teeth. If you have any specific questions about root resorption, give Okun Orthodontics a call at 914-253-0722.

--Dr. Judith Okun

Sorting Seeds, from Dr. Judith Okun

I watched Curious George on PBS Kids this morning while washing the dishes. (I don’t get many channels with my roof top antenna.) George, the monkey who always gets into trouble while investigating his world, has mixed all the packages of vegetable seeds together in one jar, and now has to figure out a way to re-label them. He sorts them by size and color, and then compares them to the seeds in cut vegetables. When the Man with the Yellow Hat comes home each pile of vegetable seeds has a name, and each kind of vegetable can be planted in the special way that can help it grow.

Sorting by characteristics is something we all do to make sense of the world. Orthodontists like me compile characteristics in order to make a diagnosis. We sort our patients by characteristics such as facial type, whether the upper jaw and teeth are in the correct forward-to-back relationship to the lower jaw and teeth, and whether the teeth are crowded or have spaces between them. For example, if we have a patient at Okun Orthodontics who has a square jaw/short face, upper teeth and jaw too far forward for the lower jaw and teeth, and crowded teeth, we would give this patient’s bite the name "Class II division 2 crowded malocclusion." Since orthodontists treat many bites of this kind, we know how to use braces to make this patient’s teeth bite properly and look their best.

If you want to know how I would name your bite, please call to schedule a consultation appointment at Okun Orthodontics. At your first visit I will look at your face and teeth and list their characteristics. Then I will tell you what your bite is called and what the problems are that need to be fixed. I’ll tell you how I would recommend fixing them, how long I think it will take, and approximately what it costs to fix these problems. I’ll even work out a payment plan with you so that you can start fixing your bite problems, and have your best smile, as soon as possible.

--Dr. Judith Okun

Dr. Judith Okun Explains TMJ

So what exactly is TMJ?

"TMJ" is used to refer to problems associated with the jaw joint.
TMJ disorders are more common than you may realize in the United States. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates that between 5 and 15 percent of people experience pain associated with TMJ. The initials TMJ actually stand for the TemporoMandibular Joint, which is where your lower jawbone and your skull connect. You have one joint on each side of your face, and you can experience pain in one without it being present in the other.

What are the symptoms of TMJ?

Signs to watch out for are pain and discomfort in your jaw. Sometimes the pain spreads and you can feel it around your ears and throughout your face. You will probably experience difficulty chewing and swallowing. Oftentimes the joint will lock causing difficulties opening or closing your mouth. The joint can also make a clicking noise when you move your mouth. Left untreated, TMJ can also cause headaches, difficulties making facial expressions, and even make it painful to apply cosmetics to your face.

What causes TMJ?

The TMJ is one of the most complicated joints in your body because it moves up and down as well as side to side. TMJ problems usually involve a genetic predisposition which can be exacerbated by jaw clenching, teeth grinding, arthritis, or some kind of trauma to the joint.

How do you treat TMJ?

At Okun Orthodontics, we start out by analyzing your symptoms and history to fully understand your condition and the potential causes. We will examine the joint and your range of motion to properly diagnose your condition. If you have TMJ, you are in good hands as we are equipped with the latest in technology at Okun Orthodontics. We can not only work with you to alleviate the causes of TMJ, but we can help you to minimize the stresses to the joint by fabricating a custom dental guard for you to wear on your teeth at night. Also, we often can eliminate the pain with electric stimulation in our office. This is the same technology used in sport’s medicine that enables athletes to have less pain and heal quickly.