And if he wants to continue the apprenticeship tradition, Joey’s little brother in elementary school already wants to be an orthodontist after seeing his big brother working in professional looking blue scrubs.
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Contact UsThe numbers don’t lie! We’re honored to have been named to the Times Union’s 2020 “Best of the Capital Region” list in the best dentist/orthodontist category. Thank you to all of our fabulous patients and wonderful families who helped make this possible.
For years, Adirondack Orthodontics has helped residents attain their goal of having an incredible smile. With five locations in Albany, Glens Falls, Latham, East Greenbush, and Clifton Park, we help ensure the entire region has the service that they deserve. Because of the best patients, best families, and the best staff, Adirondack Orthodontics is a great place to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile!
Put Your Health First: Choose Orthodontics Over DIY
If we’ve learned one thing during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the importance of putting health and safety first. That makes this a good time to remind new and prospective patients why it’s far better to straighten your smile with the help of a skilled and trained orthodontist rather than using a do-it-yourself option.
The Dangers of DIY Aligner Methods
DIY braces may seem like a fast and easy solution, but at-home methods can lead to long-term oral health problems that will ultimately require the expertise of an orthodontist to correct. Attempting to save money in the short term can have long-term consequences, both on your wallet and your health.
Why is that? The DIY approach is typically a one-size-fits-all solution. It doesn’t take X-rays or conduct exams – in other words, it doesn’t take your personal situation into account. In addition, there is no orthodontist to monitor the process, evaluate your progress, assess whether treatment is proceeding as it should, and adjust your treatment plan if needed. The resulting health issues can be significant: long-term bite problems, tooth misalignment, and infections are just some of the problems that can crop up after trying DIY orthodontia.
With professional orthodontics, patients benefit from the presence of a trained expert who can provide a personalized solution and monitor ongoing treatment. A licensed orthodontist will conduct a comprehensive exam and take X-rays to develop a treatment plan, and he or she will be there to identify and address any issues along the way.
Further, keeping your teeth in place once treatment is over – what is called retention – is just as important as the actual treatment. An experienced orthodontist will help you come up with a plan for keeping your beautiful smile once you achieve it. DIY kits might skip this vital step, and your teeth are likely to revert to their former positions, leaving you right where you started.
The Advantages of a Board-Certified Orthodontist
Rather than risking your smile and health with a dangerous DIY “solution,” turn to a proven expert who lives and works in your hometown. A board-certified orthodontist is uniquely educated and trained to provide the expert services needed to help you gain a healthy, beautiful smile. These are just some of the benefits of working with a licensed professional orthodontist:
Personalized Treatment Plans
At Adirondack Orthodontics, an on-site, board-certified orthodontist will complete X-rays and a visual exam, explore your medical history and tailor a customized treatment plan that meets your specific needs. We can even utilize technology to show you what your new smile will look like before we begin treatment!
Customized Payment Plans
When it comes to your budget, Adirondack Orthodontics has you covered. We can tailor a plan that will work within your budget, and we are a participating provider with nearly all insurance plans. We’ll also work with your insurance company to make sure you get the most out of your benefits and handle all the administrative details so you don’t have to.
Long-Term Retention
One of the most important factors that make choosing an orthodontist superior to a DIY method is retention, or the ability to keep your smile after the treatment. At Adirondack Orthodontics, lifetime smile maintenance is guaranteed.
Convenient, Friendly Service
Flexible scheduling, caring and compassionate staff members, and affordable service are just some of the qualities that set us apart. At Adirondack Orthodontics, our patients are our most important priority!
Invest in Your Smile Today
Your health is too important to risk with a do-it-yourself treatment. Turn to the team that provides a personalized solution under the supervision of a licensed, board-certified orthodontist.
Get started at Adirondack Orthodontics today and allow us to create a treatment plan just for you! We are proud to treat all cases, no matter the challenges. Whether Invisalign is the best treatment for you, or you choose another solution such as ceramic or metal braces, we are here to help you gain and retain a beautiful smile.
You deserve the best in oral care, so skip the gimmicks and invest in your smile by calling Adirondack Orthodontics. Schedule an appointment today at one of our convenient locations in Clifton Park, Albany, Latham, or East Greenbush, NY. It would be our pleasure to provide you with incredible orthodontic care that puts your health, safety, and smile first!
Every year, we aim to make our services even more convenient for patients in Albany, NY and beyond. To help with that, Adirondack Orthodontics is proud to announce a new office coming to a convenient location in East Greenbush, which will be open in mid-January of 2020! Hours at our new location will be from 9:30 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday, with spots on Saturday by appointment only.
Creating a fourth location will allow us to continue to provide full orthodontic treatments and services for patients of all ages. In addition to the central placement of our new location, patients will benefit from flexible payment options, services provided by experienced professionals, and the latest orthodontic solutions. When you’re searching for affordable orthodontic solutions, you don’t have to compromise to get what you want. Adirondack Orthodontics works with most major insurance companies and can provide payment options that work for you and your family.
As we open more locations, we will be better able to serve a wide range of patients in East Greenbush, Clifton Park, Albany, Latham, and beyond! If you would like to become a patient at the new office of Adirondack Orthodontics, call us to schedule an appointment. We look forward to serving you at 4 Middle Mannix Road, Suite 100, in Rensselaer, NY.
Protecting Your Smile: Evaluating Halloween Candy Choices for Braces
Everyone should be able to enjoy the candy they get when trick or treating, including those with braces! Yet certain kinds of candy can jeopardize the health of your teeth and the state of your orthodontia. Taking care of your teeth is essential, especially when you’re investing in braces and the long-term beauty of your smile. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you bring home your candy haul this Halloween.
Understanding the Risks
Before diving into the specific candies, it’s essential to understand why some treats are problematic for braces. Braces consist of brackets, wires, and bands that are delicate and susceptible to damage. Hard, sticky, or chewy candies can easily get lodged in braces or cause brackets to break. Additionally, biting into hard candies can put excessive pressure on the braces, leading to discomfort or even damage to the teeth.
The Best Halloween Candy Choices
Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious Halloween treats that are safe for braces. Soft chocolates, such as milk chocolate bars or peanut butter cups, are generally a safe option as they melt easily in the mouth and are unlikely to damage braces. Similarly, treats like marshmallows or soft caramels can be enjoyed in moderation.
Another excellent choice for brace wearers is sugar-free gum. Not only does sugar-free gum satisfy the craving for something sweet, but it also promotes saliva production, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria from the mouth.
Proceed with Caution
While some candies are safer for braces, it’s essential to consume them with caution. Even softer treats can still pose a risk if not eaten carefully. For example, while chocolate is generally safe, avoid bars filled with nuts or crunchy ingredients that could potentially damage braces. Similarly, soft caramels should be enjoyed sparingly to prevent them from sticking to the brackets or wires.
The Worst Offenders
On the other end of the spectrum are candies that should be avoided entirely by those with braces. Hard candies, such as lollipops, jawbreakers, or candy apples, pose a significant risk of damaging braces. Biting into these hard treats can cause brackets to break or wires to bend, leading to discomfort and potential delays in orthodontic treatment.
Sticky candies, like gummy bears, taffy, or caramel candies, are equally problematic. These candies have a tendency to get stuck in braces, making them difficult to remove and increasing the risk of tooth decay and other oral health issues.
Tips for Enjoying Halloween with Braces
While it’s important to be mindful of candy choices, it doesn’t mean brace wearers can’t enjoy Halloween festivities. Here are some tips for a braces-friendly Halloween:
- Plan Ahead: Before heading out for trick-or-treating or attending Halloween parties, make a plan for which candies are safe to enjoy with braces.
- Moderation is Key: Enjoy treats in moderation and avoid overindulging in candies that could potentially harm braces.
- Brush and Floss: After indulging in Halloween treats, be sure to brush and floss thoroughly to remove any lingering candy particles and prevent tooth decay.
- Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can help wash away sugar and food particles from the mouth, reducing the risk of cavities and other dental issues.
- Attend Orthodontic Check-ups: Regular visits to your orthodontist are crucial for ensuring that your braces are in good condition and that your treatment is progressing as planned.
Have a fun and spooky Halloween!
Follow these tips this Halloween – and any time you eat something sweet – and you’ll be equipped to take care of your braces. If you have any questions about how to brush, floss, or generally care for your teeth and braces, call Adirondack Orthodontics. We would be happy to help.
The benefits of a participating provider
Want a smile that’s both beautiful and affordable? Your best choice is to work with a participating provider. At Adirondack Orthodontics, we are proud to be the only practice that participates with nearly every insurer in New York. But what exactly does that mean?
Reduced Out-of-Pocket Costs
Being a participating provider involves pre-negotiating fees with insurance companies and agreeing to adhere to those rates. As a result, your out-of-pocket costs are greatly reduced – depending on the plan, you may not have any – so your treatment is more affordable.
Streamlined Insurance Process
Moreover, we shoulder the burden of dealing with your insurance provider throughout the course of your treatment. From collecting payments to handling paperwork and filing claims, we handle it all. For you, that means no paperwork, no claims to file, no phone calls to make, so you can concentrate on achieving the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.
What it’s like working with an accepting provider
There’s a huge difference from working with an accepting provider – one who accepts your insurance but does not participate with the insurer. Not only will you pay more out of pocket – since the insurance company does not cover the entire cost of service – you also have to pay up front and then wait to be reimbursed by the insurance company. And we all know how long that can take!
Choose us for affordable, convenient orthodontic treatment
At Adirondack Orthodontics, our commitment to providing caring, personalized service to our patients goes beyond the orthodontic treatment. We strive to make the entire process both affordable and stress-free, and as a participating provider, we have done just that for thousands of families.
Call us today for a free consultation. We’d love to show you the power of working with a participating provider!
This post originally appeared in the Times Union on August 8, 2018. Written by Lynda Edwards.
Dr. Sergey Berenshteyn was 10 when his parents fled Ukraine for Queens 25 years ago. The Soviet Union had just splintered into newly independent republics, including Ukraine. His mother had been a dentist, but in the 1990s, Soviet dentistry was far behind American technologically.
“Russian dentists didn’t use X-rays to identify bad teeth; they just looked inside the patient’s mouth so my mom had to catch up in school,” Berenshteyn said. So, his middle-aged mother studied three years in New York University’s College of Dentistry, while learning English, before she could open her practice in Troy.
“My dad learned English while he studied to be a computer programmer,” the son recalled, and added with a laugh. “They still sound like villains in a James Bond movie because of they never lost Russian accents. But I’m so proud of what they accomplished.”
Berenshteyn followed his mom’s footsteps after graduating from Guilderland High School by becoming an orthodontist with practices in Latham, Albany and Clifton Park called Adirondack Orthodontics. He recently recognized his parents’ tenacity and hustle in two teenagers, both Guilderland High School students, both patients of his. And both are the children of immigrants. When they told Berenshteyn they wanted to learn to be orthodontists, he created paid apprenticeships for each of them.
“My apprentice last year was a young woman whose parents immigrated to Guilderland from the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan,” Berenshteyn said. So there was a plan in place this year when another student, Joey Hayak, asked job shadowing and ended up with a fulltime summer job.
Hayak, 17, a rising senior at Guilderland High School, was born in America to a father who emigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. Now, Hayak he’s apprenticing with is doctor, the second teenage child of immigrants to do so in two years.
“Because he’s not a certified dental assistant, Joey can’t directly work on patients but he can fill out records, get patients to the right offices, gather supplies and take X-rays,” Berenshteyn said.
Hayak’s father met his mom, who is Lebanese-American and whose family lives in Troy, when she was visiting relatives in Beirut.
They married there in 2001, a year after the end of the South Lebanon Conflict, 15 years of grueling guerrilla war pitting the Israel-backed Christian militias against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Beirut residents finally could dream of returning their city to its prewar beauty and sophistication that earned Beirut the nickname “Paris of the Middle East.”
Hayak’s parents’ families were Lebanese Christian and loved the sense of community in Beirut.
“They would say if you have a problem, everyone in the community shows up to help you solve it,” Hayak said, smiling. “But they talked about America for a long time and how great it would be to build their lives and raise their children in such an exciting, friendly country.”
The came to America and settled in Guilderland in 2001.
Hayak’s mother is a nurse and his father a construction contractor. Hayak enjoyed studying science and began researching fields for possible future careers.
“My father can fix anything that goes wrong with our house,” Hayak said admiringly. “He learned millions of facts about aluminum and glass from throwing his energy and focus into the job. And I thought maybe I can do the same thing and find a job where I can get practical experience in a future career.”
He appreciated Berenshteyn’s soothing approach to patients and the way he had arranged his office to function. Berenshteyn has a row of stations in one room where orthodontists can work on children’s braces. The kids’ parents can sit in the same room for emotional support. Hayak was also intrigued by the technology that Berenshteyn used, like scanning the patient’s teeth to make an imprint rather than using a mold.
That’s why Hayak wanted to work with his doctor.
Berenshteyn never thought of limiting summer apprenticeships to immigrants’ children. But he doesn’t think it’s a coincidence both apprentices so far happened to be first generation Americans.
“Immigrants learn fast that they need to be advocates for themselves,” Berenshteyn said. “They learn early that no one is going to lead you to water. You have to find your own path to it. And if you’re an immigrant’s child, you can learn quickly to be that proactive yourself.”
