Soft Drinks -- Trouble For Your Teeth--Dr. Ray Partovy

At Dr. Ray Partovy's office, we know that when you sit down to dinner or grab a sandwich for lunch, you wouldn’t have a side of nine teaspoons of sugar. But that’s exactly what you’re taking in when you pair a meal with a 12-ounce can of soda pop.

Soft drinks are a poor choice for your overall health, since they have no nutritional value, and they contain sugar and caffeine. And when it comes to your teeth, soft drinks can cause big trouble. The steep servings of sugar create the perfect condition for cavities to form, while the phosphoric and citric acids in soda pop can erode and weaken your enamel – the outer coating on your teeth – making it tougher for your teeth to withstand the onslaught of sugar.

Both the Canadian and American Dental Associations recommend limiting your intake of soft drinks. And if you do occasionally indulge in a fizzy beverage, it’s a good idea to drink it with a straw, to reduce exposure to your teeth. Brushing your teeth afterward, or at least swishing with water, can help remove the sugar from your teeth.

Having trouble cutting back? Try these tricks from Dr. Ray Partovy to help wean yourself from a steady diet of soft drinks:

--Don’t quit cold turkey: Start by swapping one soda each day with an alternate drink, preferably water. Gradually increase your swaps until you’re down to one soft drink a day, then one every two days, then one a week, and so on.

--Switch to tea: If you’re looking for a source of caffeine, tea is much healthier than soda pop. Just remember not to add nine teaspoons of sugar to it.

--Switch to seltzer: If it’s the fizz or the flavor you’re after, try a sugar-free flavored water or seltzer.

--Remember your goals: If you’re wavering in your commitment to cut back on soda pop, remember the health problems it can cause.

--Be patient: Adjusting a habit doesn’t happen overnight. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to change your diet.

Everybody Is Brushing With Dr. Partovy

Everybody is brushing with Dr. Partovy. Watch this fun video to show the kids the importance of oral health!

Nifty "Eggs"periment from Dr. Partovy

Summer is drawing near. If the little ones aren’t going to camp, you may run out of ideas to keep them occupied. Why not use a fun and simple science experiment to focus their attention for a while? At Dr. Ray Partovy's office, we found one that includes a lesson about why it’s important to brush teeth to make plaque go away.

Gather the items you will need for this experiment:

--1 hard-boiled egg with the shell on
--12 ounces of Coke, Pepsi or other dark-colored cola
--1 container large enough to hold the cola and egg
--1 plastic bowl
--1 toothbrush
--1 drop of fluoride toothpaste
--Clean-up supplies

Explain to your child that plaque is a sticky layer of germs that collects on her teeth. If she doesn’t brush, plaque can cause serious problems for her teeth, for example holes in the teeth (cavities) or swollen gums (gingivitis). Tell her that you are going to do an experiment to see how plaque coats her teeth, and why brushing twice a day is important for healthy teeth and gums.

Conduct the experiment:

1. Make the comparison between the white color of the egg and the white color of your child's teeth.

2. Place the egg into the container and pour the cola over it, so that it completely covers the egg.

3. Let the egg sit in the cola for 24 hours.

4. Remove the egg from the cola. The egg will be stained and yellowish.
5. Explain to your child that the colored layer that has appeared on top of the eggshell is just like the layer of plaque that occurs on her teeth.

6. Place the egg in the plastic bowl and give your child the toothbrush with the drop of toothpaste on it.

7. Let her brush the "plaque" off of the egg. The yellowish film will disappear, exposing the white eggshell. Explain that the same thing happens when she brushes her teeth.

--Dr. Ray Partovy and Staff

When Are Two Phases of Treatment Necessary? -- Dr. Ray Partovy

Usually patients in orthodontic treatment already have their permanent teeth – but in some cases we have to start treatment earlier, even before the patient’s permanent teeth come in. We call this “two-phase treatment.”

When we have patients with clear developmental problems at an early age, it’s best to start work when they are young, before the problems get bigger and more difficult to treat. Examples include an upper or lower jaw that is not growing correctly, or a mouth growing in a way that doesn’t leave enough room for all the permanent teeth to come in.

In these cases we will start early and do one round of treatment – phase one – while the patient still has “baby teeth.” Phase one usually does not involve braces, but can include a different type of appliance that helps the jaw grow into place properly, such as a retainer. We’ll follow up with phase two usually a few years later, when permanent the patient’s permanent teeth have come in. Phase two often does involve braces and sometimes headgear.

In order to catch early problems, we recommend that children have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven (and so does the American Association of Orthodontics). However, if your dentist or pediatrician sees any sign that early treatment might be necessary, he or she may recommend your child visit an orthodontist even sooner. For more information about two-phase orthodontics, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Partovy, give us a call.

Great Deals on Veneers, Invisalign, and Lumineers from Dr. Ray Partovy

At Dr. Ray Partovy's Office, we understand how important a beautiful smile is. And we want to help you get there. Not only do we provide state-of-the-art cosmetic dentistry services in our luxurious Marina del Rey and Tarzana locations, but right now we are offering three monthly specials.

For the months of March, April, and May, we are offering the following great discounts:

$500 off Invisalign
$500 off Lumineers
$500 off Veneers

Get that smile you have always dreamed of before Summer rolls around from Dr. Ray Partovy.

Share Your Movie Star Status With Friends And Family -- Dr. Partovy

When you’re an Invisalign® patient at Dr. Ray Partovy's office, your teeth star in their very own movie – and you can share the fun with family and friends!

Invisalign straightens teeth using a series of custom-made, nearly invisible, comfortable, removable Aligners. Aligners are created with the help of advanced computer imaging technology.

At our office, these computer images of your teeth are compiled into an animated movie that shows how your teeth will move from crooked to straight over the course of your treatment! It’s like a little glimpse into the future of your perfect smile.

You can log in to our web site anytime to see your very own movie – and with the click of a button, you can email your movie to friends and family to show them how great your teeth will look after your Invisalign treatment!

If you haven’t signed up for this free online service yet, ask us about it during your next visit to Dr. Partovy's office!

Show Me Your Smile -- Dr. Ray Partovy

Pointy tools. X-rays. Chairs that lift you off the ground.

For a child not familiar with the dentist, that first visit can be a whirlwind of one scary situation after another. If your little one’s first appointment is coming up, do him – and yourself – a favor, and give him a guided tour of what to expect, before he gets to our office.

“Show Me Your Smile!” is book number eleven in the Dora the Explorer series. True to form, the plucky protagonist provides a thorough explanation of everything involved in a dental visit. From the waiting room, to the bright lights and big chairs of the treatment bay, to the heavy apron she wears for her x-ray, Dora points out each component of the office and explains its function.

Dora even walks us through the procedure of getting a filling after her dentist finds a cavity on her x-ray. She gets a sticker and new toothbrush at the end of her appointment. And she reminds us that regular brushing and flossing mean healthier teeth.

If you prepare your child for his first trip to our office – or let Dora do it for you – he’ll have a much more positive experience. The more he trusts us and enjoys his time here at Dr. Ray Partovy's office, the more easily he’ll embark on a lifetime of good oral hygiene habits.