Collons Mark A DDS

So glad I stumbled upon this Unilocal page! Dr Collons did my braces back in, wait for it…1995!!! I remember really liking Dr Collons and his staff. Now, 21 years later (yikes!!! I feel old), my teeth still look amazing and straight.
It just so happens that I am now a Cosmetic Dentist in Studio City and was looking for an orthodontist to refer a patient of mine to. Thanks to the powers of Unilocal,I was able to find that Dr Collons was still in practice.
Not to get all mushy, but I would say that my experience as a patient of Dr Collons helped inspire me to pursue dentistry for myself. I can completely remember my experience as a teenager and how much I looked up to my orthodontist.
Most importantly, I now I have an excellent orthodontist that I can trust with my own patients.
Thank you:)
–Taline Kotchounian

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude and offer my highest recommendation for Dr. Collons. We had the pleasure of having Dr Collons treat both my children for braces. Dr Collons was extremely conservative and patient, not starting my kids too early nor asking us to pay for extra or unnecessary work. He is smart and experienced, treating the most discerning LA clientele. His office is clean and professional. His staff is talented and very kind. We all looked forward to our visits. Most importantly, my kids’ teeth are beautiful! Thank you Dr Collons and staff for your excellent care.

Dr. Collons and his team are the BEST. If you are considering braces, look no further.
I was dealing with some pretty bad tooth pain when chewing, and after trying several solutions, my dentist informed me that I probably needed braces to fix the problem and referred me to Dr. Collons.
Dr. Collons was extremely up front, honest and clear with his diagnosis and treatment plan from day one. At my first appointment Dr. Collons informed me that fixing my problem required jaw surgery (I consulted with several other orthodontists who all told me the same thing, but some required several long and expensive appointments to come to the same conclusion!), and he was able to get me in for a consultation with the best jaw surgeon in LA less than 2 weeks later. (Dr. Collons has worked with the surgeon for years, and they are like a dream team for fixing jaw/​tooth issues!)
Committing to adult braces and jaw surgery was a big decision, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made. What I thought would be a long, arduous process was quite efficient. Dr. Collons always runs on time, the ladies in his office are the BEST, and he has tons of experience with complicated cases like mine. In fact, he lined up my teeth so perfectly that after my surgery they didn’t need to be adjusted at all, allowing me to get my braces off months earlier than usual. Plus, unlike many other larger orthodontists in LA, Dr. Collons looks at every patient himself at every appointment, and you never feel like just another set of teeth — everyone in the office really gets to know each patient.
Seriously, Dr. Collons is BY FAR the best orthodontist in LA. And, on top of all that, his prices are extremely fair. Like I said, look no further!

Dr. Collons is the very best. HIs work is beautiful and he practices with integrity. I have used his office for over 2 decades — first for repairing movement in my front teeth years after my childhood braces, then for straightening my daughter’s teeth with braces, and now for maintenance of retainers and a mouthguard. His staff is lovely, both professional and warm. I can count on receiving unbiased advice and excellent care at Dr. Collons’ office.

My teeth were a mess when I was younger. If I remember correctly, I simply had too many teeth for the size of my mouth and many became crooked because of that. Work was certainly cut out for Dr. Collins over the duration of the 2 years that I had braces. Over 2 decades later (yikes, time flies!) my teeth are as straight and beautiful as day 1 of taking them off! I personally can attest to straight lovely teeth that LASTS. Dr. Collins and his staff are a pleasure to work with and I couldn’t be happier with my smile! :)

At the age of 10 our dentist suggested we see an orthodontist for an initial consultation to see when we should start with the braces. My son obviously needed them. The first orthodontist was a fancy younger westside orthodontist and told us our son needed immediate surgery on his jaw and will need braces twice, once right away and then again in high school. I went back to our dentist and asked for a 2^nd orthodontist who had more experience. I would never have surgery with out a 2^nd opinion. He sent us to Dr. Collons. So glad he did! Dr. Collons said my son did not need surgery. he needed to loose two more teeth and then have one pulled by our dentist. He said there was no problem with the jaw, it was all about the bite and the baby teeth positions. Sure enough the jaw was back in alignment as soon as the baby teeth were out. We started the braces around the age of 11 once all the adult teeth came in. Dr. Collons said it would take about 15 — 17 months depending on how responsible our son was about wearing his neck gear. He wore it every night and 15 month later he got his braces off and his teeth are perfect. He gets more compliments on his teeth than any other kid I know. So happy we went to Dr. Collons, he saved my son unnecessary surgery. The office staff is also fabulous! Always available to answer questions and they squeezed my son in for a same day appointment the one time he broke a brace.

My Invisalign experience with Dr. Collons and his staff could not have been more easy and pleasurable. From the start he was honest, painted a detailed picture, and explained my options. He was very informative and took his time to answer any questions I had. I had braces as a teenager and he explained both options (braces and Invisalign) I chose Invisalign and it was so easy! He told me that if I wore them as I’m supposed to, it would work wonderfully and he was right! I wore them all day long, only took them out to brush or eat, rinsed and put them right back in. SUUUPER easy! And each check up I was right on track. I’m off the Invisalign and now I’m only required to wear my Invisalign retainer just at night. I had no issues speaking or going about my daily routine with the Invisalign.
Dr. Collons and his staff were great! He’s no fluff, personable, professional, and friendly. Each of his staff members are so kind! I’m actually going to miss seeing them!
Also, your check ups are usually quick! I never had to wait long and they had me in and out in a flash!
I definitely recommend him for any orthodontic needs!

My dentist referred me to Dr. Collons to address my issue of shifting teeth, which resulted in one front tooth appearing significantly longer than the other. Dr. Collons explained in detail what my options were (braces/​Invisalign) and I chose to go with Invisalign. I have now completed my treatment after a year and I am so happy with the results! I can smile again with confidence! Dr. Collins explained every step of the way in a clear and honest manner so that I knew exactly what to expect – no surprises. Dr. Collins is kind and always professional. I had complete faith that I was in the hands of a stellar orthodontist. His office is extremely well run, never having to wait more than a minute or two. The staff is always friendly and professional and greeted me by name when I walked in the door. I highly recommend Dr. Collins for his superior skill as well as his kindness and integrity.

Dr. Mark Collons and his extremely capable and wonderful staff have taken care of the orthodontics work of my 3 daughters for many years. We couldn’t have asked for a better orthodontist. He has always been thorough and caring and cautious… didn’t want to go too quickly where that action might not yet be needed. Each child had different situations. He is honest and forthright but doesn’t leave you hanging. He constantly checks in with you and keeps you up to date with any processes occurring. When it was determined that my middle daughter needed orthognathic surgery, he introduced us to a fantastic surgeon who just completed this very intensive surgery this past summer. My daughter healed well, looks great and is so glad she went thru this process. Dr. Collons followed her through the entire long process and I knew she was in excellent hands.
When our family was first looking for an orthodontist on the Westside, we had been referred to him via families at our elementary school. Then, being a Trojan and having worked at the Dental School years ago, I called the USC Dental School and asked who they would refer for orthodontic work in West LA. His was the only name they gave me. Enough said. You won’t go wrong choosing this caring and easily accessible doctor and his staff.

After taking my three daughters ages 14, 10 and 9 to multiples orthodontists for examination for getting dental braces, I made a final decision to go with UCLA orthodontics department for all my three children. Without exception, all the orthodontists that I had taken my daughters recommended on immediate orthodontics treatment for all my three daughters. My ex wife who is also my children’s mother has a personal vendetta against me and threatened UCLA orthodontics with a law suit and asked them to stop treatment of our three children because she never gave her consent. Even though, I am the primary care taker for our three children, I drove them to UCLA every time and paid for the orthodontics myself.
Dr. Collons who has an office in the same building where my ex works and acknowledges to be her friend, diagnosed my three children for not needing braces at the current time. To be clear, according to Dr. Collons not even one of my three daughters is in need of getting braces at the current time. Dr. Collons claims his diagnosis was based on examinations without benefit of a x-​rays or study models. But even without x-​ray, any unbiased orthodontist would agree with all the other orthodontists that my kids need immediate orthodontics and not to delay a needed treatment. Mr. Collon’s misdiagnosis is in complete contradiction to what every orthodontists recommended. To make matters worst, he explicitly told me on the phone that he kept no patient chart or records for my three children. When I made it clear to him that I am filling an official complaint to the American Board Of Orthodontics, he prepares back dated pre-​treatment records and mails them to me.
I would not recommend going to Dr. Collons as he is not honest, moral and definitely not ethical. I have now sent The American Board Of Orthodontics my children’s x-​rays, dental records, pictures along with all the different diagnosis of other orthodontists that agreed on immediate treatment including official letters from UCLA orthodontic department indicating my three daughters orthodontic treatment is not for cosmetic reasons and the appropriate time to get treatment is now and not later as Dr. Collons misdiagnosted to please his friend who works in the same building.

I can’t say enough good things about Dr. C and his staff.
At 34 years old, I had all but given up on having a semi-​decent smile and set out to find a dentist who would agree to pull them all so that I could get dentures. I saw Dr. Shirley (in the same building) and he worked tirelessly to restore the health of my teeth so that I could begin braces. That’s a whole nother review.
Dr. Collons is not going to sugarcoat the truth. He told me straight out «You’re the worst case I have seen in my years of practice and I have been doing this a long time.» We had quite a few long conversations before he was ready to send me to an oral surgeon and slap these teeth handcuffs on. Dr. C can be blunt, he can be harsh, but he knows how to whip a jumbled mess of teeth into something resembling straight teeth. He talks me through each adjustment, explaining what is going to happen this step and prepares me for the future appointments.
Trust in him and his expertise and he won’t lead you wrong. It’s been 8 or 9 months since I’ve been in braces and my confidence has soared immensely. They are not perfect, but they are so much better and it makes a difference in day to day life when you’re not embarrassed about opening your mouth to speak.
No review would be complete without talking about his amazing staff, the Charlie’s Angels of dental assistants and front office staff. Every one of those women in there are caring, sweet and provide a much needed warm hand on the shoulder when the drilling gets noisy and the pain comes. They are the ying to Dr. C’s yang and together the office feels less like a scary place and more like the path to a better smile.

I was referred to Dr. Collons for orthodontia in preparation for orthognathic surgery. I am nearing the end of my treatment — the braces went on July 2012, the surgery was in October 2013 — and it really feels like it has flown by. I am not someone known for my patience so I am grateful to Dr. Collons and his staff for keeping me well informed and confident we were progressing as planned.
The staff have all been professional and easy to deal with. Everyone is friendly and encouraging which has made this whole process much more of a joy than I was expecting — a lovely surprise. The office runs on time and books appointments appropriately. I always had a meeting to go to after my appointment and I appreciated that I could rely on Dr. Collons and his staff to have me on my way in time for that. This does mean that, you, the patient, must hold up your end of the bargain and also be on time. Another nice thing he does is validate for the lot across the street. Westwood parking can be a challenge so knowing that you’ll be parked and in the office in under five minutes is one less thing to stress about.
As for my treatment, I think my teeth (and smile) will be better than they ever were. Dr. Collons is very precise in his work and has an excellent eye for detail. My oral surgeons work with him regularly and have commented, more than once, that they really like working with him, and appreciate how well he sets up the surgical patients for them.
Having gone through the surgery, I now understand all the things Dr. Collons did to help me get the best outcome possible. For example, the surgeons use molds of the patient’s mouth to determine their final surgical plan. Typically, the surgeons will take those molds in their office, working around the orthodontic brackets and wires. Dr. Collons prefers to take those molds because he can remove the wires and get a cleaner impression. Having the molds done ahead of time also made the final pre-​op appointment a bit shorter. Mine was still 2+ hours so not needing the extra half hour or so for doing molds at the surgeon’s office was nice, too.
Surgical patients use rubber bands between the upper and the lower jaw to maintain the jaw position while healing. This means the orthodontist needs to attach hooks to the final wires tied in for surgery. I understand from the surgeons that not all orthodontists securely solder the hooks or take care to curve them inward to minimize the patient’s discomfort from them. That was big for me. Post-​surgery, there was so much going that not having to think about hooks coming loose or poking into my lips and cheeks was a relief.
I had braces in childhood and the technology has come a LONG way. The entire process, from getting the braces on through the periodic adjustments to align my teeth, has been much less painful than I remember from the first time through. Granted, I am an adult now and better at not dwelling on pain, but all I really had to do was take an ibuprofen the morning of my appointment and maybe one the next day. And once, when I forgot to take an ibuprofen beforehand, they had one for me there.

All three of my children went to Dr. Collons. Not only do I trust him with his superb dental skills — he discovered cavities that our dentist did not even see — but his office administrators and assistants are so kind and knowledgeable. It was always a pleasure going into his office for our many visits.

«Practice Limited to Orthodontics»
My review is not of orthodontic services renderered by Dr. Collons, but rather his integrity and astuteness as a practitioner. My story goes like this:
«Today, I went to the orthodontist for a consultation. I expressed that my teeth weren’t occluding properly, and I wanted to fix my bite. Before I even opened my mouth for him to look, he began pointing out every imperfect asymmetry on my face, including my eyes. He said he wouldn’t treat me, because the problem was not my teeth, but rather my face. FML.»
Subsequently, I burst into ashamed tears like a traditional, egocentric valley girl. I wish I could have contained myself better, because my emotions were not assuaged by the awkward bedside manner that provoked them in the first place. At that moment, it was harder to appreciate that Dr. Collons was saving me from a much bigger FML such as this:
«Today, I went to the orthodontist for a consultation. He smacked some brackets on my teeth and called it a day. He didn’t tell me that to adequately correct my misalignment, I would require surgical repositioning of my facial bones. He also didn’t warn me that I would lose several teeth from the manipulation of my teeth due to extensive root shortening. I wanted to look hot, but I’ll probably look like a slack-​jawed yokel. FML»
Upon a first impression, Dr. Collons is an unassuming man. The same goes with hIs no-​frills, wood paneled office. However, I would take competency over glamour any day when it comes to a major commitment such as orthodontia. He is wickedly smart, keeps up to date on his medical education, and, as I felt too candidly, has remarkable powers of observation. He spent 30 minutes with me trying to explain his recommendation of not proceeding with orthodontic treatment while I sniffled like a child in his chair. He then followed up with a thorough assessment of my visit with consultation notes to my primary dentist to communicate my condition (but also likely to prevent me from seeking a misguided, second referral in my disappointment). He did all this, and I didn’t give him a penny. He did it because it was the right thing to do, for which I hold him in highest esteem.
(An aside) If you plan on checking out his office, they will validate your parking. If you purchase parking in the lot above the Whole Foods lot (entrance on Weyburn by O’Hara’s/Maloney’s), you will be reimbursed by the attendant when you provide the validation at the exit.