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

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

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Hello again….time really does fly! Between taking care of my family and our wonderful patients, filming a video, as well as lecturing in Las Vegas and Hawaii ( mostly work folks) and assuming my new role as President Elect of the AACD, I’ve had a full plate for someone who is trying to diet.  For the many who have enjoyed the insights and insider information into dentistry and anti-aging, I promise to catch up as well as get back on schedule .

Recently, I came accross a terrific article in Scientific American that shows psychological and medical evidence demonstrating the benefits of smiling.  It has been well known in the literature from Norman Cousins, as well as Sigmund Freud, that humor relaxes you when you are anxious and makes you psychologically more resilient.  However, there has been no scientific evidence to show improvements in curing disease. New research is showing a better correlation. According to the article, “laughter does produce short-term changes in cardiovascular function and respiration, boosting heart rate, respiratory rate and depth, as well as oxygen consumption.” Furthermore, the article reports that laughing at a funny film or TV show demonstrates a decrease in blood concentrations of “cortisol” which is well known for increasing LDL ( the “bad” cholesterol) and weakening the immune system.

In addition, in a recent study by researchers , Lee Berk, DrPH, MPH, a preventive care specialist and psychoneuroimmunologist, of Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, has paired with Stanley Tan, MD, PhD,  an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist at Oak Crest Health Research Institute, Loma Linda, CA. After prescribing a daily “dose” of humor–30 minutes of a funny sitcom or video–to diabetes patients ( who were standardly medicated) and not doing so with a control group , they are reporting 26% increase in HDL levels ( “good” cholesterol) and a 66% decrease in C-reactive protein -both well known markers in heart disease. The control group showed only 3% and 26% improvements respectively. Given the strong relationship of cardiovascular problems with diabetes, they are anticipating the use of humor in creating enhancements in the care of both diseases from an emotional and biochemical point of view.

What a difference it would make if laughter could be used to prevent and treat two of the biggest killers in our society!

It’s exciting to know that there are plenty of healthy medical reasons to smile. Could this be a small key to the fountain of youth? It is starting to look that way.

By the way, if you need some humorous reasons to laugh , go watch a funny movie or an old rerun of the Honeymooners or Seinfeld. Also, there is great article on the Art of Smiling by Tina Su , who has a great blog worth subscribing to.                                                           

Of course, if you or a friend need some help with your smile or your giggle, the Flax Dental team is always at your service. According to he latest  research, it could help save your life.

Keep smiling right,

Hugh

Mouth Body Connection american academy of cosmetic dentistry, anti-aging, c reactive protein, CRP, Flax Dental, loma linda university, norman cousins, Seinfeid

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

Sitting here in Chicago at the world famous Chicago Midwinter Meeting, helping plan the future of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. I feel very inspired that when we plan new vistas of learning and helping our members serve their patients even better.

Just read an interesting article on pain management that explains why a relaxing environment can make dental visits more pleasant.

Thank heaven for satellite radio!

It sure makes everyone happier when we give our Flax Dental patients their Bose surround sound noise elimination headphones and let them chill. Even better, when you know you have science recommending that we allow people to choose their own personalized music channel. We usually try to note which one(s) they pick–saves time in letting people relax. Some people are “surfers” ( like me) but most settle into their comfort zone.

Of course I miss the days when we were playing endless streams of comedy like Seinfeld. But when I know that we are giving our patients a more valuable ( and perhaps more entertaining ) dental visit, we are helping in ways that dentistry never dreamed possible.

It’s truly a blessing that I get to help dreams come true on a daily basis–as well as in the future.

Until next time, keep smiling right,

Hugh

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