Dr. Elysa Kahan received her dental training at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and completed her three-year specialty certificate in orthodontics at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center in New York. A board-certified orthodontist, she started Kahan Orthodontics in 2014.

How does your practice differ from others?

“We approach orthodontics with passion, integrity and respect for our patients. I take pride in providing the most current and state-of-the art practices to patients in a newly remodeled facility. Our mission is simple: We provide exceptional orthodontic care and always go the extra mile to make our patients’ experience a great one. We specialize in straightening teeth and creating beautiful smiles for young children, teenagers and adults.”

What steps do you take to make your office a stress-free zone?

“Our office was renovated a year ago with the intention of making it a happy, calm and positive atmosphere for our families to escape the day. We have memory foam chairs, a coffee bar, a homework nook for after-school appointments and even a game station for the little kids.”

How does technology enhance the patient experience?

“Kahan Orthodontics creates beautiful smiles using cutting-edge techniques in orthodontics. We constantly push the boundaries to find new advancements that will make our patients’ experience not only comfortable but enjoyable. We take digital photographs and X-rays that are quick, highly accurate and provide real-time digital scans that are available to review within minutes and are easily transferred and shared with your general dentist.

When you start Invisalign or braces, our iTero digital scanner allows us to capture a digital model of your teeth in minutes without the use of goopy impression material! The scanner shows extreme detail of the teeth, and I can digitally move your teeth to their final positions right in front of you! Patients feel satisfaction that they can see a simulated outcome of their smile before their treatment is started.”

Tell us about some recent developments in the field of orthodontics.

“I am one of the first orthodontists in the San Fernando Valley to offer Invisalign to children who need early interceptive treatment. These patients are typically 7 to 10 years old without room for their adult teeth to come in due to crowding. In the past, only traditional expanders, braces, headgear or extractions could help resolve these problems. However, recent innovations with Invisalign have made it possible to correct developing crowding with clear, removable aligners. Our young patients who have used this technology have been extremely happy with fewer poking wires and emergencies, and they can clean their teeth more easily than with braces.”

What do you wish patients would do after they leave your office?

“Remember to wear their retainers! We stress the importance of wearing retainers after teeth are straightened to prevent any relapse. We make clear custom retainers from a scan of the teeth so our patients benefit from a precise and more comfortable fit. The retainers come as a set of four upper and lower clear retainers. We keep the scans on file, so if you lose all four it is easy to get replacements made without an extra office visit.”

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received from a patient?

“Everything we do at Kahan Orthodontics is grounded in our patients having a positive experience while in the chair. A teenage boy had just finished braces, and I had seen him grow into a confident, self-assured person. After his braces were off, he told me I had changed not only his smile but his outlook on his life. Impacting others makes it all worthwhile.”

What can parents do to instill a lifestyle of health and wellness in their children from a young age?

“I hear parents say over and over again that it’s too early to take their child to the orthodontist for a check-up because they still have baby teeth. But check-ups as early as 7 years old allow orthodontists to prevent more serious problems such as crowding and abnormal jaw growth. Ultimately, early intervention makes orthodontics easier and treatment can be more conservative.”

How do you support those in need?

“I believe that what you give is far more important than anything you get in return. I am very committed to giving back to the Los Angeles community. I donate my time regularly to speak and provide dental education at San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles schools and for mommy groups. Our office routinely sponsors local organizations in the Encino-Tarzana community.”

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