This year, my staff and I have been doing alot of “extreme remakeovers” . What I mean is that we have had to redo many smile designs because of improper care or that the dentist didn’t meet the patient’s expectations. All of these patients-and their loved ones–are very upset that there is no governing body to protect consumers from these tragedies that are costly in time, emotions,finances, and worst of all, tooth structure. Unfortunately, there are political forces beyond our control and self prevention is needed.

As a resuIt I am a firm believer in educating our patients and the public on the importance of “doing your homework” before making a big decision like getting a new smile or rebuilding your mouth with implants, etc. Here are some great questions to ask when your are making your decision:

• What training and credentials do you have in performing these procedures?
• Can I see photos and testimonials of some of your most recent cases?
• Which lab will you use or my case and what type of training and materals do they have and use?
• What can you do to help me preview my results before and during my treatment?
• What can you do to help my treatment be conservative and last a long time?

This is a good start. I invite you to share your questions or experiences with me.

If my staff or I can be of assistance, call or email us.

Keep smling right,

Hugh

Dental Health, smile makeover american academy of cosmetic dentistry, dental makeover, smile design, 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

Microscopes and magnification are essential to dental excellence

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

Just got back from the International Federation of Esthetic Dentistry Meeting. Quite a learning experience meeting and listening to dentists from throughout the world. It’s amazing the level of interest and talent from places near and far. Can’t wait to visit my new friends in the future.

I received an email recently from my friend David Merriman Scott. We were comparing notes on dentistry and he mentioned a great E-Book called Healthy Mouth, Healthy Sex by Helaine Smith DMD of Boston, MA.

Of course the title is very intriguing. What I really love about it is the focus of dental care at different stages in life. Dentistry is truly becoming a resource for long term health but also an important link to enjoying life more fully.  You and others should find this information to very helpful.

Please share your comments or share with others.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

Comfortable Dental Care, Dental Health, Mouth Body Connection David Merriman Scott, Esthetic, Helaine Smith, Sex

I thought of the title of the old Fats Domino song recently as my Flax Dental staff and I watched Diane Sawyer’s recent show on ABC’s Good Morning and 20/20 ” Heroes of the Hills”  http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6889704.  As we watched the film, you see young children in the poorest parts of Appalachia drinking Mountain Dew soft drinks like most kids have milk.             

The Results: rampant tooth decay that ultimately leads to tooth loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control, this region of Kentucky now leads the nation in having the great number of missing teeth.

For those who don’t know,  Mountain Dew and many other “energy drinks” have high sugar, high caffeine, and high acid contents ( with pH levels below 4) that literally “eat your teeth”. Mountain Dew is very popular because of it’s caffeine content is 50% higher than Coke or Pepsi. It supposely helps with depression, etc. for many kids.

• For many children in Appalachia, many get Pepsi in their baby bottles
• Some have as many as 12 cavities by the time they are 2 years old
• Many grow unable to attempt cleaning their teeth because they are so tender and painful

Thankfully, Edwin Smith, DDS has come to the rescue in his roving dental office, a converted 18 wheeler, to help these children break the habit and make their mouths healthy and smiles white once again.

Although Pepsi, Co. has denied responsibility in the past, the company recently donated $150,000 to help out Dr. Smith.

That’s very nice. Just a lttle late in the game. Kind of reminds me of a cigarette company donating a gym to a school for exclusive rights to a cigarette machine in the cafeteria.

What really would be great is if Pepsi–and every softdrink maker out there–would prominently display the acid content, sugar levels, and caffeine amounts so that people would realize the dangers of what they are drinking.

Even better, since psychologists have shown that “Showing often leads to doing”   

Put a picture of child who has several dark cavities and missing teeth on each can with a warning label!

What are your thoughts or comments?

Dental Health anti-aging, centers for disease control, Dental, Diane Sawyer, edwin smith, fats domino song, Flax, FlaxDental, wellness, white smile