Health and Wellness
Dr. Gigi Paralkar
A True Family Orthodontic Practice By Deborah Schapiro
F
or many children, wearing braces can be an arduous rite of passage. However, for Livingston orthodontist, Dr. Gigi Paralkar, orthodontics was not only a positive experience but a transformative one. She explains, “As a child, I desperately needed braces and knew it. I had a lot of orthodontic treatment, and it completely changed the way I looked and felt about myself. Years later I wanted to give others what I had.” Dr. Paralkar also had a couple of powerful role models: “My father was a general dentist, and when I was young, I used to go to his office with him and watch him work. My own orthodontist was another inspiration; she was an Indian female, just like me.” After unexpectedly losing her father in 2003, Dr. Paralkar, then a consultant at IBM, decided to honor his legacy and pursue her own childhood dream. She
excelled at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, was the chief resident at Rutgers Orthodontic program and has been in private practice since 2014. Dr. Gigi, as she is known to her patients, prides herself on running a true family practice. She says that in addition to numerous sibling patients, “We have a lot of parents in braces or Invisalign alongside their kids. I also treat a lot of adults as more patients in their 50s, 60s, and 70s want to improve their smiles.” Whatever their age, the initial consultation is followed by unrushed appointments and highly personalized treatment. Dr. Paralkar says, “We are not part of a corporate practice. My team includes Jenny at the front desk and my assistants Erin, Ashley and Daniela. As a boutique practice, we really take the time to get to know all of our patients and they get to know us.” May 2022
Naturally, the practice keeps up with constantly changing technology. Dr. Paralkar notes that she is continually enhancing her skills with continuing education. Examples of cutting-edge technology offered at Livingston Family Orthodontics include intra-oral scanning and offering Spark™ Aligners, which are even less visible than Invisalign. Dr. Paralkar concludes, “I feel honored that patients have chosen to entrust their mouths to us, and blessed that I get to do a job that I love.”
Livingston Family Orthodontics 201 S. Livingston Ave., Suite 2B Livingston, NJ 07039 973-758-8926 www.livingstonfamilyorthodontics.com
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