Posted  Sept. 10, 2012 in Dental Life

How to Select an Orthodontist

Thank you to Mommy DDS.com, who wrote this great article (Posted  Sept. 10, 2012 in Dental Life) about selecting the best orthodontist for family. We took the original text, and then added how it pertains to Dr. Dan Rejman and Meadows Orthodontics (in the Blue text!)

Stuff that matters when choosing an orthodontist:

• Is the orthodontist board certified?  Most people think board certification is required and that all orthodontists are board certified.  Board certification is voluntary in orthodontics and only a small percentage actually go through the rigorous process.  If your orthodontist is not board certified, it doesn’t mean they don’t do a good job.  But, an orthodontist who is board certified is making a concerted effort to better themselves.  For an updated list of board certified orthodontists in your area, please visit americanboardortho.com.  Unfortunately, some orthodontists misrepresent themselves as board certified when they are not.  If your orthodontist claims to be board certified, verify it with the American Board of Orthodontics.

Dr. Rejman is currently the only Board Certified orthodontist in Castle Rock and Castle Pines.

• Is the doctor an orthodontist or general dentist who does orthodontics? An orthodontist is a specialist, and has attended a 2-3 year residency program.  During this time they are exclusively treating orthodontic patients and studying tooth movement, jaw growth and development.  This person generally has a master’s degree in orthodontics and usually has done extensive research and defended a thesis on the subject.  A general dentist can take courses in orthodontics and is legally permitted to perform orthodontics, but has not been through an orthodontic residency.  If the person offering to do your braces also does cleanings, fillings and crowns, that doctor is a general dentist not an orthodontist.  I often hear people tell me, “My dentist is also an orthodontist”.  It doesn’t work that way.  Orthodontists ONLY do orthodontics.  They never do cleanings and fillings.

Dr. Rejman attended four years of dental school at The University of Michigan and completed his residency and Masters degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.  Dr. Rejman is a Board Certified orthodontist.

• Review the qualifications of the doctor.  In the end, you are choosing an orthodontist – not an office, orthodontic technique or particular bracket.  It takes technical skill to produce an optimal result.  Review the doctor’s education (especially dental school and orthodontic school) and experience.  Not all schools are created the same.  Some are excellent, some are good and some are quite poor.  Some of the top programs in the country include: University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, University of Washington and Baylor University

Dr. Rejman attended dental school at The University of Michigan and was chosen for his residency and Masters at Marquette University.  He won the award for highest academic standing in his graduating class of 100 at Michigan and has received TOP ORTHODONTIST honors by 5280 magazine in 2012, 2013, and 2014 as voted by his peers. He was recently voted Best of the Best “Best Orthodontist in Castle Rock, 2014”. Dr. Dan has also received numerous academic awards throughout his career. 

• Is the location convenient to school or home? If your child goes to school 30-45 minutes away from your home, an orthodontist closer to school may be a better choice.  You will be driving to and from the orthodontist every 6-8 weeks, not including emergencies.  It needs to be easily accessible to the places your child spends most of his time – school and home.

Meadows Orthodontics is conveniently located across from the Castle Rock Adventist Hospital and next to Einstein Bros. Bagels.  There are over ten schools within two miles of our location.

• What are the hours? Some orthodontists have multiple locations.  Find out the hours that the orthodontist is on-site at the location you are planning on visiting the most.  If the orthodontist is only available one day of the week, that office might not be as convenient as you first thought.  If you need a bracket repaired or have a scheduling conflict, you may need to drive 30 minutes to an alternate location.

Meadows Orthodontics is open early mornings (6:30 AM), evenings (until 6:30 PM on Mondays and 8:00 PM on Wednesdays), and is open both day time hours and two Saturdays per month.  Visit www.MeadowsOrthodontics.com for a full listing of our hours. 

• Does the doctor have ownership in the practice?  This may sound like an odd question, but there are more and more orthodontists working out of general and pediatric practices.  They are hired by the general practitioner as an associate.  Because they have no ownership, there is no guarantee that they will be there for the entirety of your treatment. In those situations, it isn’t unheard of to have 3-4 different orthodontists working in an office during a two year period.

 Dr. Rejman is the only orthodontist that you or your child will see.  He is the sole owner of Meadows Orthodontics, and Castle Rock is our only location!

• How accessible is the orthodontist? Dr. Rejman meets with every new family for a one-hour consult.  He also does the majority of in-the-mouth work.
• Do you like the staff? Every team member in our office is from Castle Rock.  In fact, our staff has lived in Castle Rock a total of 47 years!  Julie, the office manager, is Dr. Rejman’s wife- so Meadows Orthodontics is truly a FAMILY ORTHODONTIC PRACTICE – and our middle name is friendly!  

Ask who sees patients if there are after hour emergencies.  There are some offices where a staff member is available to take care of your needs.  In other offices, you have access to the doctor and he/she will see you for after-hours care

Dr. Rejman sees the majority of emergency patients himself.  He lives right in Castle Rock and is very accessible to is patients. 

• What does the practice charge for additional services? In an effort to make their treatment fees appear lower, some practices will present you with a lower fee and then surprise you with additional fees for required services such as x-rays, models, retainers and emergency appointments.

Our office does not charge for additional services.  Dr. Rejman also issues TWO sets of retainers at the end of treatment and these charges are built into the original price.

Everybody loves a top ten list, so here we go! Many parents of my patients at Meadows Orthodontics had braces themselves in the past. They often wonder how their childrens’ experience with braces will differ from the experience that they had. There have been many positive changes over the years, all of which make braces more comfortable, make treatment more efficient, or increase safety. Here are some of the most significant changes.

1. The development of advanced arch wires used in braces. There has been a massive increase in comfort and efficiency due to the wires (the part that actually aligns the teeth) that we currently use. Beta- titanium, Nitinol (Nickel- Titanium Naval Ordnance Laboratory- an alloy named after its site of discovery), and heat-activated Nitinol wires are widely used, which allows us start with more gentle forces, and offer a large range of flexibility, adjust-ability, and shape-memory properties.
2. Clear braces, and more esthetic alternatives. New advances in ceramic braces have offered highly esthetic alternatives that were not available before. These new braces are similar in size and shape to metal braces, but are clear! After years of development they no longer stain or change color as some people remember from years ago. They really look beautiful, and are a great option for adults with concerns about their appearance during treatment, and for teens that just want a different look. Of course, Invisalign is an option that I didn’t have in the 80’s, but I am honest about whether Invisalign will be the best option for your individual smile and goals. It is a great for some, not so great for others!
3. Bonded braces. Most people take this one for granted, but it was not that long ago wearing braces meant full metal bands that totally surrounded every tooth in the mouth. My wife was actually one of the unfortunate last of our generation to wear these bands as the profession migrated to using bonded braces. Bonding technology allowed brackets (the “square” part of braces) to be “stuck” to the surface of the teeth, instead of being welded to the metal ring that surrounded every tooth. Kids, you may groan when parents say, “When I was a kid…”, followed by some tale of childhood hardship. In this case they mean it – the braces of today are so much more comfortable and smaller than they used to be!
4. Decreased exposure to radiation. The development of digital radiography, which has replaced traditional film, has reduced exposure to radiation my many multiples.
5. Better long term retention of straight teeth. This is more due to awareness than to any technological advancement. It is rare that a progressive orthodontist does not recommend retention for life these days, which certainly was not the case when I was younger. Whether you have had braces or not, we now know that most people experience tooth movement as they age. After your orthodontic treatment, we will help you choose the most comfortable retention option for your lifestyle.
6. Options to help prevent permanent tooth staining. The new adhesives we use to make the braces “stick” contains fluoride to help counteract decalcification (the loss of minerals in the teeth, which causes “spots”). For added protection, we also offer a protective, clear glaze that can be placed for more at risk individuals.
7. No more headgear! Well, sort off. We now have multiple alternative choices to treat Class II cases (or upper teeth that are located too far ahead of the lower teeth), most of which are hard to see, relatively small, and worn within the mouth. Head gear is still a great treatment option for some kids (some actually prefer it over the other options), but we certainly do not ask for it to be worn in public!
8. Digital impressions. A recent advancement in the last few years, digital scanners (no radiation) are taking the place of the gooey alginate impressions that most consider an uncomfortable part of treatment. The digital scanners use a low- intensity laser that is fast and completely comfortable. At meadows Orthodontics, we use what is called an iTero scanner, which also sends digital impressions directly to Invisalign if this is the treatment of choice.
9. More fun colors! For patients who choose traditional braces, we offer over 30 colors to mix and match, including glow in the dark colors. Parents are often shocked at the colors we offer compared to when they had braces! A smart friend of mine figured out that there are 435 different combinations of two colors, and 4060 combinations for three colors!
10. Evidence for ideal treatment. Dr. Rejman uses peer-reviewed evidence to help make treatment decisions whenever possible. The web alone has been a game changer in the ease that professionals can access research and information from respected journals around the world. Clinical experience is very important in practicing orthodontics and making decisions, but Dr. Rejman balances this with being an evidence based practice for the well-being of his patients and the community.

Dan Rejman, D.D.S., M.S.

Dr. Dan Rejman is the owner of Meadows Orthodontics in Castle Rock, Colorado. He loves discussing treatment alternatives with his patients, and various artistic ways to get a smile to look “just right”! He has been Board Certified by the ABO for seven years, and was recently voted Best of the Best, “Best Orthodontist in Castle Rock, 2014”.

How about a break from Orthodontics and teeth? As our patients know, I am really into painting, sculpting and encouraging the arts. Aside from the artistic side that great orthodontics benefits from, I think having an artistic outlet can add a lot of flavor and beauty to life in general. I thought it might be nice to show the progress I am making with the Mural that the Town of Castle Rock asked me to paint. It is located in the tunnel that leads to the Grange in the Meadows, underneath Meadows Parkway. Officer Seth Morrissey is running the program to deter graffiti, and various artists are painting murals along the trails, bridges and underpasses throughout Castle Rock. I actually agreed to painting, thinking that it would be the size of your average wall. When we went to see the site, I was met with a NINETY foot wide wall! I had to shift gears, and planned to break down the wall into five sections measuring 18×12 feet. The overall plan is to use a sepia-like effect to unify the five sections, and to blend with the surroundings.

I started two weekends ago, and was lucky to have two very talented volunteers help, Billy and Lela. We started with a simple tree in the middle section of the wall. By simple, I mean the design- we actually painted many thousands of fine branches in three layers to give it a delicate look. I started with a very light tree in the background that took a full day to paint. Although this layer is the least visible at first glance, it gives the final result an overall lush and warm feeling. We spent hours and hours on those small fine braches! The next day we added a medium tone, and then the darkest tone on top of that. We finished with a white ground with a few areas of sparse grasses coming through to give it a wintery feel. Presto- one section done!

The next weekend we started the Buffalos drinking at the water hole scene. This was painted similarly, in layers and in sepia tones. I sketched the buffaloes on paper, and used an overhead projector to draw it on the wall. For the sky I used a photo on my phone that I took while mountain biking in Buffalo Creek, but ended up changing a large portion of it while we were painting. Now that I’m looking at it, I need to touch up a few areas, but it came out really nice.

What is next? I think we are going to do something fun with frogs. Stay tuned.

Dan Rejman, D.D.S, M.S.

Dr. Rejman is the owner of Meadows Orthodontics in Castle Rock, CO. He was recently named the “Best Orthodontist in Castle Rock, 2014”, by both “Best of the Best”, and Douglas County Living. Stop by his office to see more of his artwork- both on the walls, and displayed on all his patient’s smiles!