Before & After at Smiles by Elchahal

Have you ever wondered what patients look like before and after their treatment at the office of Alec N. Elchahal? Above is a snapshot of Stephen, one of Dr. Elchahal's patients. Stephen is one of many patients whose smiles (and lives) have been transformed by treatment at our office. For more proof, head over to the Before & After page on our web site!

If you're considering orthodontic, please give us a call. Enjoy your weekend!

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.