Why this Candid network orthodontist is also a patient

Dr. Billie Zoldan is no stranger to treating patients with Candid—she’s a member of our network of orthodontists—but a couple months ago, she moved to the other side of the aligner. Now, several steps into her own teeth-straightening treatment, the leading New York City orthodontist tells us why she chose Candid not just to treat her patients' smiles, but to treat her own.  

You’re a Candid network orthodontist, Dr. Zoldan, so you know what Candid can do for patients. But what made you start working with Candid in the first place? 

I actually saw Candid ads on Instagram and they caught my eye. I started to research the company and thought that what they were doing was really cool and clearly going to be part of the future of orthodontics. I wanted to be a part of that.

What, in your expert opinion, are the elements of the Candid prescription that make it a safe and healthy clear aligner option?

The Candid treatment plan adheres to a bunch of tight, clinical guidelines that patients and doctors follow to keep the patient's teeth moving in the right direction and at the right velocity. 

You're actually doing Candid treatment as we speak. What made you start?

Like many of my patients, as I’ve gotten older my teeth have started to crowd more. Our teeth move throughout our lives! Candid had been working on a new aligner material for a while and I heard such great things about it that I wanted to be one of the first to try it!

 Has anything held you back from straightening your teeth until now?

Yes, the comfort and visibility. This new material is incredibly comfortable and practically invisible! None of my friends were able to tell I was wearing aligners. Well, one friend was, but they’re a dentist. 

You must have so much more empathy for your clear aligner patients now. What have you learned as a patient that you'd want to share with people considering Candid? 

Wearing Candid aligners definitely makes me think before I eat! At the end of the day, once I’ve brushed and cleaned the aligners I do not sit and snack as much as I used to.

What is doing Candid treatment going to unlock for you? Finally going to start that all-orthodontist punk band?

Good question! For one thing, I’ll be a lot more confident showing my patients what perfect teeth they can have too. 

For more from Dr. Zoldan, check out her recent interview on Dr. Howard Farran's podcast Dentistry Uncensored.