Play it safe this spring, from Dr. Dougherty

Let’s face it: sports-related injuries – especially mouth injuries – are common among kids, let alone teens with braces. In a 2009 survey, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists discovered that 70 percent of parents said their biggest fear is that their child will get hurt while playing organized sports. That’s why Dr. Harry Dougherty and our team are helping spread the word that many facial injuries can be prevented simply by reminding your kids to wear mouth guards this spring.

This spring, don’t forget to:

• Wear mouth guards during contact sports
• Wear a helmet
• Stretch before and after a game or practice
• Wear protective eyewear
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
• Be observant even as a spectator

Only by using a mouth guard and other forms of facial protection can kids with and without braces avoid serious sports injuries. Please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or your treatment at our convenient Sherman Oaks office.

How important is your smile? From Dr. Dougherty

At the office of Dr. Harry Dougherty, it’s our goal to provide the best treatment possible in a comfortable and supportive environment, ensuring your beautiful smile when you complete orthodontic treatment at our Sherman Oaks office.

Speaking of smiling, in a new poll conducted by Glamour Magazine, people were asked, “If you had to pick between having perfect teeth, eyesight or hair, which would you choose?

Well, 44 percent of folks out there are choosing teeth! In addition, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, or AACD, conducted a study and found that 99.7 percent of those polled believed a smile is an important social asset. Respondents said straightness, whiteness, cleanliness, as well as the sincerity and sparkle of a person’s smile were all important factors not only socially, but career-wise as well.

Your needs, your comfort, and your understanding of orthodontic procedures are top priority for our practice, and we’re happy to meet with you to help you explore all or the options available to you or your child. Please contact our office today to schedule your complimentary new-patient 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!

Access your account—any day, any time, anywhere!

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds simple and convenient, doesn’t it?

Patients at the office of Dr. Harry L. Dougherty enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our website. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, all from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call at our Sherman Oaks office if you have any questions about getting started!

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!