Thanks to Invisalign®, mom and dad can have a perfect smile, too!

Hey parents! Focusing on your kids' teeth and oral health so much that you're neglecting your own? If you've been thinking wistfully about having your own set of perfect teeth, our staff can help! We are specially trained to offer an adult-friendly option for straightening teeth called Invisalign.

This course of treatment consists of a set of clear aligners that are molded to fit your teeth using a proprietary technology. You wear them all day and night, except for meals, brushing, and flossing – when you can easily slip them out to make eating and cleaning a snap!

Because they're clear, your teeth will be steadily straightening – and no one will know it but you!

Please give us a call to set up a consultation, so we can discuss the specifics of your treatment.

Halloween Costume Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our costume contest, as voted by our office team. We've shared all the photos on our Facebook page, be sure to head over and check them out!

Hamilton Mill Orthodontics Winner- Amanda P.

Johns Creek Orthodontics Winners- Meghana E, Jackson F, and Sebastian M.

Vickery Orthodontics Winners- Spencer B, Sarah A.

Great job everyone, and thank you for participating!

What do you love about Our Office?

From your very first visit to Dr. Elchahal's office, we strive to provide superior treatment in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. We thought we’d ask you, our wonderful patients: Have you been especially impressed by Dr. Elchahal's work? Did our team go out of their way to make your day? Are you in love with your new smile?

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. Or, you can tell us by posting on our Facebook page or by giving us a call!

Thank you!

Celebrating Our New Locations!

Recently Dr. Elchahal & Team celebrated the open house for two new offices, our relocated Hamilton Mill location, and our brand new location in Cumming, GA. Both open houses were held over October 4th and 5th. Thank you to all who attended these events!

Check out all the fun photos of both events on our Facebook page!

October Marks the National Orthodontic Health Month!

October symbolizes the transition into the Fall season and of course, Halloween! For our team at [Practice Name], the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), and orthodontic patients around the country, October also marks the National Orthodontic Health Month. This month is a great time to remind patients of the importance of strong oral hygiene and a braces-friendly diet, especially since many of the sticky and sweet Halloween treats can be harmful to braces and other orthodontic appliances.

Candy remains a huge part of Halloween for tens of millions of American kids each year. The National Confectioners Association says 93 percent of children in the United States go trick-or-treating, and estimates candy sales will be higher this year than ever. Candy is not all bad in moderation, but can lead to big problems in excess! It can lead to tooth decay, broken or chipped teeth, and delayed orthodontic treatment time due to broken or loose appliances and braces. Get the facts about Halloween candy and orthodontics by asking us! You can also check out this article to learn more about sweets and braces. We appreciate your help in spreading the word!

Smile--June is National Smile Month!

It's June already! Where does the time go?

Dr. Elchahal and team are excited to tell you June marks National Smile Month, a great time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.

After all, there's more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your general dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of the tips here, we encourage you to give us a call! We hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

-- Dr. Alec Elchahal & team

Extra Points on your Rewards Card are just a click away!

Dr. Elchahal and team strive for five. A successful practice doesn't just happen. It is the result of a strong commitment to excellence in our treatment and relationships with patients and doctors. We'd like to take a moment to thank you for showing your confidence in our practice by recommending us to your friends, family members and colleagues. One great way for you to share your experience with us is by writing your testimonial on one of our social media networks. For your convenience, you may find links on our website under testimonials. Please notify Dr. Elchahal and team that you have done so by emailing us at braces@smilesbyelchahal.com to receive 10 points on your Smiles Reward Card.

The New & Improved Dr. Elchahal's Smile Rewards Program

We are pleased to announce the new and improved Dr. Elchahal's Smile Rewards program, officially launching next Monday, April 12th! Patients can expect more points, more prizes, and most importantly, more FUN! Ask about this exciting new program at your next appointment, or give our office a call!

Trust a Preferred Invisalign Provider in Johns Creek, Cumming and Dacula

For the Johns Creek, Dacula, and Cumming communities considering orthodontic braces, Consider Invisalign, the nearly invisible way to achieve your best smile which has been used by more than a million patients. We are an Invisalign Preferred Provider, which means we meet a strict set of requirements by the creators of Invisalign. That means you can rely on our skills and experience to provide you – and your teeth – with the best possible outcome.

How Invisalign Straightens Your Teeth
The Invisalign system uses a set of clear aligners that are custom-created for your mouth to reposition and straighten your teeth. These aligners are tailor-made for your teeth and are completely removable, requiring no metal wires or brackets. The aligners work in stages: each aligner is worn for about two weeks before being replaced by the next in the sequence, moving your teeth exactly according to the prescription we’ve created for you.


What it Means to Work with a Preferred Provider
We’re proud to be an Invisalign Preferred Provider, as designated by Align Technology, the company that created the Invisalign system of treatment. Being a Preferred Provider means that we have successfully completed the advanced training needed to treat patients with Invisalign aligners. We have continued experience with a wide variety of Invisalign cases, as we regularly treat patients with Invisalign. We also attend ongoing clinical training classes in order to maintain our qualification as a Preferred Provider in Johns Creek and surrounding areas.

Please contact us with any questions you have about the Invisalign system, or give us a call to set up a consultation so we can determine if Invisalign is a practical option for you. You can also visit our web site for more information about Invisalign treatment at the orthodontic practice of Alec Elchahal.

Access your account—any day, any time--with Smiles By Elchahal

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

Patients at our offices enjoy access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our web site. 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 web site by clicking on the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started!

--Dr. Elchahal & Team

What’s so special about an Orthodontist?

"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. Elchahal started out in dental school and earned a DDS (dental degree), just like your dentist. After dental school however, Dr. Elchahal 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 here to help you through any type of treatment your teeth, jaw and gums might need?

New Technology at Our Office

Dr. Elchahal recently acquired a new state-of-the-art 3D imaging system. With the new Kodak 9000 3D system technology, Dr. Elchahal can perform a wider range of diagnoses and treatments with exceptional improvement in patient care and services. The video above shows the type of 3D imagery that we are able to collect with this new Kodak 9000 3D imaging system.

Patient Reviews for Dr. Elchahal and his orthodontic team!

We love seeing all of the kind words that our patients have said about Dr. Elchahal and the team. We wanted to share a few with you. If you'd like to write a review for Dr. Elchahal, head to our Google local listing and share your comments!

"Your staff was always joking and laughing with me and always helpful, very personable. (Your facility) Was always clean with a touch of class. Very nice and pleasing to come for check ups. Thanks for my smile!" – Terry

"Very together! Very organized, good attitude and service! Your staff attitude is very friendly, informative, and helpful. Your facility is fun and friendly. The atmosphere makes visiting less painful. All employees were exceptional. Will gladly have my son come here for his braces!!" – Hope

"Your staff is always cheerful and patient. You have a very convenient location. All emergency issues scheduled promptly. Everyone was skilled and professional in demeanor." – Anonymous

"Great experience-staff always friendly and happy to see us! Your staff is always polite and helpful. Our insurance changed several times during treatment. The staff was always patient and accommodating with changes." – Diane

"Everyone is really knowledgeable about their job. Professional and friendly atmosphere, genuine concern for patient care. Service was always above and beyond our expectations. Very organized and appointments planned well to decrease waiting time. All the staff is exceptional!" – Sharon

Top Ten Tips for Cleaning Your Braces

Keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.
It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.
The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.
Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.
Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.
Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.
Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.
Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.
Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.
Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide.

Hope these tips help!

-Dr. Elchahal

Invisalign Tips

Many people know that Invisalign is a great solution to braces if you don't want to experience the look and feel of traditional metal braces. What few people know, though, is that just like traditional braces, Invisalign requires proper care to work effectively. Good oral hygiene is highly important, even when you are wearing something in your mouth that you can take out to eat with. It's still likely that your aligners can build up plaque if not treated properly. When wearing your Invisalign aligners, ask yourself the following questions:

1.) Am I eating with my aligners on? - These aligners are removable and should be taken out when you eat.
2.) Am I drinking anything other than water with my aligners on? - Though it's not a necessity for you to take out your aligners while you drink, think about how sticky a soda is. If you take out your aligners when drinking a soda, you have a better chance of keeping your aligners clean.
3.) Am I brushing before putting the trays on? - The aligners have both an inside and outside. Keeping the outside clean is easy. Keeping the inside clean is also easy: just make sure you've brushed your teeth before putting the trays on.

These are all very simple steps, and ultimately, they help to keep you building good oral habits.

Have a happy and safe New Year!

--Dr. Elchahal & Team

Happy Holidays from Dr. Elchahal and Team

As we reflect on the past year and look forward to a new one we would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year and share a collection of staff photos taken throughout the year.

Our offices will be closed the December 24th and will reopen January 4th. During that time we will have staff available for emergencies only.

Dr. Elchahal, your Johns Creek Invisalign Teen™ provider

Invisalign for teens is here and Johns Creek Orthodontics is proudly one of the first offices to offer this premier service.

Dr. Alec Elchahal is an Invisalign Premier Provider with locations in Johns Creek, Suwanee, Hamilton Mill and Dacula, who loves straightening people's teeth without using brackets and wires whenever possible. By using a series of clear, removable aligners, Invisalign straightens your teeth right before your eyes. Invisalign is comfortable to wear and it doesn't require you to change your busy lifestyle. One of the most attractive features about Invisalign is that it is virtually invisible and allows you to keep your teeth impeccably clean during treatment.

Invisalign Teen is a special type of Invisalign treatment designed to meet the needs of our wonderful teenage patients. It addresses the key teen issues of eruption control, root movement, and compliance while enhancing smiles and function for life!

To find out more about Invisalign Teen, please call our office for a Free Consultation. Dr. Elchahal and his team look forward to meeting you and discussing your treatment needs.

Happy Friday!

Dr. Elchahal and staff, helping disadvantaged families this holiday season

Dr. Elchahal and staff are sponsoring a family this holiday season through North Fulton Community Charities. The NFCC Holiday Program provides an opportunity for disadvantaged families to experience the blessings of the season and put aside their day-to-day struggles.

Sponsoring a family involves purchasing new gifts for each child in the family and a household gift the whole family can enjoy. Sponsors receive a letter about their family, a report with the children's names, ages and sizes and the children's wish list for Christmas. With this information, Dr. Elchahal and his team can then purchase items or gift cards of their choosing.

We feel blessed being able to help this family during the holidays.

Patient reviews for Dr. Elchahal

Smiles by Elchahal, serving Suwanee, Dacula, Cumming and surrounding areas, has been receiving some great patient reviews lately! Check out what our current patients are saying about Dr. Elchahal and team!

"Very nice staff. Great service and help. Makes you feel comfortable as soon as you walk in the door." ~ Jeremy P.

"Dr.Elchahal is very knowledgeable, friendly and is up date on latest technology." ~ Celeste B.

"The staff is extremely personable and friendly. Dr. E is so kind and understanding and has gone above and beyond for my daughter, Kennedy. He does an outstanding job with results. You are efficient and timely." ~ Britton C.

"Everything! Great service, friendly atmosphere, quality of orthodontic care, efficiency of office, modern tools - email, text messaging, online account, etc." ~ David J.

This Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?

What are you most thankful for this holiday season? With Thanksgiving (and the new year) almost upon us, it’s a great time to ask ourselves what we’re thankful for. With our friends and family around us, we celebrate the blessings given to us in the past year. Do you have any Thanksgiving wishes you'd like to share with us?

Dr. Elchahal and staff would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. Our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th. We will have staff available for emergencies, please call our office at 770-622-1177 to have them paged.