The New Girl on the Block
Dr. Leung enjoys getting to know her new community and values the beginning of her Aptos roots. Her two children enjoy attending Aptos Christian Preschool and she and her husband have been making friends through their involvement in the community.
“I’ve practiced for over nine years in Orthodontics in such places as Minneapolis, Palo Alto, Southern California, Sacramento, and Watsonville, but my husband and I just love Aptos. The clean air, the beach and the beautiful weather, we’ve found home,” Dr. Leung shared. “We are happy to be here everyday knowing that there is no better place to live.”
While she’s new to Aptos, she’s not new to dentistry. Dr. Leung earned her doctorate from the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry in 2003. She then continued her studies and earned a Certificate in Orthodontics and a Masters in Dentistry from the University of Minnesota in 2005. In 2007, she started her first orthodontic office in Watsonville.
This past school year Dr. Leung and her husband made educational presentations for the Monterey Dental Society at local schools such as Valencia Elementary and Mar Vista Elementary.
“The students loved our monkey with the teeth the most. We taught them how to brush and floss, how dental caries are formed, and what to expect at a dental visit. We also reviewed good and bad foods for their teeth,” Dr. Leung commented.
Dr. Leung is committed to community service. She is a member of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Affinity program, an organization committed to providing services to low-income children. She is also a benefactor to Give Kids A Smile. In recognition of her passion for helping in the community, the Monterey Dental Society awarded her Dentist of the Year in 2010.
She is also devoted to the environment. She uses digital X-rays that emit very low radiation, digital study models and photos, and her offices have an ingenious ‘chartless’ method for individual client record keeping there by saving paper.
“Being green is important to me, hence the green apple with braces as our logo!” Dr. Leung shared. “I even drive a hybrid car!”
As for recycling, she only takes it so far. “We never recycle anything on our patients,” she assured. “Our brackets are individually packaged from the manufacturer so our patients know they are brand new.”
Dr. Leung treats adults, teens, and children. Treatment includes full treatment, early child interceptive treatment (Phase I, Phase II), orthognathic surgery cases, adult orthodontic treatment and Invisalign. She offers metal braces, ceramic braces, self-ligating brackets and Invisalign.
People visit Dr. Leung for a variety of reasons, not only because they may have crooked teeth but in pursuit of healthy teeth. A misaligned bite can cause wearing and fracturing of healthy teeth and crowded teeth can be difficult to clean resulting in decay and periodontal disease.
“We do everything we can to ensure that treatment is comfortable, easy, convenient, and affordable. We also work closely with our patients to find the perfect financial arrangement everyone is comfortable with,” she shared.
Patient comfort is a priority Dr. Leung’s office is successful with, as patient Alfonso Lobato can attest.
“My experience was very good. Everything was well explained before any procedure began. At each visit I was informed of what was going to be done and between appointments I was always told what to expect, with opportunities to ask questions.”
Dr. Leung is quite flexible with scheduling, offering weekend appointments, various office hours and two office locations to accommodate clients’ schedules. Their answering service is monitored by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why that extra service?
“As a mom, I’ve been up in the middle of the night with a sick child. A number of times I’ve called an on-call nurse with my concerns. I then realized how important it is to have someone there for you at all times,” Dr. Leung confided.
Moms, such as Christy Bracken, know they can trust Dr. Leung. “My kids experience was great! It was nice that she was open on Saturday’s. Her chair-side manner was very good.”
“We can also stop harmful habits like thumb sucking, which can cause dental and skeletal problems if left untreated. Some children are embarrassed or teased about their teeth, and we are here to help build their confidence and self-esteem by changing that,” she said.
The recommended age for an orthodontic evaluation according to the American Association of Orthodontists is 7 years old. It’s better to be evaluated early so there are more treatment options available.
Orthodontic treatment isn’t just for children. Many adults visit Dr. Leung as well, accounting for almost half of her client base. They may have wanted treatment as a child, but didn’t get that opportunity.
“Sometimes, adults need orthodontic treatment in order to make enough space or special positioning of their teeth for veneers, implants, crowns, or bridges. I work very closely with many dentists to ensure that our patient’s treatment outcome is excellent and proceeds as smoothly as possible,” Dr. Leung shared.
Dr. Leung is committed to making each patient feel like they’re part of the family. She offers complimentary orthodontic examinations so prospective patients can get to know her. She reviews the patient’s goals and expectations, takes digital photos and performs an examination.
“I like to be thorough, laying it all on the table so people are educated, informed and can visualize the plan. We discuss my findings, possible treatment options, determine the best time to start treatment, length of treatment, and financial options,” Dr. Leung shared.
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Dr. Leung is located at 9515 Soquel Drive, Suite 103 in Aptos, CA 95003. Phone: (831) 685-2800. She also has an office located at 56 Penny Lane, Suite: B, Watsonville, CA 95076. Phone: (831) 722-5022
