Presidents' Day Fun Facts!

Today marks Presidents’ Day, a day known for celebrating both George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s combined February birthdays. Presidents’ Day was created in 1971, when President Richard Nixon combined the birthdays of two of our most well-known presidents into one single federal holiday. Presidents’ Day also marks a hard-earned day off from work and school for a lot of our patients at Dr. Dougherty's office.

Here are a few fun facts about our nation’s presidents we thought you might enjoy:

*Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, supposedly carried letters, bills and notes in his tall stovepipe hat.

*George Washington is the first president to be featured on a postage stamp.

*Ronald Reagan, our 40th president, broke the so-called “20-year curse,” in which every president elected in a year ending in 0 died in office.

*Harry S. Truman was the first president to have his Inauguration and speeches televised.

*Not only was James A. Garfield the first president to be ambidextrous, but it was said he could write a sentence in Latin with one hand and write it in Greek with the other hand.

*Fourteen presidents served as vice presidents: J. Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Nixon, L. Johnson, Ford, and George H.W. Bush.

*Abraham Lincoln was the tallest of the U.S. presidents measuring 6’ 4” tall.

*Virginia is the birthplace of more United States presidents than any other state, followed by Ohio and Massachusetts.

February featured patient review for Dr. Dougherty

Check out what a former patient of Dr. Dougherty wrote recently! By the way, Facebook is a great place to tell us how we're doing, but we also encourage you to head to our Google Places page and leave a short review there. Your generous reviews help Dr. Harry Dougherty build more beautiful smiles!

"See my beautiful smile? See how straight they are? See how when I bite my bottom teeth don't touch the roof of my mouth? Well, that's all because of the wonderful Dr. Dougherty. Dr. Dougherty was recommended to me by a friend's mom who was a dentist. When I mentioned his name to my dentist his reaction was something like, "Well, you can't go wrong with Dr. Dougherty. He's the best ... So now my little cousin just started his journey with Dr. Dougherty. My aunt mentioned me (I haven't gone to see him for about three years) and he completely remembered me. I swear, every third kid I see with braces tells me he/she goes to Dr. D. For having so many patients, for him to remember me says a lot about his character." ~ Skylar W.

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

Love your smile? Tell the world 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 have a terrific week!

You may write your review here.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King

Today, our country celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a thinker, leader and civil rights champion. In the 1950s and ’60s, Dr. King recognized the need to bring about social justice, and worked tirelessly to instill tolerance in our nation, strengthen America’s communities and move the nation forward. This weekend, tens of thousands of people of all ages and races in Sherman Oaks and all over southern California spent their time building, giving and renovating our communities to help celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Did you have the day off? If so, did you participate in any service- or community-building projects?

We’d love to know about your activities and events this MLK Jr. Day. If you have any video or pictures you’d like to share, please pass them along! If you’re not sure how, give us a call!

Dr. Dougherty and our entire team are proud of all our patients, families and colleagues who continue to make a difference in our community!

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!