Powerhouse Putt Sponsor Spotlight - Dr. Kadan, DMD

Dr. Sam Kadan DMD, of Harleysville Orthodontics, a returning Powerhouse Putt Sponsor

One of the things many don’t realize is that for cancer kids, the fight continues long after the pronouncement of ‘cured’ is given. The treatment necessary to beat cancer, namely chemotherapy, is harsh and poisonous. One common side effect of chemotherapy in small children is oral complications, especially when chemo is begun before the child has any teeth.

Peter is no stranger to this form of complication. Because he began chemo at such a young age, the enamel on his baby teeth was almost completely gone, opening him up to a host of problems. His dental oncologist, Dr. Cherry Estilo, DMD took Peter into the operating room on more than one occasion to try to “clean-up” his baby teeth.  Sometimes 18+ cavities were filled and sealants were applied to try to save the life of the teeth.  When the baby teeth started to fall out, the real problems appeared in his adult teeth.  Some were missing, some were too small, and all had extremely shallow roots.  When Dr. Estilo said it was time to transition from a dental oncologist to an orthodontist for the next round of care I had to wonder, what state would we find this specialist in?  Having had Peter evaluated in Orlando, Wilmington, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Manhattan, I wondered, how far am I going to drive for braces?  She instructed me to start the interview process and explain Peter’s complicated history; she would also have to go over the proposed treatment plan to approve the movement of the teeth at a very slow rate so that the teeth wouldn’t become loose and fall out.   I was so relieved when she felt so confident entrusting the care of his complicated mouth to one orthodontist: Dr. Sam Kadan, DMD, of Harleysville Orthodontists.  How fortunate we are to have a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Harleysville!

Dr. Kadan and his staff take great pains to keep Peter smiling.  They are patient when he faces anxiety from so much medical care, and each step of his personal program meets the approval of Peter’s dental team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Dr. Kadan generously supports cancer-kids by his annual support of the Powerhouse Putt.  You’ll find his sign on the golf course and a gift in the bag of each golfer.  His name and logo can be found on nearly every sport's team shirts, and on signs gracing the pool and baseball fields.

Thank you Dr. Kadan for all the beautiful smiles and happy kids in Harleysville. If your child needs orthodontic care we highly recommend Harleysville Orthodontics you can find them at www.teethsostraight.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harleysville-Orthodontics/158097817554598?fref=ts

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