Dr. Robert Yu has been practicing orthodontics in Maryland for several years. His personal mission is to guide his patients to become the best versions of themselves in terms of dental health, appearance, and self-esteem. A self-professed class clown, his favorite parts of being an orthodontist are joking with his patients and staff, and witnessing a patient that was once too shy to smile transform into an individual that can confidently grin ear to ear after their successful orthodontic treatment.
Before specializing in Orthodontics, Dr. Yu was classically trained in studio art at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County School of Visual Arts. There he received a strong foundation in drafting, sculpture, and design. His artwork has been displayed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the NASA Goddard Center. He uses this experience in visual art when designing and executing orthodontic treatment plans for his patients.
Dr. Yu is well versed in the latest orthodontic technology including Invisalign, self-ligating braces, esthetic braces, soft tissue laser surgery, mini-implant TAD surgery, and 3D digital scanning. He received his DDS from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and served as Student Body President. He received his MS in Orthodontics from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. Upon graduation, like Lamar Jackson, he immediately moved to Maryland. Dr. Yu is the recipient of numerous awards including the Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Gorgas Odontological, Gamma Pi Delta, and Pierre Fauchard honors. He is also active with the AAO, ADA, MSDA, Montgomery County, Maimonides, Mid Maryland, and Pankey dental societies.
A native of Maryland, Dr. Yu is proud to serve his hometown community. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering, creating art, playing guitar, swimming, rock climbing, snowboarding, and traveling the world. He has completed several 5ks and a triathlon. If he could do anything, he would visit all the national parks in America. He looks forward to providing excellent orthodontic care for your family!
Gail was born and raised in the DC area and has been with the practice for over 18 years. She knows the ins and outs of orthodontic treatment will stop at nothing to make sure our patients receive quality care in a warm environment. She takes pride in helping others achieve confidence in their beautiful new smiles and opens the office doors each day with one goal in mind: to serve our patients.
Sandy has also been with the practice for almost 20 years. She has a kind and caring personality that instantly puts even the most anxious patient at ease. She backs this up with expert clinical skills honed over her many years of experience.
Its more important than ever to brush and floss regularly when you have braces, so the teeth and gums are healthy during orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning. Adults who have a history of gum disease should also see a periodontist during orthodontic treatment. Watch the video below on the proper care of braces during orthodontic treatment.
What can you eat? Lets talk about what you shouldnt eat! For the first day or so, stick to soft foods. Avoid tough meats, hard breads, and raw vegetables. Before long, youll be able to bite a cucumber again. But youll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as youre wearing braces.
When you get your braces on, you may feel general soreness in your mouth and teeth may be tender to biting pressures for 3 5 days. Take Tylenol or whatever you normally take for headache or discomfort. The lips, cheeks and tongue may also become irritated for one to two weeks as they toughen and become accustomed to the braces. We will supply wax to put on the braces in irritated areas to lessen discomfort.
To successfully complete orthodontic treatment, the patient must work together with the orthodontist. The teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if the patient consistently wears the rubber bands or other appliances as prescribed. Lack of cooperation following instructions and damaged appliances lengthen the treatment time so please follow instructions.