Dr. Naomi Hillel completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia College and then went on to the University of Pennsylvania to complete her degree in Dental Medicine. She then completed a one year internship in oral surgery at Rambam Hospital in Israel and, years later, a residency in pediatric dentistry at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is presently on the teaching staff at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. During her time at Mt. Sinai, Dr. Hillel studied under Dr. Barry Raphael, an integrative orthodontist who introduced the concept of achieving ideal facial growth through proper use of the oral and facial musculature.
The idea that nursing, breathing, swallowing and chewing all have critical roles in facial and airway development as well as sleep so intrigued Dr. Hillel that she went on to complete many courses that utilize various appliances and therapies to help establish good jaw relationships and favorable growth patterns on even the youngest of patients.
Dr. Hillel utilizes many different treatment modalities to achieve this goal such as the ALF as well as orthodontic expanders. She has studied these treatment modalities under Drs. James Bronson, Darick Nordstrom, Angie Tenholder and William Hang. She has also taken extensive coursework through Progressive Orthodontic Seminars to achieve competency in the use of traditional braces and clear Aligners.
In some cases the growth issue is compounded by the presence of tethered oral tissues (TOTS) which may present in the form of a tongue tie and/or a lip tie. Dr. Hillel routinely performs frenectomies (tongue tie releases) when indicated with the aid of a CO2 laser (CO2 light scalpel) as well as therapeutic exercises before and after the release(s).
With a kind and gentle manner, Dr. Hillel focuses her treatment on each patient as an individual. At Growing Faces, both oral health as well as oral function, sleep quality and facial and airway growth are addressed so that growing patients may realize optimal oral capability.
