introduction
I am fortunate to have found orthodontics as a profession. It is uniquely rewarding. A good orthodontist must possess several attributes: a keen eye for angles and spatial relationships, good listening and communication skills, and the ability to balance theoretical and practical concerns.
Education
As a child, to make my parents happy, I told everyone that I wanted to be a dentist, and when I was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1985, I realized I knew nothing about Dentistry. The early days of dental school were challenging because dental students need to develop manual dexterity and artistic skills.
As my natural abilities leaned toward mechanical drawing, solving puzzles, and model building, I gravitated towards orthodontics. While the end result of orthodontic treatment is seen as cosmetic artistry, it is really all about the angles and spatial relationships, like the puzzles and building projects I enjoyed as a child.
Practice Philosophy
After completing my orthodontic residency at Montefiore Medical Center in 1993, I developed a practice philosophy that involved the patient in his or her own treatment. A natural fit was my early incorporation of a new technique called Invisalign in 1999. I soon was hired by Invisalign to teach other orthodontists around the country about this technique, and to this day, I remain part of the Invisalign Faculty. In November 2012, I presented Invisalign lectures at both the International Invisalign Summit, as well as for the prestigious Greater New York Dental Meeting. In 2009, I appeared on Fox 5-TV, which did a profile on Invisalign Teen (a technique specifically designed for teenagers and young adults). While Invisalign constitutes one part of my practice, many cases are treated in our offices with fixed braces. Not only do we use the most advanced orthodontic brackets and diagnostic tools, we were the first office in the New York City area to incorporate the SureSmile system, a technique using computer diagnostics and robotic wires which elevate orthodontic treatment to a new level of efficiency and precision. Our office was again featured on the local news, this time WPIX. Our office is equipped with three Itero Scanners which removes the need for gooey dental impressions and also creates aligners with unsurpassed accuracy.
Invisalign vs. Braces
INVISALIGN VS BRACES: Society likes generalizations and absolute statements. If you love Starbucks you probably hate Dunkin. You are an IPhone person or an Android person. The key to my being considered an Invisalign “expert” is knowing exacly what it does well, but also its limitations. Some patients beg me to take on their complex case with Invisalign saying “if anyone can do it, it would be you” but it’s not like that. Invisalign is better than braces at certain movements, and inferior for other situations. So don’t listen to anyone who tells you one is better than the other.
When not in the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Sheryl, and three children, Grant, Rick and Blake, whether it be on the field or the living room sofa in front of the TV. In my quiet time, I love to read, probably consuming about 30 books a year. I also have been dabbling in some stand-up comedy. How’s this: “Your teeth are soooooo ugly…you should probably go to an orthodontist!”