Dr. Joel at the Edward H. Angle Orthodontic Society meeting!

Dr. Joel Brodsky returned from his trip to Baltimore after attending the annual meeting of the Edward H. Angle Orthodontic Society. Dr Angle is considered the father of orthodontics having invented "braces" in the late 1800s. Dr. Brodsky is one of about 100 members of this very prestigious and elite organization made up of orthodontists from around the world who are researchers, academicians and/or clinicians.

Members are invited to join, and must present an original research project and show difficult cases that they have treated. The annual meeting is both a social and scientific event. Orthodontists from the US, Canada, Turkey, England, Australia, Italy, Germany and Japan were in attendance.

The most interesting paper was delivered by an orthodontist from Japan who uses orthognathic surgery first prior to treating his most difficult cases with orthodontics. This runs counter to the accepted thought that you prepare the patient first and set them up for the surgery before the surgery is done. The advantage to this technique is that patients' faces looked more normal near the onset of treatment, as opposed to waiting 18 months for the surgical phase.

Dr. Brodsky was asked to review a paper titled ”Vertical Control with the Herbst Appliance: Fact or Fiction?” presented by an internationally-known orthodontist from Australia. This Herbst appliance is used extensively at Brodsky Orthodontics to correct malocclusions that initially have large overbites. The paper was extremely well done and Dr. Brodsky led a discussion on its merits and posed some interesting questions to the author which led to some spirited discussions as well. We are happy to reaffirm that the manner in which we use this appliance is supported by the science that was presented in this paper.

Dr. Joel Brodsky will be traveling to Washington D.C. at the end of April to present a paper titled “Cone Beam CT in the Private Practice” at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists. More about that in weeks to come!

Happy Monday!

Tell Brodsky Orthodontics what’s on your mind!

By now, you’re familiar with the drill: Every week, our creative team at Brodsky Orthodontics blog about topics related to orthodontic care and your health, including innovative orthodontic techniques offered at Brodsky Orthodontics. This week, we thought we’d ask our patients: what’s on your mind? What would you like to know about the always-changing field of orthodontics? What would you like us to focus on our blog? Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to ask Drs. Joel or Charles for a while now? Let us know by posting here or on our interactive Facebook fan page!

Give us your best shot, and we’ll try to answer any questions you may have!

Wishing you a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day, from Brodsky Orthodontics

We hope you remembered to wear green when you stepped out the door this morning! Whether Irish or not, millions of people in the U.S. and around the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day with toasts, parades and "the wearing of the green." Here are some fun facts about St. Patty’s Day that Drs. Joel and Charles Brodsky thought you might enjoy:

• St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17th because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history.

• The name “leprechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which simply means “shoemaker.”

• Some American towns have Irish names. They include: Shamrock Lakes, Indiana; Shamrock, Oklahoma; Shamrock, Texas; Dublin, California and Dublin, Ohio and Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia.

• Despite what you may have heard, St. Patrick never banished snakes from Ireland. In fact, no snakes exist or ever existed in Ireland. Ireland is surrounded by icy ocean waters, much too cold to allow snakes to migrate from Britain or anywhere else.

• St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in Boston, in 1737. Approximately 34 million Americans claim Irish ancestry. That’s almost nine times the population of Ireland, which has 4.1 million people.

Sleep disorders and treatment options in Lakewood and Long Beach, Calif., from Brodsky Orthodontics

Drs. Joel and Charles Brodsky, as well as Dr. Van Allen, know sleep disorders are fairly common, with around 50 to 70 million Americans being affected by some type chronic sleep disorder, with many of these progressing to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which can cause loss of sleep among many other health problems. Snoring is one of the most easily identified symptoms, and as it worsens it can lead to full airway blockage while you sleep, which can severely disrupt your sleep patterns.

Sleep apnea is considered a serious medical problem that - if left untreated - can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart failure and stroke. It can also take a toll on your overall energy level, as sleep apnea causes an ongoing state of fatigue.

Our team at Brodsky Orthodontics also know there are several different approaches to sleep apnea treatment, including:

• Surgery to the jaws or airway tissue to open the airway. This is typically only used in the most severe cases.
• Continuous airway pressure therapy which involves a mask and machine (CPAP machine) to keep your throat muscles and tissue open while sleeping
• Oral appliance therapy, a less intrusive method involving a customized oral device that positions your jaw in a favorable position to keep your airway open while you sleep.

If you think you are suffering from sleep apnea, give us a call at (562) 496-2000. Depending on your situation, treatment may involve an oral device that we can custom-create for you.

Brodsky Orthodontics has a new web site!

If you happened to be browsing through our web site recently you might have noticed our new design, which has a refined, modern look that exudes warmth and is aesthetically appealing.

The website has many great features that we know you will enjoy and are very user friendly, innovative components including: patient testimonials, staff bios, before and after photos as well as links to our social networking sites. If you want to make your payment online, it’s a snap - just click on "Patient Login" at the top of the page. The site also has a virtual tour of the office and information about all aspects of orthodontic treatment, including TMJ problems, sleep apnea and iCAT 3D x-rays. If you would like to know more about Invisalign, we have two pages of information devoted to the topic with links to our YouTube page.

This website was personally designed by the doctors with you in mind. We have a terrific and beautiful office where patient care comes first. We hope that when you visit our website you will feel proud to be associated with our unique practice, which embraces technology.

While visiting our site, please click on the link to our Facebook Fan Page and become a fan of Brodsky Orthodontics. This is where you can get all the latest up-to-date information about what’s happening at Brodsky Orthodontics.

So... what do you think? Let us know by posting here or giving us a call!