Giving thanks this holiday season

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season knocking at our door, Dr. Yamada and our entire staff at Burbank's Buena Vista Orthodontics wanted to stop for a moment and extend our best wishes to you, our patients, referring doctors and families, for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

As always, if you know anyone we can help, just let us know. We promise to give them the same quality orthodontic care that we have given you. We hope that this Thanksgiving and holiday season brings fond memories. Thank you for being part of our family.

Talking retainers with Buena Vista Orthodontics

If you've recently completed treatment at Buena Vista Orthodontics, our professional team would like to congratulate you! Now that your braces have been removed, Dr. Merilynn Yamada or Dr. Bruce Abbink will provide—or have provided you—with retainers. After braces are removed, teeth are known to shift out of position if they are not stabilized.

Retainers, however, provide that stabilization, and are designed to hold teeth in their corrected, ideal positions until the bones and gums adapt to the treatment changes. Wearing retainers exactly as instructed by Drs. Yamada or Abbink is the best insurance that the treatment improvements last for a lifetime.

If you have additional questions about retainers or your treatment here at our Burbank office, please give us a call at (818) 846-3774 or ask us on Facebook! Our staff would love to hear from you! Enjoy your weekend!

What do you enjoy most about fall?

It’s fall here at Buena Vista Orthodontics, a time when families in Burbank and surrounding areas begin to make plans for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. But before you go celebrating, we wanted to ask you, our wonderful patients, “How are you spending your time this fall?”

Dr. Merilynn Yamada and team would love to hear about your favorite places for eating, shopping, and entertainment here in Burbank and surrounding areas. We are interested in learning about what makes our unique community “yours.”

Feel free to post your responses on our Facebook page, or give us a call! Have a wonderful weekend!

"My son is turning seven - when should I bring him in for a consultation?"

Braces were originally considered to be best appropriate for teens. But these days, kids as old as seven years old are beginning their orthodontic treatment. Because preadolescent kids are typically not self-conscious, our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists suggest it could be a good idea to start early.

Experts, however, say it depends on the treatment required. Some children who get braces at an early age end up in a second phase of treatment, and end up having braces well into their teenage years despite starting young.

Dr. Yamada will tell you most orthodontic treatment begins between ages nine and 14, and the folks at AAO estimate most orthodontic treatment lasts from one to three years, with two years being the average. It’s important, however, that children be screened no later than age seven for our team at Buena Vista Orthodontics to assess what the best age for treatment is (Dr. Yamada offers complimentary consultations).

Hope this helps! Give our Burbank office a call at (818) 846-3774 if you have any questions about your child’s treatment, or ask us on Facebook! Enjoy your weekend!

Dr. Yamada & Buena Vista Orthodontics with the 411 on Halloween treats

Dr. Merilynn Yamada and our staff at Buena Vista Orthodontics know a lot of parents are worried about their kids going overboard on candies this weekend, sugar and other sweets. We get it - Halloween is a dreaded annual event for a lot of you (no pun intended!).

All those sweet, sour and sticky candies may taste great, but these treats are known to damage teeth, as well as braces! Did you know sour candies can be acidic to your teeth, and actually wear down the enamel that protects them? This can cause tooth decay and cavities! Sour and fruity candy, such as Starburst and Skittles, are the worst for your child’s teeth since these candies have a low pH value, which is known to ruin enamel. In addition, we also want your child to steer clear of sticky, chewy, gummy and nutty goodies.

Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists recommend softer treats, such as soft chocolate or peanut butter cups, or melt-in-your-mouth foods. Trick-or-treaters who indulge should make sure they brush and floss between teeth, around brackets and at the gum line. If damage occurs, call Buena Vista Orthodontics as soon as possible.

We hope everyone has a fun, safe and scary Halloween!

What is Invisalign, and is it right for me? [Video]

We've touched on the power of Invisalign treatment before, but today thought we'd share a helpful video for those who are intrigued by the idea of straightening their teeth without using traditional metal braces. The Invisalign system at Buena Vista Orthodontics is a state-of-the-art system of clear, removable aligners that we proudly offer to adults and teens at our convenient Burbank, California office. We have plenty of resources on our website to check out about Invisalign, or give our office a call at (818) 846-3774 for a complimentary consultation to learn if this revolutionary new treatment option is right for you!

Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are no problem. They are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means you spend less time in our office getting adjustments. Dr. Merilynn Yamada is a Certified Invisalign® Provider in Burbank and surrounding communities.

Love your smile? Then we invite you to review Buena Vista Orthodontics on Google!

Dr. Merilynn Yamada and our team at Buena Vista Orthodontics have a passion for excellence and are committed to achieving your orthodontic goals. Dr. Yamada combines her education at UCLA & UCSF with over 20 years of experience to give her patients something to smile about.

Whether you've visited our Burbank office for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about your experience. There are lots of places on the Internet where you may share your reviews, but we'd like to direct you to our Google Local Page to write a review of us - it only takes a moment!

You may write your review here.

Thank you in advance and enjoy the rest of your week! :)