Dr. Thomas Forrest, DMD continues a tradition of orthodontic treatment in both McCandless and Sewickley that was started by two fine mentors, his father, Dr. Edward Forrest and Dr. James Tinnemeyer. Dr. Forrest has a family heritage in dentistry, which in addition to his dad, includes an aunt, uncle, and a cousin!

Dr. Forrest feels that he stands on tall shoulders. Nearly sixty years ago, his father, Dr. Edward Forrest, who served as the Dean of the University of Pittsburghs School of Dental Medicine, opened one of Sewickleys first orthodontic practices on Centennial Avenue. Dr. Forrests orthodontic training was supervised in part by his father and he had the privilege of working at his dads side early in his career. Today, Dr. Forrest continues the tradition of excellence in the same space where his father served his community for many years.

Dr. Forrest was an associate of Dr. James Tinnemeyer in McCandless and Greentree for over 15 years. During that time, Dr. Forrest and members of his staff became familiar with Dr. Tinnemeyers time-tested philosophies, thus assuring a continuity of care and standard of treatment excellence for all of his patients.

Prior to his orthodontic education, Dr. Forrest obtained five years of valuable experience in general dentistry while on the dental staff at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Pittsburgh. There, he honed a variety of dental skills including those needed for treatment planning and coordination among a variety of dental specialties.

Following his return to the University of Pittsburgh for his certificate and masters degree in orthodontics, Dr. Forrest served on the faculty of the Department of Orthodontics where he was a member of the team at the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Center. His earlier hospital training proved most valuable in working alongside the oral surgeons, prosthodontists, plastic surgeons, audiologists, speech and language pathologists there.

A resident of Ben Avon, Dr. Forrest is an avid jogger and participates in a variety of local running events, including the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon, where he is mostly grateful to make it to the finish line. His main joy, however, is family time with his wife Diane and sons Tom and John. Tom Jr. and his wife Christine are both teachers and have blessed the family with their daughter, Juliet. John currently works locally for the Westinghouse Corporation.

Dr. Forrest is proud to continue the traditions of exceptional orthodontic treatment to the northern communities. All patients are diagnosed and treated utilizing the most modern and state of the art techniques. At the same time, patient comfort and peace of mind are emphasized.

Dr. Forrest feels that your peace of mind is of greatest importance when providing orthodontic care. He pledges to utilize his training and experience to provide the best and most comprehensive orthodontic analysis and treatment for you and your family.

No. All orthodontists must be licensed to practice, but at this time only 1 in 3 orthodontists have continued on to complete Board Certification. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certification process signifies a unique achievementa significant step beyond the two to three years of advanced education required for a dentist to become a specialist in orthodontics. The process requires the orthodontist to demonstrate actual accomplishments in patient care with detailed case reports on the treatment provided for a broad range of patient problems. Board certification is a voluntary achievement that all orthodontists do not choose to pursue. In order to become board certified by the ABO, an individual orthodontist is thoroughly interviewed by a highly respected panel of examiners to demonstrate their orthodontic knowledge, clinical skills and judgment.

One. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is the only certifying board in the specialty that is recognized by the American Dental Association. The ABO was founded in 1929 and is the oldest specialty board in dentistry. The boards purpose is to elevate the quality of orthodontic care for the public by promoting excellence through certification, education and professional collaboration.

Successful completion of the examination process demonstrates the orthodontists highest commitment to excellence in orthodontics to both the orthodontic profession and the general public. It represents a commitment by a licensed specialist that he/she has the necessary knowledge base and skills to treat patients to the highest of standards. It exemplifies a practitioners commitment to continue to keep abreast of the latest advances in patient care, and to continue to deliver these latest advances to patients. Many orthodontists see it as a demonstration of their dedication to the specialty and the highest level of personal achievement.

Since the establishment of the ABO in 1929, the certification process requirements have continued to adjust to the demands of the specialty. Today, the process involves a thorough Written Examination (240 questions) covering all areas of information which an orthodontist should be knowledgeable. Successful completion of this board exam allows the orthodontist to proceed to the Clinical Examination where they present detailed case reports from their practice/residency, demonstrating a history of excellence in patient care. These cases are evaluated by a panel of examiners and later discussed during an oral examination where the applicant is tested on a wide variety of academic and clinical topics. After successful completion of these examinations, the orthodontist has officially achieved Board Certification, for a time-limited period. The orthodontist must go through Certification Renewal every 10 years to maintain their certification status by demonstrating this continued level of patient care.

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 two videos 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.