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Our office strives to bring you the latest and greatest in orthodontic techniques and technologies. Being on the cutting edge of the industry is important—it ensures you, as our patient, are getting the best orthodontic treatment you possibly can while keeping costs down!

The goal of a high-tech office is three fold: to have effective treatment, to have efficient treatment, and to make the whole process easy, painless, and cost-effective for you.

Here are some of the technologies being implemented by Dr. Brad Elkin, Dr. Joshua Epstein, Dr. George Sargiss, Dr. Martin Epstein, Dr. Sonalee Kapoor and Dr. Carly Kinzer to do just that:

3D oral scanners: If you've ever experienced getting impressions the traditional way, it isn't very fun! Having a gag reflex is common and it takes several minutes on both the top and bottom of the mouth to get a successful impression.

With 3D oral scanners, we create a perfect digital scan of your teeth without radiation. We then use the results of the scan to create accurate braces, retainers, and other appliances for your unique teeth and mouth.

Digital Imaging: New digital imaging provides us with accurate, panoramic, and cephalometric views of your teeth and their supporting structures. This lets us plan and implement treatment with the utmost precision.

Not only does this kind of imaging expose patients to far less radiation than traditional X-rays but it also gives us immediate access to the images, whereas X-rays had to be developed. This expedites treatment time and means fewer trips to our Freehold, Manalapan or Hightstown, NJ office for you.

New, high-tech braces options: There are so many more choices when it comes to braces these days! Advances in the industry like Invisalign®, self-ligating braces, and lingual braces, allow patients to not only get highly accurate and precise treatment, but do so discreetly without anyone else even knowing.

Digital scanning and imaging takes the guesswork out of braces. Instead of the orthodontist estimating tooth movement and treatment progression, these days it's all computer modeled with exacting detail. The result? Your braces do exactly what they're intended to do in less time with a picture-perfect outcome.

These are just some of the advances in the orthodontic industry. Needless to say, they all make the entire process that much easier and effective for you. If you have any questions or are interested in treatment, please don't hesitate to contact our Freehold, Manalapan or Hightstown, NJ office!

Recently we’ve been getting many questions about seeing an orthodontist who is part of a dental practice vs seeing an orthodontist that is part of an orthodontic practice. You may think an orthodontist is an orthodontist no matter where they work. This does hold some truth, but there are other factors you should consider when making the decision of who should help reveal your child’s smile.

To that end, we’ve put together some of the top considerations when deciding between an orthodontist who is part of an orthodontic practice vs an orthodontist who is part of a dental practice:

• Availability. What are the hours for the orthodontist on staff? An orthodontist who is part of a dental practice may only work specific days or hours.  An orthodontist who is part of an orthodontic practice like Brace Place is more likely to be available for appointments and emergencies because that is the sole focus of the practice - we’re not open unless there’s an orthodontist here!

• Main Focus. An orthodontist who is part of an orthodontic practice will have staff that is solely focused on orthodontics. No mix-up of who your child is seeing that day. No confusion over what the next step in their treatment should be. Since Brace Place focuses only on orthodontics there is never confusion over whether your child is being seen for a cleaning or the next phase of their treatment.

• Back Up. If your doctor is out of the office unexpectedly what happens? While we know that you always want to see your specific orthodontist, being part of an orthodontic practice means that if your person is out sick or on vacation, you have the option of seeing someone else instead of having to reschedule. That’s one of the many reasons each of our three locations has at least two orthodontists on staff.

• Experience. What kind of experience does the doctor and  practice have? An orthodontist at an orthodontic practice not only is more likely to have longevity of experience, but they also have the benefit of peers who help extend the breadth of the practice’s experience. When seeing an orthodontist at a dental practice you usually only have one opinion and it’s often from a more junior source. At Brace Place we’re proud to have treated 3K+ Invisalign cases, we have 30 years of experience across two generations of doctors and we have achieved the designation of Super Elite Invisalign Practice (which means we’re in the Top 1% of the country!)

• Skill. When considering orthodontic treatment for your child, it’s important to make sure you know who is responsible for moving those teeth. While some dental practices are hiring part time orthodontists to work out of their offices, others are doing the treatment themselves. Be sure to ask if the person who is treating your child is a Certified Orthodontist. At Brace Place it doesn’t matter who you see: Dr. Joshua Epstein, Dr. George Sargiss, Dr. Brad Elkin, Dr. Marty Epstein, Dr.  Sonalee Kapoor, and Dr. Carly Kinzer are all certified orthodontists.

If your Pediatric Dentist is urging you to see their in-house Orthodontist make sure you consider your options carefully - it may be the right option for your family, but it’s worth getting a second opinion from a non-biased specialist.

We are always happy to provide a free consultation. Just call the Brace Place location closest to you to schedule an appointment! We’re even open late nights and weekends.

FREEHOLD (732) 462-7676

MANALAPAN (732) 536-4422

HIGHTSTOWN (609) 448-6600

Or click below to schedule an appointment online!

Between the huge number of toothpaste brands on the market today, the different flavors, and claims from most to do different things, it isn’t surprising that people feel so confused when it comes to something that should be as simple as buying a tube of toothpaste. This guide will help you identify the common ingredients in toothpaste, and help you understand the important factors to consider before buying toothpaste again.

Toothpaste comes in gel, paste, and powdered forms. When it comes to the type of toothpaste, the choice is more a matter of preference.

Basic Ingredients

• Abrasive Agents – Abrasive agents are the scratchy substances added to toothpastes to help in the removal of food particles, bacteria, and minor stains. Calcium carbonate is one of many abrasive materials, and arguably the most common.
• Flavor – When toothpastes are flavored, they almost always have artificial sweeteners to enhance the flavor of the toothpaste and increase the likelihood that you’ll use it. Flavors run the gamut from traditional mint to cinnamon that may appeal to adults, and bubble gum or lemon lime – flavors to target children.
• Humectants – Humectants are moisturizing agents that keep paste and gel toothpastes from drying out. Glycerol is commonly used as a humectant.
• Thickeners – Thickeners are used to give toothpaste its distinctive consistency, and to make it maintain a uniform consistency and come out of the tube easily.
• Detergents – Sodium lauryl sulfate is the most common detergent used in products that foam up, like toothpaste does in your mouth.

What to Look For in Toothpaste

Fluoride is naturally occurring mineral. It is the most important ingredient to look for in a toothpaste. Although there are people who argue against using fluoride toothpaste, dental professionals like Dr. Brad Elkin, Dr. Joshua Epstein, Dr. George Sargiss, Dr. Martin Epstein, Dr. Sonalee Kapoor and Dr. Carly Kinzer emphasize that the fact that the incidence of tooth decay has decreased so significantly in the past 50 years is because of fluoridated toothpaste.

The suggestion that fluoridated water gives you enough fluoride to protect your teeth is wrong. Fluoride toothpaste is the best cavity protection there is. In addition to strengthening tooth enamel and protecting teeth from acid erosion (from acidic foods and drinks,) it remineralizes the surfaces of teeth that are suffering from early acid damage and may prevent developing tooth decay from worsening.

Tartar Control

Tartar is the result of hardened plaque buildup on the teeth. Good oral hygiene and in between twice yearly cleanings from a dental hygienist are the best defense against plaque buildup. Plaque turns to tartar when people neglect their oral hygiene. Over time, tartar can build up on teeth and under the gums, increasing the risk of gum disease.

Your best bet is to use a toothpaste that has a combination of anti-plaque agents. Products containing more than one plaque reducer may be more effective than products that only one. Common ingredients to look for are zinc citrate or pyrophosphates. Triclosan is an antibiotic that is believed to kill bacteria in the mouth, and it can be found in some anti-plaque toothpaste.

Look for toothpaste that bears the seal of the American Dental Association. That seal is an endorsement of the ADA – and it means that many dentists agree that that particular toothpaste does what toothpaste is designed to do. We can also recommend toothpaste to meet your specific oral health concerns at your next visit to our Freehold, Manalapan or Hightstown, NJ office.

If you have been thinking about getting a piercing, or if you already have one or more, there are some health risks our team at Brace Place wants you to know about. It's important to know the risks involved with oral piercing, including infection, chipped teeth, gum damage, nerve damage, loss of taste, or tooth loss that could occur as a result.

Your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection is a common complication of oral piercing. Many people who have piercings tend to regularly touch them, paving the way for bacteria to enter piercing sites. Also, food particles that collect around piercing sites can lead to infection.

Besides hindering your ability to talk and eat, oral piercing also leads people to develop a habit of biting or playing with their piercings, which can lead to cracked or fractured teeth. While the fracture can be confined to the enamel of the tooth and require a simple filling, you also run the risk of the fracture going deep into the tooth, which may require a root canal, tooth extraction, and additional dental treatment.

If you still decide to get an oral piercing, you should realize that it will take some time to heal (anywhere between four to six weeks) and it may be very uncomfortable. Also please keep in mind that it will be an added responsibility to your life, as it will require regular upkeep. We want you to make sure that you’re committed to the task of taking care of it for the full healing period and beyond.

We encourage you to clean the piercing with antiseptic mouthwash after eating, and brush the jewelry each time you brush your teeth. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call!