Richard Chan Orthodontics Practice Blog

Myths and Facts about Orthodontics

2011-10-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some interesting myths and facts about orthodontics. These were taken from www.aao.org, the official site of the American Association of Orthodontists.

MYTH: Orthodontists are appropriate only for the most challenging and complex orthodontic cases.
FACT: Orthodontists have the education, experience and expertise to recognize the difference between a simple case and a complex one. And when a case is challenging, orthodontists know what to do.

MYTH: My family dentist says he can straighten my teeth.
FACT: Orthodontists receive more formal education than dentists to specialize in straightening teeth. Like dentists, orthodontists graduate from dental school. Then, to be an orthodontist, it takes an additional two to three academic years of education in an accredited orthodontic residency program. Orthodontists are dentistry’s specialists in straightening teeth and aligning jaws to create optimal function and form. Orthodontists only practice orthodontics. They treat hundreds of patients a year, drawing on tried-and-true and new orthodontic appliance technologies to get patients to the best results. Orthodontists have knowledge of the full range of orthodontic appliance “tools”—including braces, clear aligners and other orthodontic devices. They know what to use and when because they work with these tools every day. Orthodontists build on their knowledge of orthodontics through on-going continuing education in orthodontic technology and practice.

MYTH: Braces are for kids.
FACT: One in five orthodontic patients is an adult.

MYTH: If there was a giant, overhead magnet and someone flipped a switch, people wearing braces would fly out of their chairs and stick to the ceiling.
FACT: Unlikely, as braces are made from non-magnetic materials.

MYTH: Orthodontists charge more than general dentists for orthodontic treatment.

FACT: Fees for orthodontic treatment vary from practice to practice. Each doctor/practice, whether orthodontist or dentist, sets his/her own fee schedule.The value in seeing an orthodontist comes from being the beneficiary of the orthodontist’s education, experience and expertise in orthodontic care. And in getting a healthy, beautiful smile that’s good for life®.

MYTH::Braces are painful and take two years or more for the desired result.
FACT:After the adjustment period, like breaking in a new pair of shoes, braces are comfortable. Some may be worn for months, not years.

MYTH:Signals from braces link to the Internet to download songs onto an iPod.
FACT: This is not possible right now.

MYTH:Braces are ugly, call attention to themselves and would be embarrassing in business settings.
FACT:Today's braces may be nearly invisible, made from clear plastic, or unseen, mounted on the back (lingual) side of the teeth.

MYTH:Orthodontists have a low profile
FACT:Orthodontists give back to the community by offering free, discounted, services to patients in need.

MYTH:Any dentist may join the American Association of Orthodontists
FACT:Only orthodontists may become members of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Where in the World is Dr. Chan CONTEST WINNERS!

2011-09-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who entered our summer contest! We had the most fun time looking at the pictures! It was so hard to decide, but here are the winning photos!!! Come on by the office for your $50 gift cards!

Farthest Away (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Most Patriotic

Most Goofy

Most Adventurous

Even if you were not one of our winning photos, look for something in the mail as a thank you from us for making this contest so much fun!

Stay Cool with a Braces-Friendly Summer Treat!

2011-06-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! Kids and adults alike will now be spending more time outside being active and enjoying the hotter temperatures. And what’s better on a hot summer day than a delicious treat that will cool you down after doing something active in the summer sun? Luckily, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) have just the thing, Watermelon Sorbet! You can find the complete recipe below:

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 to 3 cups watermelon, diced, no seeds or rind
Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lime juice on medium high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Chill this “syrup” at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, place the watermelon chunks in a food processor or blender and liquefy them. Add the chilled syrup to the watermelon puree and blend. Freeze sorbet in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately.

Happy Summer!

-Dr. Chan and team

Third Annual Patient Appreciation BBQ!

2011-06-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Come join us for our

3rd Annual Patient Appreciation BBQ

We have the best patients in the world!

We’d like to say thank you!

Time: Thursday, August 18

11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Location: Blythe Park

16950 West Riverside Dr.

Bothell, WA 98011

Bring your family and friends to come celebrate with us! We'll have delicious food, raffle prizes, Hawaiian shaved ice, temporary tattoos, and other fun activities.

To win extra raffle tickets for the prizes, bring non-patient friends with you. You can earn one extra raffle ticket for each friend you bring!

Go to www.facebook.com/richardchanorthodontics to RSVP!

From 405: Take Exit #23A (522 West) towards
Seattle. Turn right at Kaysner Way. Take the first left at Main St. Turn left on 102nd Ave NE. Turn right onto W. Riverside Dr. This will lead you directly to the park.

Summer Contest - Where In The World Is Dr. Chan?

2011-06-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Where in the World is

Dr. Chan?

Summer vacation is fast approaching, and we want to hear all about how you and your family spend it this year.

Whether you are going on a trip around the world, camping, hiking, or simply enjoying your back yard, enter our “Where in the World is Dr. Chan” contest and show us!

What to do:

Simply pick up one of our Dr. Chan cutouts at the office and bring it along with you on your adventures. Snap a picture of yourself holding the cutout and send it to us. Here are the categories you can enter your picture under:

1. Farthest away

2. Most patriotic

3. Most goofy

4. Most adventurous

At the end of the summer we will have prizes for the winners in each category.

We are looking forward to posting these pictures in our office as we receive them throughout the summer.

Happy Adventures!!!

Smile! June is National Smile Month!

2011-06-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

According to the American Dental Association, a person’s smile outranked eyes, hair and body as the most important physical feature, which is why it’s important for our team at Richard Chan Orthodontics to support National Smile Month this June.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss every day to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Chan.
* Visit your dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call. And don't forget to smile!

Bothell Police Night Out 2010

2010-08-07T21:34:00.001-07:00

This is the second year we have attended the Bothell Police Night Out. Dr. Chan was working his second job, as a temporary tattoo artist. This was the second night he has worked this job (the first night being last year at the same event). Needless to say, he should stick to his day job! Our office is happy to support the local police department, and we are grateful for all they do for our community!

Our corner booth, ready for action!

Dr. Chan was all smiles during the event, he loved meeting families from the community.

Of course he used his kids as guinea pigs, testing his tattooing skills on them first!

He even used his father-in-law, Vlash, as a tester! Looks good!!!

Dr. Chan was happy to give everyone free tattoos, with all different types of designs.

It was a great and fun event. We look forward to being there again next year!

Monroe Office Pictures

2009-10-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

I posted some before and after photos of our Monroe office a few months ago. Here are some recent photos from this past summer. We planted some beautiful flowers in the front, and they have really made things look great!

All About Lasers!

2009-07-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

Lasers in orthodontics? They are one of the newest, and neatest, of the technologies that are now in the orthodontic profession. So what can lasers do? They can actually do a lot! From exposing slow erupting teeth to helping create the best orthodontic result, there are many current uses. Here is a list of some of the more common uses:

-Exposing slow erupting teeth

-Gingival esthetic recontouring
-Frenectomy-Stop bleeding of gums

-Removal of tissue tags

-Helping reduce pain/severity of aphthous ulcers

I have included some before and after photos of actual patients who recently underwent procedures with our laser.

CASE 1:

This patient did not like the square and bulbous tissue around her teeth after her braces came off.

This is the result after 2 weeks. No bleeding, minimal soreness, and no shots during the procedure. The patient was very excited!

CASE 2:

This patient had an extra little tissue tag that really bugged him. You can see it between two of his bottom front teeth. Of all the options to remove it, the laser was definitely the easiest, with no shots, no bleeding, and no pain.

This picture was taken immediately after the laser removal. It took just minutes!

CASE 3:

This patient has had a history of thick, fibrous gum tissue, even before orthodontic treatment. She did not like the esthetic look of her smile.

As you can see, there was a huge difference from the laser treatment! The patient is very happy with her smile now. The procedure was done with only some topical numbing solution (no shots!), and there was no bleeding afterwards.

Lasers can have a tremendous effect on our orthodontic results. It can turn a good result into a great result, as you can see from these actual cases from our office!

Monroe Office Update

2008-11-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some before and after photos of the Monroe office. As you can see, we performed a major facelift to the office. We think it will give the office some much needed exposure!

Before

After:

Welcome to our blog!

2008-09-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'd like to welcome you to my blog for my orthodontic practice! Here is a brief history of Richard Chan Orthodontics. After graduating from the UCLA School of Dentistry in 2005 and the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Section of Orthodontics in 2008, my family and I moved to Seattle. I purchased this practice officially on June 1, 2008, and I have been working at the offices full-time since then. We have 2 office locations, in Bothell, WA and Monroe, WA. I have loved working at these offices! I have a great staff team - they have all stayed with me throughout this transition period. Over the past few months I have been implementing a few new things into the practice. First, I have created my business identity. This is my logo, specially designed for our practice by Jacob Carter:

I have also done some landscaping at our Monroe office to make our practice more

visible. I will be putting in some before/after photos soon. We are in the process of placing a sign next to the street and another one on the building.

Finally, I have started using ceramic brackets, called Radiance by American Orthodontics. They are very esthetic! Here is a close up picture of them:

My goal for this blog is to help educate our patients and the general population about orthodontics. I will post answers to different questions as they come up in my practice. Please always feel free to ask me questions on here - all questions and comments are welcome!