Los Angeles Orthodontist

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — How does someone who loves the arts incorporate that into a successful career in orthodontics?

Just ask Los Angeles Orthodontist Dr. Atoosa Nikaeen, who celebrates a number of milestones this month- her 16th anniversary as a dentist, her 10th anniversary as an orthodontist and her eighth anniversary at her private practice.

Nikaeen entered the dentistry field because to her, the work resembled art, she said, adding, “I was always interested in all kinds of arts, including painting and sculpture.”

Much has changed since Nikaeen graduated with honors in 1999 from Columbia University’s School of Dentistry and Orthodontic Department in Manhattan and opened her Los Angeles orthodontics practice. She has kept up with the latest developments in orthodontics by continuing to educate herself daily. She also teaches orthodontic students at the University of California in Los Angeles.

“I study on an everyday basis,” said Nikaeen, a Los Angeles, CA braces expert. “I teach at UCLA, so I have to be up to date on all the new technology. I make use of everything online—including Web sites, Webinars and journals. I like to use all the new techniques in my office that will help me and my patients make the process easier and faster.”

Whether it’s the introduction of new types of Invisalign products, or the advent of self-ligating braces and a variety of new wires that make the process of teeth alignment progress faster and in a more desirable fashion, Nikaeen has embraced technology that she felt would be beneficial to her patients.

Invisalign Advancements
She even played a key role in the introduction of Invisalign’s most recent product- Invisalign Teen.

In July 2008, Nikaeen’s office was among seven West Los Angeles orthodontic practices that participated in a pilot study for Invisalign Teen, a product that later was introduced to orthodontic practices throughout the United States.

The makers of Invisalign created Invisalign Teen to address the needs of the teen treatment market. The Teen aligners come equipped with compliance indicators, which are tiny blue dots that fade away with wear.

“This was a great technological advancement in the orthodontic field, because the only time Invisalign doesn’t work is when the aligners aren’t worn properly,” Nikaeen said. “This has been a great way to determine whether the patient is wearing the aligners or not.”

Invisalign treatment is one aspect of Nikaeen’s practice that has undergone significant changes in the past 10 years, she said. Also known as “invisible braces,” Invisalign is a teeth alignment system that uses a progression of clear plastic aligners, rather than traditional metal braces to straighten teeth.

Nikaeen learned the new technology in 1999 and quickly became a leader in the treatment. Today, Invisalign is one of the most popular forms of treatment for adult and teen patients at her practice.

Invisalign Express was released in August 2005, and Nikaeen introduced it to patients in her office a month later. It is a lower-cost alignment option for patients with less complex orthodontic cases, according to Align Technology, Inc. the company that manufactures Invisalign products.

Self-Ligating Brackets
Self-Ligating brackets have been another great development since Nikaeen entered the orthodontic field, she said. She began using them because they promised to speed up the alignment process while offering more comfort and less force implemented on teeth.

Self-ligating brackets don’t require ligatures or metal tie wires to hold the arch wire onto the bracket. Several companies have come up with varieties of self-ligating brackets. Nikaeen uses the Damon system, which uses a “sliding door” technique in conjunction with the Damon bracket low force wires to hold the archwire in place. These self-ligating brackets allow the wire to slide back and forth. For orthodontic patients, this means fewer adjustments and appointments.

With all of the changes during her orthodontic career, Nikaeen said there is one thing that has remained steadfast- the satisfaction and pride she feels when she sees happy patients with beautiful smiles that she helped create.

“The results and the change that can be created through orthodontics always has been fascinating to me,” Nikaeen said, “and it can be life-changing for my patients.”

When Nikaeen looks back on these advancements that have occurred within the past 10 years, she is amazed.

“It makes me look forward to what the next 10 years have to offer the orthodontic field,” she said.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Nikaeen or schedule a free consultation, visit her Web site, www.invisibraces.com, or call (310) 444-1113.  Nikaeen’s office is located at 11600 Wilshire Blvd. #226, in Los Angeles.

© 2009 Sinai Dental Marketing and Dr. Atoosa Nikaeen. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

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