Dr. Michael Florman and his wife Dr. Dunia Gailani have opened their third Westside orthodontics office in the 970 Monument building (Suite 214). They also have offices in Santa Monica and West L.A. Their Pacific Palisades practice specializes in orthodontics for children, teens and adults, building on the recommendation of the American Association of Orthodontists that an orthodontist see every child before his/her seventh birthday because if there is an issue related to cross bite, thumb sucking or jaw discrepancy, early intervention is critical. ’During the 1960s and ’70s, if there was crowding in the mouth, teeth were automatically extracted,’ Gailani said. ‘Now with early intervention, teeth are taken out in less than 10 percent of cases.’ What specialists have learned is that it’s vital to leave the face with support from the teeth and jaw, which helps maintain the soft tissues in order that a person can age more gracefully. ‘It stops elderly people from developing the ‘witch’ profile,’ Gailani explained. She and her husband were asked about the trend for people in their 20s and 30s to get braces. ‘As long as the teeth, gums and bones are healthy you can get them at any age,’ Florman said, noting that adult patients tend to prefer invisalign braces (clear aligners that are virtually invisible). On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 needing the most dramatic correction, Florman said that invisalign works best on patients who are in the 1 to 4 range. He also noted that there’s a hybrid therapy in which patients wear regular braces for three months and then switch to invisalign to complete the treatment. Florman, 46, and Gailani, 39, met in orthodontic school at New York University. ‘There were only 10 people in the class,’ she said. ‘We did everything together’lectures, lunches, studying’and you get to know everyone really well.’ Born in London, Gailani moved to Chicago when she was eight and after high school followed her parents (both doctors) to California. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from UCLA, she attended NYU for dentistry (graduating in 2001) and spent two years at orthodontic school before moving back to California. Florman’s route to Pacific Palisades was more circuitous. A native of Cleveland, he wanted to become a dentist, but majored in food sciences at Ohio State. ‘One out of seven people are in the food industry,’ he explained, ‘so it was a strategic degree.’ If for some reason he did not go into dentistry, it would be easy to secure a job. Enrolling in the Ohio State dental school, Florman graduated in 1991 and opened a practice in Cleveland with his brother, Mark. He soon realized that there are a few key pharmaceuticals that dentists need to use, so he wrote a booklet, ‘Dental Therapeutic Digest,’ a physician’s desk reference for dentists, which he published and gave out free because drug companies paid for it. This venture encouraged Florman to form his own publishing company, INEEDCE.com. Dentists are required to do continuing education, and his company published booklets that fulfilled this requirement. If a dentist wanted to learn more about xeriostomia (dry mouth) or herpes of the mouth, he could obtain the booklet, study it, take a test, send in a processing fee and receive credit for continuing education. ’There was a limitless supply of topics and companies would sponsor the course,’ Florman said. Although he had become a successful dentist and publisher, when Florman’s uncle, Sanford Aaronson, said he was thinking about retiring as a Santa Monica-based orthodontist, Florman went back school for orthodontist training with the idea of moving to California. Florman moved to Enchanted Way in Pacific Palisades in 2004, taking over his uncle’s practice at 2901 Wilshire Blvd. almost immediately. ”Here are the keys, good luck, I’m retired,” Florman remembers his uncle saying. A year later, Florman opened a second office on Pico near the Rancho Golf Course. ‘It’s a 6,000-sq.-ft. training facility where we can hold lectures and offer continuing education,’ he said. Then in 2006, Dental Economics Magazine purchased his publishing company. After initially working with her mentor in Upland after graduating from NYU in 2003, Gailani joined Florman in his practice. The two were married last July. ’The loneliness of the big city brought us together,’ Florman joked. They are both thrilled with the view from their new home in Marquez Knolls, calling it one of the city’s most spectacular panoramas, from Catalina Island to downtown L.A. ’Most Angelenos don’t know about this view,’ Gailani said. ‘It feels like I moved to a whole new place.’ Contacts: Call (310) 475-5999 or visit www.flormanortho.com or info@flormanortho.com.
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