Best of South Jersey Education Entertainment Health & Fitness Home & Garden People Sports Star Athletes Star Citizens Star Coaches Star Students Star Teachers Star Teams New Homeowner's Resource Guide
Coupons
Current Issue Previous Issues Subscribe for FREE

Committed to the Best
By embracing technology and offering personalized attention, Dr. Amy James & Associates, Orthodontists improves the patient experience.

by Lindsey Getz

Dr. Amy James & Associates, Orthodontists is committed to the best. While a lot of practices say they’re offering patients the best— Dr. James walks the walk by continually investing in technologies that keep her ahead of the curve. Even her building reflects this forward-thinking nature. Her Haddonfield-based practice is housed in a modern building that is not the typical traditional style of the area.

From day one, Dr. James has been committed to advancing her practice’s technology—even when it meant investing in equipment long before it became “mainstream” and therefore less costly. If Dr. James perceived value for her patients, she was interested.

Of course, not all practices are so committed to keeping up with the latest technology. It is not only a monetary investment for a practice—but also a time investment as there is always an associated learning curve. But Dr. James’s growth mindset does not shy away from investing in technology that is going to improve the patient experience. Among other things, that has included the CT cone beam X-ray machine which emits far less radiation than a typical full-mouth series of X-rays—and yet, provides “significantly greater diagnostic ability that allows us to offer more preventative and interceptive care,” says Dr. James.

“That means that we are diagnosing problems earlier—before more serious interventions might be needed,” explains Dr. James. “If we can spot an early concern and possibly even stop a problem from developing, we can potentially save a patient time in braces and maybe even several thousands of dollars in treatment costs.”

For those who do require braces, the technology has advanced there as well. Dr. James has been offering customized lingual braces exclusively in the area. Lingual braces are attached to the inside surface of the teeth rather than the outside surface making them completely invisible when talking or smiling. This option has become so popular with Dr. James’ adult clients—and had them driving from Philadelphia to Haddonfield for treatment—that it warranted opening a second, exclusively adult practice in Center City.

 “Of course, we offer Invisalign, but we had a lot of adults that either didn’t want something removable or weren’t candidates for it,” Dr. James explains. “Lingual braces are also the most aesthetic option as the braces are truly hidden.”

When it comes to fitting appliances such as expanders or retainers, Dr. James offers technology that prevails in this arena as well. With 3D intraoral scanners (they have two different kinds), video imaging is utilized to stitch images together to make a 3D model of the teeth. That means no more goopy impressions—measurements are now done completely digitally and patients appreciate that from a comfort level. It also provides the best accuracy.

Dr. James adds: “We can also digitally set up the teeth to the perfect alignment and bite, called a ‘simulation,’ and see the outcome before we even start treatment—something that we didn’t have before and patients love it.”

In fact, much of this technology is new to the orthodontic world—a field that looks completely different than it did a decade or two ago, and it improves every year.

 “We have seen a huge evolution in orthodontic care as it becomes digital,” adds Dr. James. “But there are still plenty who are not embracing it. It’s both expensive and time-consuming to learn. But not moving forward with the times is a disservice to the patient. If you were having heart surgery or a skin graft, you would want to know that your doctor was using the most innovative technology for the best possible results. It’s no different with orthodontic care.”

Though the practice has continually grown in line with its stellar reputation, Dr. James has made a concerted effort to remain small enough that she can offer truly custom care. While many large orthodontic practices become so high volume that they can see upwards of a hundred patients in a day, Dr. James has intentionally kept her practice smaller to be able to offer more personalized attention. This allows Dr. James to be able to get to know her patients, and conversely, her patients become very comfortable with the team.

Dr. Amy James & Associates, Orthodontists
136 N. Haddon Ave. | Haddonfield | (856) 216-8009 | AJSmiles.com

Photography courtesy of Colette Oswald Photography

Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 6 (August 2019).
For more info on Suburban Family Magazine, click 
here
For information about advertising in Suburban Family Magazine, click 
here
To find out where to pick up your copy of Suburban Family Magazine, click 
here.