Going Swimming? Shield Your Teeth!

Summer isn’t much fun if you can’t take a few plunges into a swimming pool, but, as we all know, pool water can dry out our skin and hair. What most people don’t know is that it can also permanently stain and erode our teeth.

 One study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology back in 1986, concluded   that, out of 747 competitive swimmers surveyed, 39 percent suffered from enamel erosion of their teeth.

 http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/123/4/641.abstract

 In a more recent paper, in May 2011, dentists from the New York University College of Dentistry reported the case of a 52-year-old man who had complained of his teeth’s sensitivity, staining, and enamel loss—all symptoms that had come on quickly, in about five months. The only sudden change in the man’s routine was his newly adopted, 90-minutes-per-day swimming routine. Upon further inquiry, the researchers learned that the patient did not have professional pool maintenance, and he didn’t know the pH of his pool water. Their conclusion was that the pool water’s pH was to blame for the man’s dental problems.

http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2011/05/23/is-your-swimming-pool-safe-for-your-teeth.html

So, if you are lucky enough to have a swimming pool in your back yard, it is a good idea to have it maintained professionally. If you do choose to maintain it yourself, use pool pH strips to check the pH level of the water. If you keep the pH number at about 7.2-7.8, you should avoid spoiling your teeth!

Ready, Set, Smile—It’s Your Wedding Day!

I was having lunch recently with a good friend who is also a well-known wedding planner, and she was talking about one of the weddings she was planning. She said she would love to see her bride and groom have their teeth-whitened prior to the wedding. The conversation got me thinking about the smile menu modern cosmetic dentistry can offer today’s bride—from simple whitening, to filling small imperfections with cosmetic bonding, to straightening, to a complete smile makeover with ultra-thin porcelain veneers. Some of these procedures can be accomplished a few weeks ahead of the wedding, but some take much longer. As soon as you decide on your wedding date, you should consider setting up a consultation with a cosmetic dentist, in order to allow plenty of time to plan and begin whatever treatment you require.

On their wedding day, the couple’s true feelings are captured on film and video forever. On this perfect day, when their smiles will communicate so many emotions and will stay in friends’ and family’s memories and photographs for years to come, they should be able to smile with confidence.

Whitening

Even if you think you have beautiful teeth, whitening can give you brighter smile for your big day. It is the most cost-effective procedure that can “renew” a tired-looking smile by removing stains from coffee, tea, smoking, or certain foods.

For the whitening procedure to be most effective, the teeth must first be thoroughly cleaned. After the cleaning, a special whitening gel is applied to the teeth. The gels come in various strengths and brands. One type can be applied to the teeth in the dentist’s office, then activated by high-intensity light. The SmilePlus office uses safe “plasma arc” Sapphire light, and the entire procedure can be finished in an hour, giving immediate results.

Another method is for the whitening gel to be placed in trays custom-fabricated from the impressions of your teeth. The trays are worn for anywhere from twenty minutes to overnight, depend on the dentist’s instructions, for seven to ten days.

If the whitening is to be done as in-office treatment, it should be done at least three to four weeks prior to the wedding day, to allow time for at-home touch-ups to achieve the shade of whiteness you are looking for. Doing it this far in advance of the wedding allows for the occasional sensitivity that can affect your teeth and gums, and will give you a day or two for the symptoms to go away, or the rare situation depicted in “Friends,” when Ross walked out of the office with shockingly fluorescent white teeth. Advance planning will allow for any necessary adjustments before the big day.

Bonding

The next most cost-effective and simple treatment is bonding. If you have one or two small imperfections in your smile, bonding might be all you need. It takes only a short time and can often be completed in one office visit. You’ll be surprised at how inexpensive and effective this can be for small areas, even though it will probably have to be redone from time to time

Straightening

Teeth-straightening can make a big difference in your smile and can take anywhere from a few months to more than a year. It can be done easily with Invisalign treatment, using a series of transparent, removable aligners that are custom fabricated for the individual patient and can straighten teeth without the use of metal braces, wires, or brackets.

Veneers

If you are someone whose teeth are chipped, discolored, damaged, or malformed, then effective and permanent smile-enhancement can be achieved through the use of veneers. A porcelain veneer is very thin (approximately one to two millimeters), and it is a solid covering of porcelain for the entire tooth.

Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way in the past decade. If the bride and groom take the time to evaluate their smiles and consult a cosmetic dentist in the weeks before big day, then, when they’re in the spotlight, they will be free to concentrate on each other and on their family and friends.

We at SmilePlus offer free cosmetic consultation for bride and groom to be. We offer wide variety of cosmetic procedures and will work with you and your goals to enhance your smile for the big day. Please call us at 510-796-1656 for your appointment.

Help, Doctor—My Teeth Are Drifting!

Our teeth come with a nasty social habit: They always want to move toward each other. Not only is this annoying tendency a real headache for orthodontists and dentists; it is also a major pain for the patient who has already invested time and money in metal appliances and braces. Bad enough, as a teenager, to have to endure braces for the junior prom; to have to go through the whole process all over again, as a grownup, just doesn’t seem fair!

Our teeth like to travel in several different directions:

• First, the teeth in one arch try to move toward the ones in the other arch: Bottoms like to go upward, and tops like to go downward.
• Second, all the teeth like to move toward the front, and, when they do, they crowd the front teeth and wreak havoc on the once beautiful smile. 
• Finally, because of the imbalance between two powerful sets of muscles, the teeth on either side like to move inward. When the muscles that close the jaws apply inward pressure on the teeth, then, to balance the pressure, the muscles in the tongue apply outward pressure.

To prevent these natural migrations habits of our teeth, after the straightening process has been completed, orthodontists use different types of retention appliances. They sometimes choose to bond retainer wire to the backside of the lower-front six teeth. Since the lower teeth fit inside the upper teeth, they influence the crowding or flaring of upper teeth and that is why, to prevent overall relapse of the front teeth, it is important to keep the lower-front teeth straight.

That takes care of the upper teeth, but now, because of the different muscle forces at work, the back teeth are still susceptible to inward movement. While a number of orthodontic challenges are best handled by conventional braces, the use of Invisalign can treat cases of orthodontic relapse exceptionally well. Invisalign uses a series of clear removable aligners, which are custom fabricated for each individual patient to straighten teeth without the use of metal braces, wires or brackets.

Watch the video of one of my recent Invisalign cases, and observe as the front teeth that have relapsed move back to the same position they were in immediately after the patient’s braces were removed, years earlier. This was one happy patient!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NudIEJTRmzo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Fz0HWshDk

So, what can you do to prevent orthodontic relapse? Just maintain a healthful diet and good dental hygiene, floss, and, above all, wear your retainer.

Remember, staying beautiful takes maintenance!

Attention, Men: Looking to Advance Your Career? You May Want to Start with a Visit to the Dentist. . . .

A recent online poll of 289 general dentists and consumers reported that men were far less likely to visit the dentist than were their female counterparts.* Why should that be? Here are the reasons the poll’s respondents gave for this rather startling figure:

• Approximately 45 percent said that men just did not see a need to visit the dentist;
• About 30 percent said that men were afraid or embarrassed to go;
• Almost 18 percent said that men just didn’t have the time for a dental visit; and
• About 5 percent said that men didn’t visit the dentist regularly, because most of them didn’t even have a regular dentist.

Not so very long ago, most men worked for only one or two employers over the whole span of their working lives, and so perhaps they didn’t need to think so much about how their overall appearance might affect their professional lives. Today, however, the environment is much more competitive. The unfortunate reality is that, with lay-offs and continuing business closures across the nation, middle-aged men seeking positions in higher management have to compete with their much-younger colleagues, and so they’re looking for an edge, and they realize that having a presentable, attractive appearance can give them that edge. Suddenly, looks matter.

Dentists today are seeing more and more men sitting back in their dental chairs for more than just maintenance. Now they’re inquiring about procedures that used to be looked upon as “only” cosmetic dentistry and have begun to consider the serious side of time and money invested in such procedures as teeth-whitening, veneers, Invisalign, and cosmetic bonding.

An impressive smile has value in the business world, and men are seeking a return on investment—in terms of jobs available to them or promotions that open up within an organization. Then, once men get into the routine of regular dentist visits, they begin to see the importance of overall oral health and biannual check-ups.

We dentists are not complaining. Whether they’re concerned about health, good looks, or their careers, it doesn’t matter to us. Whatever their reasons for coming in, we’re just happy to see them, and we’re happy, too, to see that more men are taking care of their oral health than ever before.

*Poll conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an organization of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.

Smile—Because That’s How We Read Faces in America

Did you know that culture plays a major role in how we interpret facial expressions? If we compare American and Japanese cultural interpretations, for example (according to behavioral scientist Masaki Yuki at Japan’s Hokkaido University), people from Japan tend to look at a person’s eyes for emotional clues, while Americans tend to look at a person’s mouth.

Americans frown or smile to show emotions, opening their mouths wide and raising the corners of their mouths exaggeratedly to display happiness.

People from Japan, on the other hand, whose culture tends to value humility and suppress shows of emotion, look to the expressive muscles around the eyes for clues to a person’s genuine emotions. (Since the eyes are more difficult to control than the mouth, the eyes probably do provide better clues about a person’s true emotional state—even if he or she is trying to hide it.)

Take a revealing look at differences in electronic communications’ symbolism in Japan and the U.S.: emoticons.  Aside from American emoticons’ being horizontal and Japanese emoticons’ being vertical (which relates to the differences in American and Japanese keyboards),

Americans use emoticons with upturned mouths as happy faces . . .

 :-)

And with down-turned mouths as sad faces. . . .

 :-(

The Japanese use emoticons for both happy and sad faces have emotionally neutral mouths, but show differences in eyes.

Japanese happy faces have crinkly eyes . . .

(^_^)

And their sad faces have uncrinkled eyes (and tears). . . .

(;_;)

Seeing the differences between American and Japanese virtual emotions, or emoticons, illustrates the cultural differences in flesh-and-blood people from both cultures: People from America actually do show emotions mostly with their smiles, and people from Japan, mostly with their eyes. Although general rules governing an attractive smile apply universally, proportions of the individual anterior (front) teeth do not. Asians tend to have narrower front teeth than Caucasians. In fact, the more Western the country, the larger and brighter its inhabitants’ teeth are inclined to be. In the most Western countries, the smiles considered most attractive are wide enough to reveal ten to twelve upper teeth.

One thing is certain: No matter where your family came from, your smile makes a strong and lasting impression on your social life—and on your career.

What Your Smile Says about Your Gender and Personality

You may not realize it, but people “read” a smile as an indication of more than proper orthodontia or good dental care. A smile is also an indication of personality. Does your smile tell the truth about who you are or want to be?

 Lateral Incisors as an Indication of Gender Traits

Did you know that your smile can be designed to give your face a more feminine or more masculine appearance? It’s true: Your lateral incisors, the teeth on either side of your center teeth, have some distinct characteristics that give you a gender-specific “look.”

• Smaller lateral Incisors make your smile look more feminine, while larger lateral incisors (more similar in size to the front two teeth) make your smile look more masculine.
• Lateral incisors that are tilted slightly toward the middle and tucked in slightly behind the middle teeth look more feminine, while straighter lateral incisors look more masculine.
• Lateral incisors that have rounded edges and are shorter than the middle teeth look more feminine, while lateral incisors that are the same length as the middle teeth look more masculine.
• Lateral incisors that are more triangular in shape (narrower at the gumline) look more feminine, while side teeth that are squarer in shape look more masculine.

Canines as an Indication of Disposition and Personality Traits

Since the time of the caveman, canine teeth have been the mark of the carnivore. In contemporary times, people “read” the shape and position of the canine, or “fang tooth,” as an indication of either an aggressive or an agreeable disposition, or a more dominant or passive personality.

• Canine teeth that are prominent, longer, and larger than the surrounding teeth suggest an aggressive personality, while canines that are more similar in length and size to the surrounding teeth suggest a more agreeable or benign personality.
• Canine teeth that have pointed tips give the impression of a personality that is more dominant, while canine teeth that are smaller, rounder, and less pointed give the impression of a personality that is more passive.

A smile that has been designed to take these factors into consideration can help you to express the traits you find desirable. When you meet someone for the first time, and smile, your smile makes an important first impression, one that people will use to “read” your personality. Sometimes Nature has been unfair, and your smile gives people a negative impression of who you really are or want to be. A “smile designer” can work with you to ensure that you will leave the positive impression you want to leave.

Don’t let your smile give people the wrong idea about your personality.

How Smile Design Can Reveal (or Conceal) Your Age

The term “smile design” is a term the dental profession has adopted recently to describe the modern approach to cosmetic dentistry. The term is an apt one, because today’s cosmetic dentistry goes well beyond the basic training given in dental school.

 Good “smile design” requires extensive training and knowledge in several distinct areas:

• Principles of design regarding the “architecture” of the teeth,
• Usage of dental “white materials”(composites, porcelains, bonding agents, tints, and opaquers), which are the building blocks and colorants of the dental architecture, and
• Understanding of facial and oral musculature.

In addition to special training, a good cosmetic dentist needs experience in implementing his or her training in a way that will create healthy and beautiful smiles.

In cosmetic dentistry, one size definitely does not fit all. What is considered appropriate and attractive can differ according to personal preference, cultural differences, and facial structure. Artistic principles of “smile design” determine what shape, size, and color teeth will harmonize most naturally with a person’s own face, gender, age, and personality.

How a Person’s Smile Can Reveal His Age

If you compare the smile of a sixteen-year-old to that of a sixty-year-old, you will notice that not only are all the sixteen-year-old’s teeth lighter in color, but also that his top two front teeth (the central incisors) exhibit some significant differences in shape:

• Younger teeth are longer than they are wide (more rectangular than square),
• Younger teeth are longer than the teeth on either side of them (the lateral incisors), and
• Younger teeth have irregular bottom edges and rounded corners (rather than sharp).

The reason a person’s smile changes as he ages is that, with time and use, the central incisors wear down to the length of the other top teeth; their shape becomes squarer, their edges flatter, their corners sharper. Also, with age, the muscles of the upper lip lose elasticity, which means that an older person’s smile shows less of his upper teeth and more of his lower teeth.

A good cosmetic dentist must consider all these factors when applying the principles of smile design, because a well-designed smile must harmonize with your face in a way that is age appropriate and natural, and it must position your teeth in a way that will provide proper lip support.

You can see that good smile design is far more than just a dental improvement—it gives your whole face an instant “lift” and shaves years off your age.

 Aren’t you worth it?

Our next post will discuss how gender and personality factors also play an important role in “smile design.”

SmilePlus Dentistry provides a “smile design” consultation to help you discover your most natural and beautiful smile. Please contact our office for more information or to schedule an evaluation.

Dental Implants as Replacements for Missing Teeth

Aren’t Dental Implants a Fairly New Procedure?

Surprisingly, no, but you might not have heard much about them until recent years. It used to be that, about a generation ago, if you lost a tooth, you had only two choices: Your dentist could either make you a removable bridge or fit you with a fixed bridge. Neither solution was ideal.

 A removable bridge could collect food and would need to be removed and cleaned after every meal. That could be managed fairly easily at home, but was not a pleasant prospect when ducking into the rest room in the office or at a restaurant!

 A fixed bridge was perhaps a better solution, but still required very meticulous cleaning and usually damaged the two perfectly good teeth on either side of the missing tooth, in order to anchor the bridge. Why would you want to damage otherwise-good teeth?

Then, fortunately, about twenty-five years ago, a solution came along that did not require the removal of any apparatus, did not damage other good teeth, and looked and felt just like your natural tooth. The solution was the dental implant.

In the beginning, implants were not done very widely, for several reasons: First of all, just as with any new technology or medical procedure, longer-term studies were required. Second, not many dentists were trained to do implants. Third, the procedure was prohibitively expensive.

All those things have changed.  In the last five to ten years, as longer-term studies on implants began showing high success rates, more and more dentists and oral surgeons became interested in the procedure, and dental schools began including implant training in their students’ curricula. With wider use, implants’ costs have come down.

So, no, implants are not new—but far more people have access to dental implants now than in the procedure’s early days.

How Does a Dental Implant Work?

A dental implant comprises three components—your own bone, a titanium post, and a synthetic replacement tooth. Working together, these three components replace both the root and crown of your lost tooth.

Here’s how the procedure works:

• In a minor surgical procedure, a post, usually made out of titanium, is inserted into the bone and secured.
• In time–about three to six months–the bone grows and integrates with the post, in a process called osteointegration. Proper osteointegration means that the bone and post have established a successful structural and functional connection, which is vital to the success of an implant.
• A restorative dentist works with a dental laboratory to fabricate a crown that looks very much like a real tooth, and customizes it to the post,
• The crown is then is screwed into the post above the gum, concluding the procedure.  The patient now has a “new” tooth!

 Isn’t an Implant More Expensive Than a Fixed Bridge?

Though implants are far less expensive than they once were, but they might still seem  expensive—until you look realistically at the long-term picture. Then you will realize it is usually less expensive and less damaging than a permanent fixed bridge. Here’s why:

• A fixed bridge usually requires grinding down the two side teeth to create support for the synthetic tooth that will “bridge,” or span, the two natural teeth. Because a bridge is difficult to maintain properly, it often requires repeated visits to the dentist.
• An implant can be cleaned, brushed, and flossed just like any natural tooth, is much easier to maintain, and, according to many studies, lasts years longer than a bridge.

Today, if you want to replace a missing tooth and want to save money over the long run, an implant is probably your best bet!

SmilePlus Dentistry offers advanced solutions for replacement of a missing tooth such as Dental Implant for a single tooth, Implant supported Fixed Bridges and Implant supported Overdentures. Please call our office at 510-796-1656 to schedule a consultation if you think an Implant is a right choice for you or your loved one.

My life changing career decision

The decision of joining UCLA last summer turned out to be one of the best career decisions I made after my dental school at NYU. I joined dental school at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) for comprehensive training in advanced Aesthetic Dentistry. I was fortunate to be trained by the world class educators and found great mentors who got me motivated to join the AACD (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry).

I am now pursuing AACD’s credentialing process for Cosmetic Dentistry designated as “Accreditation”.

As techniques and materials have improved, the Accreditation examination has continued to set a standard for excellence in cosmetic dentistry. Accreditation represents the acknowledgment of a dentist’s excellence in cosmetic dentistry.

Accreditation and the examination process are administered by the American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry and consist of written, clinical and oral examinations. Clinical examination consists of successful completion of required number of cosmetic cases of different case types over the period of five years.
Achieving accredited status from the AACD requires dedication to continuing education, careful adherence to the protocols, and a resolve to produce exceptional dentistry.

This is the beginning of my journey but I am thoroughly enjoying the ride striving for excellence in my work to benefit my patients. It is a hard work and rigorous examination process but I am sure I will achieve the accreditation status soon!

Please visit AACD’s website to learn about the academy.

http://www.aacd.com