Alborzi Orthodontics - September/October 2021

Alborzi Orthodontics - September/October 2021

235 N. San Mateo Drive, Suite 300 San Mateo, CA 94401-2672 Tel: (650) 342-4171

705 Purissima Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-1934 Tel: (650) 726-6321

September|October 2021

I CAN ONLY CALL ONE OF THEM HOME! OF ALL THE PLACES I’VE LIVED

Over the course of my life, I’ve had the chance to live in a few very different parts of the world. While I can only call one of those places home now, each has left its mark on me. You can probably guess which place I now call home, but if you’re curious about the other places I’ve lived before, well, let me tell you!

Fortunately, I already had it in mind to live in America for school and become a doctor, so that took my attention away from what was happening in Iran. The Bay Area quickly became my second home. Instead of going to San Jose State like my older siblings, I decided to be a little more independent and go to University of California, Berkeley. I really enjoyed my time there,

living and working in the city. San Francisco is just such a special place; it was so much different than the suburbs I had grown used to. So, I spent that time living, studying, and having fun in a truly incredible city. When my four years of dental school were up, I moved to Connecticut for three years while completing my orthodontic residency program. If you’ve ever been to the East Coast, you’ll know it’s basically a different country over there! Everything feels a bit more conservative, and their weather has four seasons! I hadn’t experienced a year with four seasons since leaving Tehran, so it was nice to get back to that for a little while. Since leaving Connecticut, I hadn’t been back to the East Coast until this month. I’m going back to see New York and hopefully experience some beautiful autumn days! Though I’ve lived in a lot of different places and enjoyed them all, I can honestly only really call the Bay Area home. I love living in California, and no matter where I visit, I know I’ll always come back here!

For the first 15 years of my life, I lived with my family in Tehran, Iran. It’s where I was born and where all my family is from originally. However, my parents wanted the best education for their

and at the end of my degree, I applied for a work exchange program. Through the program, I got a job as a chemist at a bread- making factory — in Paris! Working as a chemist at Grand Moulins de Paris — making sure all their bread had the right amount of carbs, fat, sodium, etc. — was interesting work, but what I really

“I love living in California, and no matter where I visit, I know I’ll

always come back here!”

children, so once we were old enough, they would send us all off to college in the United States. I have four older siblings, and all

remember from my time there are the long walks I would take through the streets of Paris every weekend. I made sure to see every possible corner of the city and speak as much French as I could. I was only there for three months, so why not fully immerse myself?

of them left Iran to go to San Jose State University. I ended up leaving Tehran a little earlier than they did, doing my last year of high school in the Bay Area. A short while after I moved here, though, my parents followed me. They hadn’t planned on ever leaving, but this was in 1979, right when Iran went through a regime change and became an Islamic republic. That wasn’t something my parents wanted to live under, so they fled and became American citizens. Since leaving Iran, I’ve never been back to visit.

When those three months were up, however, I moved back to the Bay Area. I worked as a molecular biologist at UC San Francisco for a couple of years and then started dental school at UCSF. I did that for six years while

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UNIQUE BEAUTY TRENDS

THROUGHOUT WORLD HISTORY

Skull Shaping in Ancient Mesoamerica Popularized among the Mayans beginning around 1000 B.C., parents of newborn children would bind their heads in order to make them grow into an unnaturally elongated shape, possibly to mimic their depiction of one of their gods. Other tribes around the world actually had similar beauty practices, including the Incas, Hawaiians, and even Germanic Hun tribes. Ta Moko Tattoos Among the Maori in New Zealand Even today, beauty standards remain disparate. For over 1,000 years, members of the indigenous Maori tribe of New Zealand have decorated their faces with intricate tattoos called ta moko. Far from what a face tattoo represents in the United States, these tattoos represent strength and

The phrase “beauty standards” could easily be considered an oxymoron because beauty is rarely standard. Throughout history, what people in one society or time period found beautiful would often be found ugly, strange, or downright reprehensible in another. To illustrate that point, here are a few examples of the strangest beauty trends throughout world history — by our society’s own subjective standards, of course! Unibrows in Ancient Greece Rather than the intensely plucked and manicured eyebrows that are in style for women today, ancient Greek women were encouraged to let them grow into one. Unibrows were seen as a sign of purity, and some women went so far as to darken their eyebrows with black powder or close the gap with animal hair.

beauty in women and a readiness for adult responsibilities in men.

Cosmetic Surgery as a Status Symbol in South Korea South Koreans prize porcelain white skin, pointed noses, small faces, and large eyes — to the point where 1 in every 5 people undergo plastic surgery, mostly to alter the shape of their eyes and noses. These surgeries are expensive, which goes to show that even today, people will go to extreme lengths to conform to their society’s definition of beauty. But if beauty is so plainly subjective, how far should people be willing to go to appear “beautiful”?

How to Be a Successful Invisalign Patient 3 EASY STEPS

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE:

Use the chewies. When you get your Invisalign braces, we’ll also give you OrthoChews, or what we call “chewies.” They’re little silicone rods that you chew on while you wear your aligners in order to latch them in place. Only when your Invisalign braces are firmly latched onto your teeth do they correct your bite. Inspect your aligners weekly. Every week or so, take your aligners out of your mouth and look them over. Are they clean? Do they still fit on your teeth like a glove? If not, check with us for next steps. But if so, you’re ready to move to the next week. That’s really all there is to it! Isn’t that easy? It’s definitely easier than metal braces, we can say that much for sure! If you’re currently wearing Invisalign braces, and you follow these tips, you’ll have the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted in no time!

While Invisalign braces provide ortho patients with a sleek method to correct their bite that is removable, and, well, invisible, it doesn’t mean you want to wear them forever. You probably want the process to be over as soon as possible! If you’re wondering how to do that, well, you’re in luck — if you follow this list of instructions very closely, you’ll be free of your Invisaligns in no time. Wear them for 20–24 hours per day. That should give you enough time to eat, drink, and snack without having your Invisalign braces in while still giving them enough time in your mouth to correct your bite. If you want to set a timer of some sort, you can do that. Don’t have them out of your mouth for more than 30–45 minutes at a time. And remember, when you’re not wearing them, put them in their case. As we say here at Alborzi Orthodontics: “In your case, in your face, no other place.”

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How to Successfully Wear Your Braces

5 TIPS TO ENSURE THEY GIVE YOU A GREAT SMILE!

In many ways, caring for your metal or clear braces is similar to caring for Invisaligns. However, one major difference between these two methods for straightening your teeth is that with braces,

Second, try eating foods that are softer on your teeth, especially when you first get them, since your teeth will be sore and you’ll still be getting used to eating with your braces. Softer foods will probably also be better after any appointment where your orthodontist adjusts them for you, since that could also lead to some soreness. Third, as you learn to eat with your brackets on, remember to store chewed food toward the center of your mouth, near the tongue, instead of in your cheek on the outside of your gums, where they could damage your brackets. Fourth, when you brush and floss, you really want to get your brush between your gums and braces. You need to brush at least two times a day, if not after every meal. If you can’t brush after a meal, at least rinse your mouth with water to wash out any excess food. Finally, remember to wear your rubber bands for exactly as much time as we ask you to, which is usually almost all day. If you don’t, we guarantee your treatment will be longer.

you have to mind what you eat much more closely. In other words, don’t forget about the no-no food list!

Biting directly into hard foods such as apples, corn on the cob, or hard candies can cause brackets to fall

off, which will obviously add time to your treatment. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean giving up those foods entirely — you just have to be a little more conscientious about how you eat them. Here are some tips for how you can eat those foods or anything else while you are wearing braces. First, try cutting those particularly “hard” foods into smaller pieces so you can chew them with your molars, where there is less of a risk of breaking off one of your attachments.

If you follow these steps, you’ll have an amazing smile, guaranteed. So, don’t delay your treatment — we know you can make it through!

Khoresht Bademjan Persian Eggplant Stew With Beef Dr. Alborzi’s Recipe Faves

Laugh Out

LOUD!

Ingredients • 1 lb cross rib roast, cubed

• 3 tbsp tomato paste • 1 tsp kosher salt • 7–10 long Chinese eggplants, peeled, sliced, and baked* • 1 cup frozen sour grapes (do not thaw) • 1/8 tsp saffron powder (optional)

• 3 cups water • 1 tsp turmeric • 1/2 tsp black pepper • 1/2 onion, whole; 1 onion, thinly sliced • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions 1. Add cubed beef, water, turmeric, black pepper, and half of a whole onion to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat (must maintain a slow boil), and cook covered for 1–1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender. Discard the onion. 2. In a skillet, heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the 1 thinly sliced onion until golden brown. 3. Add 3 tbsp tomato paste to the fried onions and sauté for 5 minutes. 4. Add the broth of the cooked beef and 1 tsp kosher salt to the skillet and incorporate into the onion mixture. Stir and bring this sauce to a boil. 5. Add cooked beef, baked eggplants, sour grapes, and the optional saffron to the skillet and bring to another boil. There should be about 1 1/2 inches of sauce in the skillet. Add extra water if needed but only in small amounts so the sauce is not watered down. 6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the beef and eggplants are very tender. Add salt to taste and serve over Persian white rice. *Preheat oven to 450 F and bake eggplant for 20–25 minutes until fork-tender.

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235 N. SAN MATEO DRIVE, SUITE 300 SAN MATEO, CA 94401-2672

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Issue INSIDE THIS

A Little About All the Homes I’ve Had PAGE 1 Unique Historical Beauty Trends How to Be a Successful Invisalign Patient Winning at Alborzi Orthodontics PAGE 2 How to Successfully Wear Regular Braces Persian Eggplant Stew With Beef PAGE 3

The Best Places to Visit in Croatia PAGE 4

THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN CROATIA

Your Next Affordable Vacation Spot!

Plitvice Lakes National Park Near the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina, you’ll find one of Croatia’s oldest and most beautiful national parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although it’s quite the drive, you won’t regret it — the park has an outstanding and picturesque series of tufa lakes and caves, all connected by waterfalls. With over 16 interconnected

Split The second largest city in Croatia (the first being Zagreb) is Split, founded by a Greek colony in the second or third century B.C. Historically, Split was an independent city-state, and that free spirit is very tangible, as Split is very different from any other city in Croatia. With well-preserved Roman architecture and a multitude of museums, it’s no wonder Split is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This gorgeous coastal nation will absolutely blow you away with its beautiful architecture, landscapes, and delicious blend of Mediterranean and Slavic cuisine. Even better, it’s a fairly affordable place to visit! While many travelers land in Zagreb, the beautiful capital city and cultural hub, you wouldn’t want to miss these destinations. Dubrovnik As the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” this coastal city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Adriatic Sea. It’s a beautiful city, featuring 13th century walls, marble stone streets, Gothic palaces, breathtaking churches, and an imposing fortress. There’s so much to do in the town square — one of Croatia’s largest and most beautiful — and you’ll be able to explore many historic structures nearby. Nature also has plenty to offer, with secluded coves and beaches nearby for exploration.

cascading lakes, it’s unlike anything else you’ll see. If you get hungry, you’ll love the nearby National Restaurant Licka Kuca, which is famous for its traditional Croatian preparation of lamb under a cast-iron bell.

Although Croatia was among the first UN countries to open its doors to Americans, always be safe and check the newest regulations before booking

your travel. Hopefully you enjoyed learning about this unique, wonderful country!

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