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

Happy New Year!

Hoping everyone is enjoying a wonderful season of rejuvenation and good cheer. We had a fun visit with my family in South Florida and a visit with Mickey Mouse for a couple of days. Great chance to catch up and laugh with my wife and daughters.

While exercising over the holiday break, I happened to listen on my Ipod to a great audio podcast from one of my favorites, Zig Ziglar’s “Inspiring Words of Encouragement” that you can download by clicking the above hyperlink or from I-Tunes.

In his folksy fashion, Ol’ Zig talks about how important regular laughter and smiling is to your relationships and health. Here are a few of his comments:

-Laughter is the second most important emotion we can express-love is number one.

-It can help manage depression ,stress, and worry, as well as, lower blood pressure ( see medical documentation).

-Regular laughing is like “internal jogging”-it increases respiration and oxygenates your tissues while relaxing tense muscles.

-It’s low calorie, caffeine free, has no salt or preservatives.

-Although its it contagious, humor won’t make you sick.

-One size fit all.

-Best of all–laughing cost you nothing and its non-taxable.

This is an easy New Years resolution that solves alot of problems. Feel free to download this to your Ipod and send to a friend.

Let us know how my staff and I can help you smile more.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

Mouth Body Connection, smile makeover cosmetic dentistry, effects of laughter, FlaxDental, laughter, marriage success, new years resolution, podcast, professional success, words of encouragement, Zig Ziglar

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

As a parent, you hope that one day that your child will meet the right guy or gal and “live happily ever after”. What if the way they smile when you say “Cheese!” can help their marital prospects?

According the latest issue of Scientific American Mind , researchers are finding that exuberance and joy in a child’s smile can affect their marital bliss.

“Pictures of grinning kids may reveal more than childhood happiness: a psychological study from DePauw University shows that how intensely people smile in childhood photographs, as indicated by crow’s feet around the eyes, predicts their adult marriage success. According to the research led by Matthew Hertenstein PhD, people whose smiles were weakest in snapshots from childhood through young adulthood were most likely to report being divorced in middle and old age. Among the weakest smilers in college photographs, one in four ended up divorcing, compared with one in 20 of the widest smilers. The same pattern held among even those pictured at an average age of 10.”

“The paper builds on a 2001 study by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, that tracked the well-being and marital satisfaction of women from college through their early 50s. That work found that coeds whose smiles were brightest in their senior yearbook photographs were most likely to be married by their late 20s, least likely to remain single into middle age, and happiest in their marriage; they also scored highest on measures of overall well-being (including psychological and physical difficulties, relationships with others and general self-satisfaction).”

This research makes a whole lot of sense because:

• One of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell discussed “thin slicing” behaviors in his book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Observing small hints of someone’s behavior or traits can be instinctively predictive of someone emotional disposition and what they are truly thinking. Using our “gut feelings” more often, we are able to rely on our “adaptive unconscious”–a 24/7 mental valet–that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea.
• Just looking at someone’s ability to grin can give us “rapid cognition” about their positive emotions,  how they respond to others, and ultimately ,according to Hertenstein, “making that individual more open and likely to seek out situations conducive to a lasting, happy marriage”.

It’s gratifying to see that science continues to bolster what we’ve known intuitively for many years. Building a child’s ( and even an adult’s) self esteem has a dramatic impact on their future relationship and career success.

It’s a wonderful gift to see a smile. My Flax Dental staff and I have a greater appreciation of the “ripple effect” in helping others Look Better, Feel Better, and Live Longer.

That new smile warms up not only your appearance, but the instant minute by minute perceptions that people have of you. It becomes a window to your soul.

Hope this helps you and others in making all of your or your children’s lives much happier. Feel free to comment and share.

Keep smiling right

Hugh

Mouth Body Connection, smile makeover anti-aging, cosmetic dentistry, FlaxDental, Malcolm Gladwell, marital satisfaction, marriage success, Matthew Hertenstein, middle age, professional success

My apologies for taking a few weeks off as I was helping plan my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah and two dental meetings. I promise to catch up on my writing over the next few weeks.

While assisting my daughter with last minute details, I was shocked by a very common occurence while walking through three different Atlanta shopping malls -Dental Whitening Kiosks that look like mini-dental offices!

I’ve always been a believer and practitioner of whitening smiles since 1987.  Britesmile had always held a spot at one of our malls, but it was staffed by professionals who had some basic training and provided a reasonably good service.

What is very sad to see is the gross commercialism by opportunists who feel they can provide a “cheap service” to an unknowing consumer in order to make a quick buck. The potential for harm is great:    

• Lack of training in smile treatments and that existing fillings will appear dark after any whitening care
• Poor sterilization techniques or cross contamination
• Undiagnosed dental problems like cavities, cracks, or abscesses that are the reason for a discoloration in the first place       
• Possibility of a dental injury from a burn on the gums or oversensitivity ( who will actually treat it ?)

Basically, the “mall techs” are practicing dentistry with out a license which is outlawed in all 50 states.

Fortunately, the Georgia Board of Dentistry is cracking down   to regulate this abuse of public trust and possible mistreatment.

Bottom line: Your smile and dental health are very precious. Having the advice of a properly trained dental professional ( especially if they have credentials from groups like the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry ) can help you see the “big picture” and avoid a harmful experience. Be sure to take a “smile test” before having any cosmetic enhancement to your pearly whites. All it takes is one bad experience create a bad memory or expensive mistake.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

smile makeover american academy of cosmetic dentistry, Dental Kiosks, FlaxDental

Years ago ER was “must see TV”. With George Clooney’s return on tonight’s episode of ER, I took a surf of the blogosphere and of found this tidbit on The Blogodontist.

Not that he needed alot of help in being more attractive, Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney , who is rated a “10″ by most women, had a smile makeover in the past year that makes him look more energetic and more youthful. 

Worn, shorter and yellow teeth shown in the photos below gave George ( a.k.a. Dr. Doug Ross) a more aged appearance. Without a doubt his improved smile is a great accessory to his image.

Usually when a smile ages like this, it is a sign of bite imbalances and/or the effects of grinding. Looks like George got some excellent help rebuilding the edges of lost enamel with porcelain veneers or crowns, possibly some laser care for his gums, and hopefully treating the cause first with some bite therapy.

Certainly ER becomes more important with Dr. Doug on the show tonight–giving all of us (especially George Clooney) plenty of more reasons to smile.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

smile makeover Blogodontist, dental makeover, dr. doug ross, Flax Dental, George Clooney, porcelain veneers, smile makeover, yellow teeth