Today I’m at an anti-aging conference in Provo , Utah. There are many beautiful healthy people at this meeting. It reminded me that you don’t need to be a celebrity these days to have a beautiful smile. However, you should pick wisely in who helps you get those pearly whites that give you confidence.

Over the years, in my journey towards excellence as an esthetic dentist and educator, I have been mentored by many talented teachers. One of them is Dr. Gary Radz, of Denver, Colorado, who wrote a terrific article in 2007 for dentists about doing great veneers. He graciously has given me permission to share some of these ideas with our bloggers in a consumer focused manner.

1.  Make sure the gums are symmetrical and not excessive–a gummy smile or one in which the tissue surrounding the teeth are not balanced will not be pleasant to look at.
2.  Preview your smile with “lab waxup”-see a “blueprint” of your potential results in 3-D before treatment is started.
3.  Be sure to have an experienced ceramist. Cosmetic dentistry is an art and a science that requires talents not only in beauty but understanding materials and bioengineering. That does not come cheap.
4.  Look at the entire smile when setting goals–especially when it comes to whiteness. Be careful of not falling into a trap of treating too many or not enough teeth. The final result should be a smile that is consistently beautiful with no dull spots that are hard to do any touch up bleaching if needed.
5.  Staining under cosmetic dentistry-often beautiful bonding or porcelain is plagued by a gradual increase in black or brown discoloration. While often this is caused by redecay ( or “microleakage” ), the stains can be related to drying agents used when the gums are irritated and/or bleeding. It’s important to not only keep your gums healthy by flossing regularly, but also that the dentist uses the correct astringents that don’t contain iron.
6. Photography is critical to planning your new smile, as well as communicating to the ceramist or a surgeon, if necessary. Digital documentation helps everyone collaborate before and after your smile is created and eliminates many mistakes in achieving your goals.It never hurts to see the photography of the dentist. Are the photos of their own patients?
7. Using 3 dimensional impressions throughout your treatment helps communicate information that is critical for ideal results. The seal around the edges of veneers, as well as, essential contours of the teeth and gums, should be done to”perfection”.
8. Spending the time to communicate your goals and aspirations for your new smile. What are your concerns? What are the limitations that may require orthodontics or surgery? No excuses for skipping this step or not getting fully informed.
9. A balanced and collaborative “triad” between you, the dentist, and a ceramist will create the best possible result. If there is no rapport, trust, and teamwork at the beginning or during treatment, there will be breakdown in communication,alot of unnecessary frustration, and wasted time/ money. Be sure that you have the “right team” from the start.
10. Training and certifications assure you that your dentist has gotten the education and experience to help you. While weekend continuing education courses are great for staying current, the journey of becoming a thoroughly seasoned cosmetic dentist takes years and often is best done through a formalized credentialing program like the one taught at the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Recently, we published an article that exemplifies our “Top Ten List”.

I hope the above information helps many people get the “winning grin” they have always wanted–with out having to have an “extreme re-makeover”. Use the list above as a checklist in your pursuit of a smile that brings you confidence ,comfort,and security for many years to come.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

smile makeover american academy of cosmetic dentistry, anti-aging, cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Gary Radz, smile make over

The recent events of this past year have caused higher levels of stress than most of us have been accustomed to in quite a while. Our practice has observed an increase in cracked, more sensitive teeth, more complaints of headaches, and elevated occurrences of mouth ulcers.  Without a doubt, mental stress increases your chances of cardiovascular problems and causes undesireable weight gains due to higher levels of cortisol. Even worse, weight gains may cause one to try dangerous fad diets or even contemplate “purging” to lower calorie intake. This anxiety can lead to bigger eating disorders like bullimia or anorexia nervosa. 

Furthermore, the stress ultimately takes a toll on your appearance beyond just a bulging waistline:

• Your Skin-redness, psoraisis allow the skin to become less effective a barrier against harmful chemicals. The skin becomes more prone to dehydration and release of free radicals causing more wrinkle on the surface. The muscles of the face (from frowning,etc.) create deeper changes.
• Sleep Deprivation from worrying or depression makes you look tired ,as well as, leading to decreased heart and immune function. This is a vicious cycle that must be rectified.
• Your Smile certainly feels the effects from the weight of concerns, a depressed ego and possibly finances. Beyond the psychology, there is the physiologic clenching and grinding of the teeth which usually leads to headaches, cheek biting, and/or even worse, permanent damage to the enamel. Not only do your teeth wear down, get shorter, begin to yellow, but your bite begins to suffer. Furthermore, a bad bite starts to show up in your face because your facial muscles are stressed to compensate for your bite.

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS!

You can do something about it!

Here’s a few suggestions from:

• Improve Yor Emotions With Motion–exercise will make you breathe more ( help you relax), lose wait, and improve your self esteem
• Laugh More–the power of laughing is magical. Don’t listen to the news–unless it’s good or you’re in it. Listen to satellite radio comedy channels in the car or watch a fun comedy. Those happy feelings conquers the anxiety and soothes alots.
• Meditate
• Renew Yor Skin—Follow Dr. Amy Wechsler’s 7 Habits of Healthy Skin to improve your appearance from the inside.
• Sleep On It–Get some great tips from Dr. Oz. Imagine dreaming more and waking up refreshed and less stressed.
• Don’t Fight Your Bite –relaxing yourself is a great start. Prevention is the best medicine. However, if there are cracks or wear and tear in your mouth , don’t wait to repair them to avoid even more costly discomfort, costs, or effects on your appearance.

I know it’s a tough world out there. But taking care of yourself and addressing the stress will help you feel and look better.  That new and improved attitude will also allow you to attract better solutions and opportunities to make your life better again.

Let us know if we can help.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

Dental Health, Mouth Body Connection Amy Wechsler, better bites, cracked teeth, Dr. Oz, effects of stress, headaches, laughter

 

Last week I was engaged in the AACD’s Fall Board Meetings in which we plan educational content for the Academy over the next 12-36 months. It is very inspiring sitting with dentists from all over the world and exchanging ideas on how to treat patients with the highest levels of excellence, but also how to teach that to other dental teams.

Always the thinker and a consumer advocate, I was reminded of a quiz I had recently seen on Helaine Smith’s Blog about “Is Your Dentist A Modern Dentist?”

As a result, at the meeting, I started an informal survey of not just best practices, but better practices to best serve patients and then combined it with Dr. Smith’s version. So here it is:

Give a “zero” for each “no” answer and a “one” for each “yes” answer.

1. Does your dentist have a clean office?

2. Does he/she take at least 30 hours of continuing education per year?

3. Does he/she have modern equipment such as digital radiographs (xrays) and paperless charting (digital charts)?

4. Does your dentist discuss implants as an option to missing teeth?

5. Is he/she involved with a study group?

6. Does he/she or the hygienist use a periodontal probe to measure your gums to evaluate the health of your gum tissue?

7. Does he/she offer an oral cancer screening test using a light?

8. Does he/she offer sedation for procedures to reduce anxiety?

9. Does he/she use ultra-modern reinforced ceramic restorations?

10. Does he/she use non-metal fillings?

11. Does he/she consistently use magnification with illumination to check your teeth and/or treat them?

12. Does he/she use a laser to check natural teeth for decay or cracks?

13. Is there an intra-oral camera available to monitor the status of old fillings and other dental conditions?

14. Does he/she understand the new theories and research on tooth decay?

15. When treating teeth, are cavity detection dyes used to remove only decay and preserve tooth structure?

16. If he/she says they are a cosmetic dentist, has a recent course about it been taken?

17. Does he/she have photos of their own work to show?

18. Is your bite checked to help avoid cracks in your teeth, chips on the edges, or increased muscle tension?

19. Does he/ she keep you informed about the connection between dental problems ( e.g. gum disease) and the rest of the body?

20. Does he/ she do a panoramic xray every 3-5 years to check for cysts, etc. that are normally not found on “checkup xrays”?

Rate your Dentist
15 – 20 — Your Modern dentist is Jetson-like. Good job!
10 – 14 — Your dentist could definitely improve some things. Just ask.
0 – 9— Your dentist may be working in the Flintstone-era.

Hope this helps keep your dental health and it’s care at it’s finest. As always, I look forward to your comments.

Keep smiling right.

Hugh

Dental Health, Mouth Body Connection digital radiographs, intra oral camera, magnification, Microscopes, oral cancer screening