With Dr. Dougherty's office, 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!

September is Self-Improvement Month, from Dr. Dougherty

These days, Americans everywhere are putting greater emphasis on health, fitness and self-improvement, and more people are seeking orthodontic treatment to improve their smile. September happens to be Self-Improvement Month, and our team at Dr. Dougherty's office know that orthodontic treatment is an investment in self-improvement that will reap benefits for a lifetime. And, recent advances in orthodontia, such as Invisalign and more effective brackets and wires, now make orthodontic treatment more palatable for many interested in obtaining that beautiful smile.

Not only does orthodontic treatment give you that beautiful smile, it can also benefit your dental and general health. If teeth are poorly aligned, removing plaque and tartar by brushing and flossing alone may be difficult. A poor bite may result in fractured or excessively worn tooth surfaces, and the extra stress caused by a poor bite may even result in problems with your jaw joints.

If you’ve been thinking about getting that perfect smile, Dr. Dougherty would love to have you visit for a consultation. Please give us a call to set one up!

See you soon!

Connect with Dr. Dougherty on Facebook!

At the office of Dr. Harry L. Dougherty, we value the relationships we’ve developed with our patients in Sherman Oaks and greater San Fernando Valley over the years. Even if you visit our office on a regular basis, did you know you can always connect with us on Facebook?

By “Liking” us at Facebook.com/DoughertyOrtho, you will receive regular updates and contest announcements from our office – all through your news feed!

See you on Facebook, and have a wonderful rest of the week!

- Dr. Dougherty and team

Back to school with Dr. Dougherty

At Dr. Dougherty's office, we know a new school year brings a lot of stress for many kids. New classes, new teachers, new friends and new academic challenges can be overwhelming! That’s why we thought we’d provide a few steps for our patients to enjoy their time in school and succeed this upcoming school year!

• Get plenty of sleep every night. Eight hours is recommended.
• Eat a healthy breakfast as it’s the most important meal of the day.
• Pack a healthy lunch or make healthy choices when selecting your school lunch. Try to avoid the vending machine and limit your intake of junk food.
• Stay on top of your homework and reading assignments.
• Stay active. Limit the time in front of the TV or playing video games. Instead, try to get outside to get some exercise—go for a walk or ride your bike.
• Ask for help. When you are having a hard time understanding a concept, ask your teacher or your peers for guidance.
• Always have a positive attitude and a smile on your face!

We hope everyone has a productive and fun school year!

Dentists, orthodontists - what's the difference?

"Dentists, Orthodontists, they're all the same right?" We hear our patients asking this question as they wonder about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Before becoming an orthodontist Dr. Dougherty started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Dr. Dougherty decided he wanted to learn more about orthodontics, which is one of nine specialties within the dental field. So he stayed in school for a few more years and became an expert in orthodontics, which focuses on tooth and jaw alignment and bite problems like overbites and under bites.

Other dental specialties you may have heard of include endodontic (focusing on the soft tissue inside your teeth), periodontic (focusing on the gums and other tissues surrounding your teeth) and prosthodontic (focusing on restoring and replacing damaged teeth).

Isn't it nice to know there's a dental expert in Dr. Dougherty to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

The trouble with bottled water, from Dr. Dougherty

Our team at the office of Dr. Harry Dougherty know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the traditional tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

For more than 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20- to 40 percent in children who have access to fluoridated toothpaste.

Bottled water, however, which remains one of the more popular drinks in the world, may not contain any fluoride, which is known to help prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. The majority of bottled waters on the market do not contain optimal levels (0.7-1.2 ppm) of fluoride, according to the American Dental Association, or ADA. Many dental health specialists suspect bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. So if bottled water is your water of choice, be sure to check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride. As of a 2006 decision, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, allows bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 milligrams per liter (parts per million) of fluoride to carry a label stating that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities or tooth decay. The ADA has backed this decision.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting your dentist regularly.

Tell Dr. Dougherty about your summer!

The dog days of summer are upon us, and what better time for Dr. Harry Dougherty and our staff to ask our patients about their summer!

Whether you visited our nation’s capitol, went on a camping trip, visited the state fair or just stayed in town and hung out with friends, we want to know how you’re all spending your summer! Please feel free to share your summer plans and experiences with us below or on our Facebook page as the summer comes to an end soon for a lot of our patients at Dr. Dougherty's office!

We look forward to reading all about your adventures! Enjoy the rest of your summer!