Some of the most common reasons our adult patients come to us considering orthodontic treatment include:

• Teeth that are crowded or spaced apart, sometimes as a result of tooth decay or gum disease
• Pain or pressure from crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw
• A bad bite or malocclusion, causing teeth to fit together incorrectly

Most of all though, adult patients come to our office seeking a healthier mouth and a more confident smile! Orthodontic treatment at our office can be successful at any age, and adults especially can appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile.

As an adult patient, we recognize that you have different needs than our younger patients, and we will work with you to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment and that your needs are met with understanding and respect from us.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, we would love to have you visit for a consultation. We understand you have a busy schedule, and will work with you to find a time that is convenient for you. Please visit our website or give our office a call to schedule your appointment today!

Aside from offering state-of-the-art technology for treatments, we also present the very best in entertainment for kids, as well as the young at heart in our reception area.

We recently added two new Kidzpace interactive gaming systems to our game area, which means there are now five systems available for play. In addition to our PS2, Xbox and old touch screen gaming systems, the area now has two new designer touch2play systems, each pre-loaded with more than 70 games. All of these games are complimentary for our patients and those who accompany them to their appointments.

Kids of all ages can stay entertained with games that range from strategy and puzzle challenges, to quiz and word games and much more. Players simply select the type of activity they are interested in and a variety of parent-approved games are available at their fingertips.

“We take great pride in the relationships we build with our patients and their families,” said Dr. Razdolsky, who also is an Invisalign provider. “We have found the game room to be a welcome respite for parents with multiple kids, so we added the supplementary systems to make it possible for more kids to play at one time.

This means that if you’re a parent with more than one child, you can rest assured that you will be able to focus on your children in treatment without worrying about what your other children are doing. They will be happily occupied in our gaming area.

The games offer more than just a fun activity for our patients. They actually enable us to stay on time with our patient appointments, especially since one sibling’s interference could offset our entire schedule, Dr. Razdolsky said. Reception areas can be a challenge to even the best natured child, and these computer games give them something positive to keep their minds busy before they are seen by their orthodontist.

Our office is digitalized, which means we can operate without the use of large amounts of paper and printing materials. The information in our office can be sent and processed digitally, which is also more efficient. We take all of the steps possible to be a ‘green’ office, making us better for the planet and more convenient for our patients.

We would love to hear how you minimize your impact on the environment. Leave us a comment below or post on our Facebook page!

We encourage patients to view orthodontic treatment recommendations with the same scrutinizing eye, particularly when those recommendations have not come from an orthodontist.

Why? Because while all orthodontists are dentists, not all dentists are orthodontists. An orthodontist completes an additional two to three years of education after graduating from dental school, according to the American Association of Orthodontists. This training is geared specifically toward addressing the growth and development of the maxillofacial complex, alignment, and bite issues. It is done through an accredited orthodontic residency program.

“You trust your heart to a cardiologist and your skin to a dermatologist,” the AAO site states. “Like these specialists who study their specialties after their general medical education, orthodontists devote additional years to orthodontic study. Like their medical counterparts, orthodontists limit their practices to their area or specialty. Orthodontists have extensive experience in orthodontic care. They use their knowledge and skills to help you get the best results possible.”

Dr. Yan Razdolsky, a Buffalo Grove Invisalign and SureSmile provider, offers continuing education courses about orthodontics to area dentists and staff at dentistry practices from throughout Illinois.

“Many dentists are quite good at offering Invisalign treatment to patients with minor alignment issues,” Dr. Razdolsky says. “But for more serious issues, it typically makes sense to consult with a specialist.”

Our office occasionally gets calls from new patients who have been told by their dentist or another orthodontist that they will need multiple tooth extractions or jaw surgery for their orthodontic treatment.

“People don’t like to hear about having healthy teeth removed or undergoing extensive surgery that will result in time away from work and extensive hospital bills, so it makes sense that they would seek a second opinion,” Dr. Razdolsky says.

A patient recently came to us for a second opinion after her dentist recommended veneers instead of orthodontics.

“While orthodontics will take longer than veneers to achieve the desired results, it is a much more conservative approach,” Dr. Razdolsky says. “With some patience, you can have beautifully aligned teeth naturally through orthodontic treatment without removing portions of healthy tooth surfaces to make room for porcelain veneers.”

We offer free orthodontic evaluations at our office that include a complete work-up, X-rays and a treatment plan recommendation for you or your child based on medical necessity and what is best in terms of treatment

“You’re never wrong in seeking a second opinion,” he says, adding, “Parents should never feel pressured to begin treatment if they have reservations.”

We are happy to answer questions or concerns, and if one provider recommended something that we did not find necessary, we will take the time to explain our reasoning. We want patients to be happy and confident, whether it’s their second or fourth opinion.

There is no hard and fast rule about which treatment plans or procedures shouldn’t be done without a second opinion. But these are some guidelines that might help you:

When to get a second opinion

• It has been recommended that you have multiple teeth extracted before beginning orthodontic treatment
• You have been told a smile makeover that includes veneers or dental implants would treat your condition better than orthodontics
• You are unsure if the treatment recommended is necessary
• You are concerned about cost
• You feel your dentist or orthodontist is not qualified to treat your problem
• It has been recommended that you have jaw surgery

When you go in for a second opinion, speak with the orthodontist about your concerns and find out if he or she sees the same problems the first dental professional saw. Have the doctor outline the treatment plan as well as the cost and go from there.

“Weighing your options can help ensure you make an educated decision,” Dr. Razdolsky says. “It’s important to remember this is about your dental health, and that’s not something to take lightly.”

Case study:

Patient came in to our office with a chief concern of upper and lower protrusion of the front teeth and mobile lower incisors. Her family dentist, instead of recommending orthodontic consultation prior to dental work have performed root canal therapy and a crown on upper right second bicuspid. Now the tooth with a root canal and a crown needs to be extracted for orthodontic reasons since we need the space to retract the front teeth and to reduce their protrusion.

Let your smile express yourself! Nothing can show the world how happy you are quite like a beautiful smile. In fact, it’s one of the first things others notice about you, too. With orthodontics, you can be proud to flash your smile, because you’ll know that your smile truly represents your positive attitude.

Make your mouth healthy! Straight teeth aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy as well. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to clean, reducing the amount of plaque buildup and risk for gingivitis. The cleaner you keep your teeth, the longer they’ll last!

Feel free to live your life! Orthodontics is easier today than ever before, with treatment options that fit your lifestyle and schedule. From clear braces to removable aligners and totally invisible lingual (behind the teeth) braces, we can personalize your treatment to suit all your needs.

As an orthodontic patient, the i-CAT cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) system exposes you to less radiation than a medical CT scan, while providing more detailed information to assist us in creating the ideal treatment plan for you.

“CBCT scans can identify many types of risks and problems,” says Buffalo Grove orthodontist Dr. Yan Razdolsky.

Using the CBCT scanner’s high resolution images, dentists and orthodontists obtain highly accurate and detailed 3-D views of all anatomies such as bone, teeth, tooth orientation, tooth and nerve relation, airways and sinuses, according to www.conebeam.com. CBCT scans also produce faster and more cost-efficient results.

SureSmile and CBCT
CBCT has gone beyond just serving as a tool for diagnosis and treatment, and has become an active element of many of our patients’ treatment, thanks to SureSmile.

SureSmile, one of the treatment options our Buffalo Grove Orthodontics office offers, uses CBCT to enable us to visually define the desired position of your teeth. It also calculates all of the customization needed to deliver Dr. Razdolsky’s plan.

This customization is then precisely translated to your archwires by SureSmile robots, which cuts treatment time by about one-third while also improving the quality of treatment results, according to the SureSmile website.

Here’s how the process works: first, the brackets are bonded to your teeth. Then the teeth and brackets are scanned with SureSmile’s proprietary software, which makes it possible for Dr. Razdolsky to reset your teeth to create ideal alignment. The SureSmile system then robotically bends your archwire to help guide your teeth into alignment.

“What the robot does for us is far more accurate and precise than what I am able to do by hand,” Dr. Razdolsky says. “Thanks to this precision and accuracy, the patient’s teeth are moved into proper alignment more quickly, which reduces overall treatment time.”

The combination of clear, 3-D X-rays that paint the most accurate of pictures and the precision of SureSmile’s robot enable us to better identify, diagnose and treat myriad orthodontic problems.

Natalie is currently representing the United States in an international competition in Slovenia. She is 11 years-old and trains 20 hours a week (she is in level 9 at North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center). This year, she placed 1st in Chicagoland Competition with girls competing around the Midwest. She also recently competed in Colorado Invitational with girls from all over the U.S. and won 4th place – the youngest competitor in her group. During the past 4 years, Natalie has been a member of the Future Stars National Team and the Pre-Youth Elite Squad training camps held in the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. She was also invited to participate in the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive Camp in Connecticut last summer.

All of us at Forever Smiles are extremely proud of Natalie! We wish her many more successful competitions, and a very happy birthday!

Visiting your dentist during your orthodontic treatment will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy while you have braces, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene while you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Your dentist is specifically trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next adjustment appointment. Take care of your teeth!

The Sponsorship Program will serve as an opportunity for our Buffalo Grove Orthodontics office to learn more about local civic organizations, such as Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, public and private schools, religious groups and other community groups, while sharing our educational program to better children’s smiles.

“Community involvement is an important part of my practice,” said Dr. Razdolsky. “The sponsorship program is a means of giving to organizations that are investing in the lives of citizens on a daily basis.”

To apply for a donation or advertisement, please inform us of your event/cause in writing at least six weeks prior to your deadline. All requests should be sent to Anna Razdolsky at anna@razdolsky.com.

Along with your request, please schedule a date to bring your group for an office tour. We know that many community groups provide field trips for their members, and Dr. Razdolsky and his staff are happy to serve as an educational adventure for children and young teens.

Our staff will teach your group about oral hygiene, tooth straightening techniques, and dental and orthodontic technology. At the end of the tour, participants will receive healthy snacks and gift bags filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and age-appropriate toys. At that time, a check will be presented to your organization’s leader.

Forever Smiles will donate additional funds when any member of your group or their immediate family member schedules an evaluation and begins orthodontic treatment with Dr. Razdolsky.