Anyone can have braces! From Brodsky Orthodontics

It's true: Tom Cruise had braces. Not when he was a pimply-faced teenager. No - just 8 years ago! During this time, he was 40 years old and filmed Minority Report, Austin Powers in Goldmember and the Last Samurai. Just check out his smile in Jerry Maguire, Rain Man or The Firm and compare to the post-braces Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder or Valkyrie! The fact is, movie stars need to look their best for the silver screen, and it wouldn't be possible without orthodontists like Drs. Joel and Charles Brodsky.

In fact, plenty of Hollywood stars have had orthodontic treatment. Check out this slideshow of famous faces. If you’ve thought about getting the perfect smile you’ve always wanted, please give Brodsky Orthodontics a call at (562) 496-2000.

New Video! From Brodsky Orthodontics

You know a little about us already, but we'd like to point you to a helpful video about Brodsky Orthodontics and the innovative orthodontic treatments Drs. Joel and Charles offer. We worked hard on producing this video, so check it out and give us a little feedback here or on our Facebook fan page! You may also view other videos on our YouTube channel! Happy Monday!

Dr. Charles shares his experience with braces

Growing up as the son of an orthodontist, I knew from a very young age that if my teeth grew into my mouth crooked, my dad was going to put braces on them. Sure enough, my teeth grew into my mouth twisted, jagged and extremely “bucked.” At the age of 11, my father told me that it was time to start my orthodontic journey. This journey could not have come at a better time for me because a couple of my really good friends from school would tease me about my teeth. While the teasing didn’t bother me too much, I was glad it was not going to go on much longer.

I was definitely a little scared for my first appointment, but it was very comforting to know that my dad was nearby watching over me and doing a lot of the work. Sure enough, getting my braces put on my teeth was rather simple. I had to bite on a special plastic instrument a number of times and stay very still. Unfortunately, the hard part did not start until after I ate dinner at home. My parents tell me that I locked myself in my room and I did not come out for a few days. My teeth were very sore and it hurt to talk. Luckily, after 3 days I was feeling much better. Knowing what I know now, my advice to anyone getting braces would be to relax and take plenty of Tylenol and ibuprofen.

As you might be able to see from my photo, colored braces had been invented prior to me getting my braces on. My teeth went from very crooked to very “cool” overnight. I still remember the first colors I chose for my braces. I chose purple and gold to show off my “Lakers Pride”. However, I felt the most pride the day my braces were removed which marked the end my orthodontic journey (at least I thought it was the end). I was given the gift of straight teeth and now I am lucky enough to give this wonderful gift to all of my patients. While my journey is far from over, I always enjoy watching my patients come to the end of their orthodontic journey with a smile on their face.

Play it safe this spring, from Drs. Joel and Charles

April, also known as National Facial Protection Month, is upon us, and for Drs. Joel and Charles and our staff at Brodsky Orthodontics that only means one thing: it’s once again time to remind our dear patients to protect their faces and pearly whites. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

For Drs. Joel and Charles, that’s simply unacceptable.

Above is a helpful video from our friends at the AAO about staying safe on the ball field this spring. We hope the above video helps. If you have any further questions about any of the tips offered in the video, please contact our staff by calling (562) 496-2000, and we’ll try to answer any question you may have. And remember to have fun and stay safe!

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.