Love your new smile? Tell Dr. Dougherty and team all about it!

At the office of Dr. Harry Dougherty, it is our goal to provide the best treatment possible in a comfortable and supportive environment. Combining the right mix of personal care, high technology and continuing education, we maintain a commitment to our patients in every facet of our practice.

Whether you've visited Dr. Dougherty for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office has fared during your orthodontic treatment! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local listing and write a review there.

After all, your generous reviews help Dr. Dougherty create more beautiful smiles in Sherman Oaks and surrounding communities. Thanks in advance, and we hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season!

You may write your review here.

Smile! June is National Smile Month!

Did you know June is National Smile Month? It's a good time to remind all our patients to practice good oral hygiene between your visits to our Sherman Oaks office, as well as your general dentist.

Below 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 everyday to clean between your teeth and braces.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during your orthodontic treatment
* Visit your dentist regularly (every 6 months or as recommended by your dentist)!

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call, ask Dr. Dougherty during your next visit ... or ask us on Facebook!

Ask Dr. Dougherty: When should my child come in for a check-up?

Many parents here in Sherman Oaks assume they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Dr. Harry Dougherty for a complimentary consultation, only to discover treatment would have been much easier if started earlier. Did you know the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven?

That’s right—seven.

Ok, so what’s so great about age seven, you ask? Enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Dougherty to make a determination about whether any problems are present. The first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or what Dr. Dougherty calls “bad bite.” Also, the incisors have begun to come in, and problems such as crowding, deep bites and open bites can be detected.

Orthodontic evaluation at an early age provides one of two positive outcomes: For some, early identification or problems will lead to easier or shorter orthodontic treatment in the future. For others, a healthy prognosis will provide immediate peace of mind.

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For some children, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and are detrimental to good oral hygiene. So, if your child is nearing his or her seventh birthday, please give us a call at 818-602-4782 to schedule a complimentary exam.

When should you call Dr. Dougherty?

Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists have put together this helpful list that outlines when you should call Dr. Dougherty's Sherman Oaks orthodontic office. Here are some early warning signs indicating it’s time to check in with us:

1. Early or late loss of baby teeth
2. Difficulty of chewing or biting
3. Mouth breathing
4. Finger sucking or other oral habits
5. Crowding, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
6. Jaws that shift, make sounds, protrude or retrude
7. Speech difficulty
8. Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
9. Protruding teeth
10. Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all
11. Facial imbalance or asymmetry
12. Grinding or clenching of teeth

Do any of these warning signs fit you? If so, please give Dr. Dougherty and team a call as soon as possible!

At Dr. Dougherty's office, February Marks National Children's Dental Health Month

Each February for the past 61 years, the American Dental Association (ADA) has sponsored National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

For kids wearing braces, brushing and flossing can become more difficult, requiring extra time and vigilance to remove food particles that accumulate on and between the teeth and in braces. If the health of your teeth is ignored during treatment with braces, the results can be significantly compromised. Dr. Harry Dougherty is available and happy to explain why effective brushing and flossing is one of the most critical actions needed from patients during orthodontic treatment. Have you visited our Sherman Oaks, CA office? Give us a call and schedule a complimentary new-patient exam!

We also invite you to connect with us on Facebook!

Ask Dr. Dougherty: What are "Dentofacial Orthopedics"?

You may have noticed that Dr. Harry Dougherty specializes in "Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics." While most people have heard of orthodontics, many are confused by the "dentofacial orthopedics" part of the title.

Not to worry - we can explain!

You probably know that orthodontists like Dr. Dougherty straighten teeth, and indeed: "ortho" comes from the Greek for "straight" or "correct," and "dontic" from the Greek for "teeth." But what about dentofacial orthopedics? "Dentofacial" is "teeth" plus "face" while "ortho" again means "straight" and "pedic" is from the Greek for "child."

Essentially, while orthodontics entails the management of tooth movement, dentofacial orthopedics involves the guidance of facial growth and development, which occurs largely during childhood. In both cases, appliances are frequently used – the more familiar braces for orthodontics, and other specialized appliances like headgear and expanders depending on what facial abnormalities are present. Sometimes orthopedic treatment may precede conventional braces, but often the two are accomplished at the same time. So if your child gets braces and headgear, he's undergoing orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics!

Because Dr. Dougherty is skilled in both areas, he is able to diagnose any misalignments in the teeth and jaw as well as the facial structure, and can devise a treatment plan that integrates both orthodontic and dentofacial orthopedic treatments.

We hope that helps! Contact our Sherman Oaks office and schedule a complimentary consultation for your child. It’s never too late to get a great smile, and we can’t wait to help you get started. de

Technology helps you relax at Dr. Dougherty's office

It used to be that people were terrified to see the orthodontist. And Dr. Dougherty understands that some patients are still nervous. But fear not! The days of fear and loathing when driving to an orthodontist appointment are gone! And it’s all due to technology. That’s right, technology has allowed orthodontists everywhere to zero in on patient care and comfort.

For example, braces are much more comfortable and the treatment time has been reduced. In addition, the advances in the orthodontic field have permitted digital photos and X-rays of your mouth, patient charting and improved communications between doctor and patient.

It is our goal to provide the best treatment possible in a comfortable and supportive environment. Combining the right mix of personal care, high technology and continuing education, we maintain a commitment to our patients in every facet of our practice.

If you have any questions about how Dr. Dougherty uses state-of-the-art technology at our Sherman Oaks office, give us a call and ask!

Dr. Dougherty and team want to know: What should we blog about?

As 2010 winds down, Dr. Harry Dougherty & our team strive to continue blogging about important topics related to braces, oral health and your treatment.

To help us continue blogging through 2011, however, we'd like your feedback: What would you like us to focus on our blog or Facebook page in the coming weeks and months? Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to ask Dr. Dougherty or our team for a while and just haven't found the right opportunity? Give us your ideas by posting here or on our Facebook page!

We hope you have a great rest of the weekend!

Ask Dr. Dougherty: Why are straight teeth so important?

Some people wonder why Dr. Harry Dougherty and our staff work so tirelessly to give our patients straight teeth. Of course it’s nice to have a smile full of evenly aligned teeth, but did you know that straightening your teeth at Dr. Dougherty's office can keep them healthier? Straight teeth lead to better oral hygiene, increasing your chances of keeping your own natural teeth for a lifetime!

Straight teeth are less prone to decay, because they collect less plaque—the sticky colorless substance that forms on our teeth and leads to tooth decay; and they are easier to keep clean! If you’re wondering whether your teeth might cause problems because they are out of alignment, please give us a call to set up a consultation. Dr. Dougherty can help you decide whether or not you will benefit from orthodontic treatment at our convenient Sherman Oaks office.

Happy Friday!!

Share your experience at Dr. Dougherty's office with the world!

At the office of Dr. Harry Dougherty, it is our goal to provide the best treatment possible in a comfortable and supportive environment. Combining the right mix of personal care, high technology and continuing education, we maintain a commitment to our patients in every facet of our practice.

Whether you've visited Dr. Dougherty for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our office has fared during your orthodontic treatment! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local listing and write a review there.

After all, your generous reviews help Dr. Dougherty create more beautiful smiles in Sherman Oaks and surrounding communities. Thanks in advance, and we hope you have a terrific week!

You may write your review here.

Welcome to our blog!

For those of you visiting us for the very first time, we'd like to welcome to our official blog! We've recently installed new ways to stay connected to our patients, including our Facebook page, YouTube channel and our very own blog, which we’ll be updating weekly! Visit us by clicking on any of the social network icons located on the left side of our page.

While we’re taking a little time to research and decide how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog? Send us your thoughts or give us a call!

We hope you're having a great summer!