THIS DMD’S MARLBORO ORTHODONTICS OFFICE OFFERS INNOVATIVE TREATMENT IN A BOUTIQUE ATMOSPHERE

BY JESSICA JONES GORMAN • PHOTOS BY ROBERT NUZZIE

Tara Gostovich became an orthodontist for the disarmingly uncluttered purpose of “simply making people smile.”

“I’m virtually always dealing with happy patients,” the Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) said at her Marlboro office, detailing reasons for pursuing the specialty of orthodontics—a field that deals primarily with mal positioned teeth and jaws, and concentrates on both prevention and correction. “Dentistry restores something that is broken down or painful. And while orthodontic treatment might not always be comfortable, the end result and the transformations are beautiful. No one leaves the dentist’s office dancing after a root canal, but in my specialty, patients are delighted with the finished product.”

A graduate of Rutgers University and The University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Gostovich completed her orthodontic residency at the University of Pennsylvania before working for a practice in Manahawkin. She worked in a pediatric practice for several years before opening her own office in 2007.“I wanted to live and work in the same place,” she noted. “So I took a chance and built an office from scratch in Marlboro. It was right in the middle of the market crash, so it definitely was a huge leap of faith, but the practice slowly grew and we established a great client base. In 2017, we moved to a bigger space three miles away.”Among her challenges is keeping abreast of the latest technology and innovations in her specialty.
“Orthodontics changes rapidly,” Gostovich said. “We have two digital scanners in our office, for example, so instead of taking impressions, patients have a digital scan which creates three dimensional images of their teeth.”

The iTero Scanner creates a digital map which enables the lab to create a model for use with braces and Invisalign aligners. According to Gostovich, it helps produce the most accurate orthodontic work available.

“In the past, impressions of a patient’s mouth were often inaccurate, time consuming, and uncomfortable,” she noted. “Large metal trays with liquid plaster were used to create a mold. Patients who experienced this were often left gagging and with goop in their teeth. Digital scanning eliminates that mess, and leaves your mouth as clean as when the procedure began.”

Gostovich further detailed a form of treatment acceleration called PROPEL Orthodontics. Used in conjunction with current orthodontic treatments, including Invisalign and traditional braces, the system promises to help move teeth into a desired position 50% faster than with braces alone.

“The PROPEL System uses a procedure called Alveocentesis to make orthodontic systems like Invisalign more efficient,” she explained. “Alveocentesis stimulates the production of alveolar bone in the maxilla and mandible—the upper and lower jaw—so as teeth shift into alignment, the bone that holds them in place can better adjust to their shifting.”

And these procedures are not just for adolescents; an increasing number of adults are seeking orthodontic treatment to straighten their teeth.

“A classically beautiful smile can improve your life socially, psychologically, and functionally, but at such an advanced stage orthodontically, adults can only hope to achieve growth and bone development through orthognathic surgery,” the doctor said. “But, many adults can receive orthodontic treatments without the worry of bone growth or development and still achieve beautiful results, but severe malocclusion, such as an overbite or cross bite, may provide an added concern. In addition to less bone development, adults heal more slowly, and their teeth shift at a slower rate. PROPEL Orthodontics can help with all of these factors.”
Gostovich, a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, maintains active memberships in The American Association of Orthodontists, The American Dental Association, The New Jersey Association of Orthodontists, The Mid Atlantic Society of Orthodontists, and the Monmouth Ocean County Dental Society. In addition to her private practice, she is a former Clinical Associate Professor of Orthodontics at The University of Pennsylvania.

“I believe that being board certified is a standard to which all orthodontists should hold themselves,” she noted. “I think what further sets us apart is the individualized, personal care available [at the practice].

We’re not high volume, we are high service. There is no two hour wait…no difficulty in obtaining a timely appointment. My staff is a cohesive unit that looks out for a patient’s best interests, and I receive and handle each and every patient message; if you need rubber bands right before the office closes, a member of our staff will drive them over and put them in your mailbox.

Gostovich, who lives in Marlboro with her husband, sons, and step daughter, also places considerable emphasis on community service.

“We maintain great ties to the community, offering a strong level of support to our school system and sports teams…because this is the town in which I live and work,” she said. “I try to give back to the community that has given so much to me.”

But her main objective is helping transform people’s lives…quite literally.

“A beautiful, confident smile is something you will wear for life,” she concluded.

Dr. Tara Gostovich, DMD
479 County Road 520, Suite A-204, Marlboro 732.617.1211 /
tgortho.com