Cosmetic dentistry can improve smiles, health

More than 9 in 10 Americans say a smile is the most important social asset, and three quarters of them say an unattractive smile would hurt a person's career chances.



But only half of adults polled by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry say they are happy with their own smiles. "As a society, we are very smile conscious," said Dr. Ronnie Myers, a professor and vice dean at Columbia University's College of Dental Medicine.



MORE: Watch your mouth! Dental health gives signs to overall well-being



While some may turn to cosmetic dentistry solely for aesthetic purposes, it also can improve dental health, Myers said.



A person with malocclusion, or a misalignment of teeth, who turns to an orthodontist or cosmetic dentist will likely end up with a prettier smile. But straighter teeth also will be easier to clean, potentially leading to better oral health, he said.



There also can be a self-esteem boost that comes with having an improved smile, Myers said.



"There are instances when it is not strictly cosmetic. There's a place for it," he said. "On the other hand, sometimes the sales pitch is worse than what you need."



Myers asks patients why they want cosmetic dentistry and what they want to achieve with improvements to their smile, then proceeds from there to decide what procedure might be best for that patient.



"There are different reasons to do one or the other. If it's just the shade of their teeth that patients are concerned about, well, maybe bleaching is enough. If the patient has very good teeth intact and wants to even them out, maybe veneers are the way to go," he said.



If the dentists suggests cosmetic dentistry, patients can ask several questions to help them decide what is best for them:



• What is your reasoning for it?



• Why do you believe I need it?



• Is it strictly cosmetic or are there health benefits for me?



• What are risks and benefits of it?



If patients are not satisfied with the answers, they should seek second opinions, Myers said.



Source: http://www.app.com/story/life/wellness/2014/08/11/cosmetic-dentistry-can-improve-health/13922329/



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/25044.html

Cosmetic dentistry can improve smiles, health

More than 9 in 10 Americans say a smile is the most important social asset, and three quarters of them say an unattractive smile would hurt a person's career chances.



But only half of adults polled by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry say they are happy with their own smiles. "As a society, we are very smile conscious," said Dr. Ronnie Myers, a professor and vice dean at Columbia University's College of Dental Medicine.



MORE: Watch your mouth! Dental health gives signs to overall well-being



While some may turn to cosmetic dentistry solely for aesthetic purposes, it also can improve dental health, Myers said.



A person with malocclusion, or a misalignment of teeth, who turns to an orthodontist or cosmetic dentist will likely end up with a prettier smile. But straighter teeth also will be easier to clean, potentially leading to better oral health, he said.



There also can be a self-esteem boost that comes with having an improved smile, Myers said.



"There are instances when it is not strictly cosmetic. There's a place for it," he said. "On the other hand, sometimes the sales pitch is worse than what you need."



Myers asks patients why they want cosmetic dentistry and what they want to achieve with improvements to their smile, then proceeds from there to decide what procedure might be best for that patient.



"There are different reasons to do one or the other. If it's just the shade of their teeth that patients are concerned about, well, maybe bleaching is enough. If the patient has very good teeth intact and wants to even them out, maybe veneers are the way to go," he said.



If the dentists suggests cosmetic dentistry, patients can ask several questions to help them decide what is best for them:



• What is your reasoning for it?



• Why do you believe I need it?



• Is it strictly cosmetic or are there health benefits for me?



• What are risks and benefits of it?



If patients are not satisfied with the answers, they should seek second opinions, Myers said.



Source: http://www.app.com/story/life/wellness/2014/08/11/cosmetic-dentistry-can-improve-health/13922329/



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/24812.html

Cosmetic dentistry improves patients' self-confidence

The results of a survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry showed that virtually all Americans -- 99.7 percent to be exact -- believe that a nice looking smile is an important physical asset. Dr. Michael Lenz, DMD of Wilmington Dental Associates sees countless patients who don't like the way their teeth look and are eager to improve their smiles at his Wilmington cosmetic dentistry. He offers an extensive selection of cosmetic solutions for patients that utilize the latest dental technologies and methods.



Self-confidence is serious business. According to Dove Research only 4 percent of all women worldwide think that they are beautiful and six out of 10 girls stop doing the things they love when they aren't happy about their looks. It's not surprised that the majority of patients seeking cosmetic dental treatments are women. But it's not just women -- a research study by the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of the West of England found that more than four in five men use language that shows they have anxiety about their appearance.



The modern treatments that Wilmington cosmetic dentist Dr. Lenz offers at his practice on Pennsylvania Avenue often help improve self-confidence in his patients when it comes to their smiles. His offerings include Invisalign® (clear braces), three different variations of traditional braces, porcelain veneers, dental implants, fixed or removable bridges and crowns that can last for many years with good care.



In-office teeth whitening is another popular cosmetic service that his patients request. The dentist applies a high grade whitening gel on the teeth, and activates the whitening power with a special light. The entire process takes about an hour and leaves patients with very desirable results that can last for two years or more. The length of time that the teeth stay white depends on each patient's commitment to regular care and maintenance.



Dr. Lenz is committed to providing patients with fast and efficient solutions to their aesthetic issues at his Wilmington cosmetic dentistry. They can often get in and out of their appointments fairly quickly with a minimal number of visits to the office. Patients leave his Wilmington dentist office looking and feeling brand new.



"Cosmetic options have improved significantly over the past couple of decades. Patients can now have straight, nicely aligned white teeth faster than ever before. For the first time in a long time, they feel confident about smiling," he says.​



Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140807/Cosmetic-dentistry-improves-patients-self-confidence.aspx



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/24465.html

Cosmetic dentistry improves patients' self-confidence

The results of a survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry showed that virtually all Americans -- 99.7 percent to be exact -- believe that a nice looking smile is an important physical asset. Dr. Michael Lenz, DMD of Wilmington Dental Associates sees countless patients who don't like the way their teeth look and are eager to improve their smiles at his Wilmington cosmetic dentistry. He offers an extensive selection of cosmetic solutions for patients that utilize the latest dental technologies and methods.



Self-confidence is serious business. According to Dove Research only 4 percent of all women worldwide think that they are beautiful and six out of 10 girls stop doing the things they love when they aren't happy about their looks. It's not surprised that the majority of patients seeking cosmetic dental treatments are women. But it's not just women -- a research study by the Centre of Appearance Research at the University of the West of England found that more than four in five men use language that shows they have anxiety about their appearance.



The modern treatments that Wilmington cosmetic dentist Dr. Lenz offers at his practice on Pennsylvania Avenue often help improve self-confidence in his patients when it comes to their smiles. His offerings include Invisalign® (clear braces), three different variations of traditional braces, porcelain veneers, dental implants, fixed or removable bridges and crowns that can last for many years with good care.



In-office teeth whitening is another popular cosmetic service that his patients request. The dentist applies a high grade whitening gel on the teeth, and activates the whitening power with a special light. The entire process takes about an hour and leaves patients with very desirable results that can last for two years or more. The length of time that the teeth stay white depends on each patient's commitment to regular care and maintenance.



Dr. Lenz is committed to providing patients with fast and efficient solutions to their aesthetic issues at his Wilmington cosmetic dentistry. They can often get in and out of their appointments fairly quickly with a minimal number of visits to the office. Patients leave his Wilmington dentist office looking and feeling brand new.



"Cosmetic options have improved significantly over the past couple of decades. Patients can now have straight, nicely aligned white teeth faster than ever before. For the first time in a long time, they feel confident about smiling," he says.​



Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140807/Cosmetic-dentistry-improves-patients-self-confidence.aspx



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/24151.html

Milk teeth stem cells help treat chronic diseases

Stem cells, which have the potential to protect from life threatening diseases, can be 'locked' within your family teeth. Now, dentists have introduced process to send milk teeth to Mumbai-based labs to harvest milk teeth for future use of stem cells.



Dentists claim that though only two samples have been collected by the Mumbai-based lab from the city but there has been a steep rise in the queries being raised by parents about the facility in the past three to four months.



With the discovery of stem cells in milk teeth, dentists claim that an accessible and available source of stem cells has been identified. A child's stem cells can be preserved from the milk teeth and can even be collected from impacted third molars till the age of 22.



Dr Om Shankar of Institute of Medical Science, BHU, maintained that stem cells can be obtained from any bone of the body and it can also be obtained from pulp (milk teeth) as well as blood. He said that a large number of stem cells were found in bone marrow and the number of less stem cells were found in blood.



He claimed that stem cell taken from pulp of teeth has many advantages as it could be transformed in different cells.



Ortho dentist Dr Abha Vishnoi Kesarwani said that parents have become aware about the fact that stem cells can be obtained from the pulp of milk teeth. Parents of new born and children ask about the course of action and expenditure needed for the process.



Research involving stem cells in teeth has exploded during last four and five years and the laboratories that will bank the cells in a deep-freezer have since began operating. Experts say that dental stem cells have the potential to treat different diseases including heart disease and leukemia In the near future, dental stem cells could grow new teeth and jaw bone.



Professor and head of the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, MLN Medical College, Allahabad, U S Sinha said that stem cells can be taken from milk teeth for preservation. Preserving milk teeth is highly recommended as an all-time asset that can be used for treating a person or his/her siblings anytime."



As a Mumbai laboratory is providing special kits for preserving stem cell from milk teeth, city dentists have started harvesting milk teeth for stem cell preservation. City based dental surgeon Dr Vaibhav Shukla has collected milk teeth of two children aged about seven and nine years and sent to the Mumbai laboratory for preservation.



The deciduous tooth which has been extracted can be cut with a cryo knife to collect stem cells. This facility was not available in India till a few years back, but a medical lab at Mumbai has introduced the facility for preserving stem cell.



If experts use any other instrument instead of cryo knife, it produces heat that subsequently leads to destruction of stem cells. The stem cells contained within teeth are capable of replicating themselves and can be readily recovered at the time of a planned dental procedure.



Apart from being the most convenient stem cells to access, dental stem cells have significant medical benefits in the development of new medical therapies. Using one's own stem cells for medical treatment means a much lower risk of rejection by the body and decreases the need for powerful drugs that weaken the immune system.



The stem cells from teeth have been observed in research studies to be among the most powerful in the human body. Stem cells from teeth replicate at a faster rate and for a longer period of time than cells harvested from other tissues of the body.



Recently, parents of a boy suffering from muscular dystrophy approached the doctors to get his stem cell preserved. After the process, his treatment was started which is showing positive results.



Dr A K Santhani said that parents may not see the benefits of dental stem cell banking immediately, but it is the best investment and gift from parents to their children. Most of the families regret when their children face some chronic disease and their stem cells are not preserved at the time of birth. But now, stem cell preservation through milk teeth is offering a new hope.



It is a costly exercise and around Rs 85,000 is required for preserving stem cell from milk teeth. Doctors said that stem cells have shown potential in treating cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cancer, spinal cord injuries, retinal diseases, endocrinal disorders, renal disease, liver disorders, muscular dystrophy and many incurable diseases.



Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Milk-teeth-stem-cells-help-treat-chronic-diseases/articleshow/38667773.cms



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from Affinity Dental Fresno http://affinitydental.livejournal.com/23933.html

What Dentists Can Tell About Your Health Just By Looking In Your Mouth

When dentists poke around inside your mouth while simultaneously asking you questions about how often you floss, it's not just cavities they are looking for — and there's a lot more than tooth decay that they can see.



The health of your mouth, particularly your gums, has major implications for your general health.



It's probably no surprise that dentists look for signs of oral cancer when examining the mouth. But some far less obvious health conditions show up in your mouth too.



"If the eye is the window to the soul, the mouth is the window to the body," says Dr. Stuart Froum, the president of the American Academy of Periodontists — dentists who focus on gum disease — and a practicing periodontist in Manhattan.



Medical conditions are more likely to show up in the gums and mouth than the teeth themselves, though ignoring those gum conditions and not flossing can lead to some pretty nasty teeth issues.



People ignore periodontal, or gum, disease with surprising frequency.



"I see people coming in who are meticulously dressed, women and men, who have their hair and nails done, are very interested in health — and these are patients who haven't seen a dentist in years," he says.



Almost 50% of adults have some form of gum disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss and a sign of many other health issues as well.



Here are seven things that a dentist can tell from looking in your mouth.



1. You are pregnant. Small red growths on the gums and between teeth, frequently referred to as pregnancy tumors, show up in about 5% of pregnant women. They aren't dangerous, but can be associated with increased sensitivity in the mouth, which means that some people need extra dental care while pregnant. "I diagnosed a pregnancy on a women before her obstetrician once," says Froum.



2. Light pink pale gums can be a sign of anemia, according to Dr. Sally Cram, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association and a periodontist in Washington, D.C. When people are iron deficient, their gums can lose the normal red color and turn pink or even white.



3. Many antidepressants cause dry mouth, which can lead to cavities. SSRIs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft commonly have this effect. While these drugs can help people manage mental health issues, some decrease the flow of saliva, which acts like a protective agent for teeth. Dentists who notice the issue or are alerted to it can recommend sprays, saliva substitutes, or other strategies for protecting teeth. Certain antihistamines, which are frequently used to treat allergies, can cause similar dry mouth issues.



4. You're stressed out or anxious. Froum says that during medical school exams at NYU, he usually gets a steady flow of patients complaining of sensitive gums and teeth, who say "this is the worst time for this to be happening." Unfortunately, "the worst time" is a frequent trigger for gum problems, as people are more likely to neglect oral hygiene and are likely to have an increased amount of stress hormones like cortisol in their body. Higher levels of cortisol are strongly associated with inflammation and make it harder for your body to fight infection. Those stress hormones and associated inflammation also lead to gum disease, which can cause tooth and bone loss.



5. Frequent infections called abscesses at the root of a tooth or on the gums in between teeth are a common side effect of diabetes. Dentists might be the first to diagnose diabetes in many patients, as these infections, which can be painful, frequently bring someone to a dentist's office. Healthy people can develop abscesses, but people with diabetes have an increased risk. Someone who is having trouble managing their blood sugar is especially susceptible to these infections, and the inflammation abscesses cause can in turn make it harder to control blood sugar. That interplay can create a nasty cycle.



6. Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and Crohn's disease can cause sore red spots in the mouth. Lichen planus, another condition that seems to be linked to immune function, frequently shows up as sores on the skin and white spots in the mouth. These spots may be tender or painful and can lead to mouth ulcers, which can be dangerous, but the spots themselves usually respond to treatment.



7. Heart problems are associated with gum disease as well, though Froum cautions that no cause-and-effect relationship has been found. Still, people with periodontal issues are more likely to suffer from heart problems. Researchers think the relationship may be related to underlying issues with chronic inflammation.

One common link with many of these conditions is particularly important to note: dealing with these issues in the mouth can make it easier to find and treat conditions that affect other parts of the body as well.



"Controlling the one condition or the other can benefit people," whether you start with the one in the body or the way it shows up in the mouth, says Cram.



It's a good reason to make sure to schedule an annual visit to a dentist, even if you're lucky enough to have never had a cavity.



Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-disease-in-the-teeth-and-mouth-2014-8



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Archaeologists Discover 2,300-Year-Old Dental Implant in Iron Age Burial Chamber

The teeth in position during the excavation. The iron pin is visible on the left.




A study published in the journal Antiquity has revealed the discovery of an Iron Age tooth implant among the remains of a Celtic woman in northern France. The implant is the oldest of its kind discovered in Western Europe, according to a report in The Guardian.



The finding was made in a 2,300-year-old richly furnished burial chamber in Le Chêne, France. The iron implant, which is the same size and shape as incisors from her upper jaw, was found alongside the rest of her teeth. It is believed that the iron pin was covered with a wooden- or ivory-carved tooth.








“The teeth were in an anatomical position, with the molars, pre-molars, canines and incisors. Then there was this piece of metal. My first reaction was: what is this?" said Guillaume Seguin, who excavated the young woman's skeleton. The teeth were taken away for a closer look. It was discovered that the woman had 31 teeth rather than 32, and the iron pin was in place where the missing tooth would have been. Although not known for certain, it is believed that the implant was added after death to make the woman look beautiful in her tomb, as hammering the pin into the jaw of a living person would have been extremely painful, and could have caused a fatal infection. Dentistry, in some form or another, has been practiced for at least 9,000 years, although tooth extraction and remedies for tooth aches probably go back much further. The study of ancient remains from around the world has demonstrated the ingenuity that existed in the application of surgical and cosmetic dental practices going back many millennia. The Indus Valley Civilisation has yielded evidence for the earliest form of dentistry, in the form of bow drills, which date back to 7000 BC.






Incredible dental work found on a 4,000-year-old mummy. The two centre teeth are donor teeth.


In ancient Egypt, Pharaonic physicians were no strangers to reconstruction works: there have been three instances of a dental bridge: one or more lost teeth reattached by means of a gold or silver wire to the surrounding teeth. In some cases, a bridge was made using donor teeth. However, like the latest discovery, it’s a bit unclear whether these works were performed during the life of the patient or after death – to tidy them up, as it were, before their burial.



Source: http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/archaeologists-discover-2300-year-old-dental-implant-iron-age-burial



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Innovations in Dentistry Bridging the Gap for California Kids

Every so often, technological advances allow public health officials opportunities to make major progress in stemming the tide of a chronic disease. One recent advance, the Virtual Dental Home (VDH), has been tested in California over the past three years, and the program's success in reaching underserved children and other populations to prevent and treat dental disease has been impressive.



Few people realize that tooth decay is the number one chronic disease among children. Those who have suffered from a serious toothache know how debilitating it can be. So, imagine sitting through an algebra class with one. Then multiply that by the hundreds of thousands of children who suffer silently in school, on playgrounds, in bed or at dinnertime. But here's the bottom line: dental disease is largely preventable if children and others get routine care. Unfortunately, certain families face hurdles to getting needed care for their children. Many don't have affordable transportation, and many low-income parents lose pay when they miss work. Finally, there are simply not enough providers to serve the children who need the care the most; these are children who are enrolled in Medi-Cal or live in underserved areas where there are shortages of dental providers.

So, the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry with The Children's Partnership and several other partners decided that with the right technology and forward thinking, we can help solve this problem if we simply bring dental care to the schools, Head Start, and other community locations. This way, children get the care they need without missing school, and their parents don't have to miss work.



Fortunately, technology has now advanced to the stage where a specially-trained dental hygienist can put a collapsible dental chair, laptop and handheld X-ray machine in the trunk of his or her car and within minutes, children are getting state-of-the art dental care. After the initial information is collected about the child's oral health, the hygienist uploads and makes available the complete digital records -- including photos and X-rays -- to a secure web server, where a dentist makes a diagnosis, from his or her office, and develops a treatment plan. Often, care can be provided immediately at the community site. Thus, more than two-thirds of Virtual Dental Home patients can be kept healthy in the community site, meaning they do not need to travel for needed dental care. For more advanced treatment needs, an appointment or a referral to a dentist can be made on the spot.



The Virtual Dental Home has been providing care to high-risk children and adults for over three years in California under a state-approved demonstration program. As of November 2013, nearly 2000 patients have been seen in more than 45 sites across California with overwhelmingly positive results. A rigorous evaluation has demonstrated patient safety with no negative or adverse outcomes. Further, patients expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the program, in large part because it is designed in a way that makes accessing dental care easy and convenient for patients and their families. In fact, 100 percent of respondents would continue with the program if it continued to be available.



Because this program is grant funded and operating on a pilot basis, we need to move quickly to ensure children can continue to benefit from this advance so that more children across the state can get the dental care they desperately need. Currently, state legislators are working to enact policies to ensure that the program can be replicated and is sustainable by updating workforce policies and having Medi-Cal pay for care provided through the technology. The Virtual Dental Home is a program that not only makes sense and helps solve a serious public health problem, but it also has proven to be valuable, safe, well-liked by consumers, and cost-effective. It's a program all Californians should have no problem getting behind.



Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-lazarus/innovations-in-dentistry-_b_5662547.html



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Vintage Bling: Ancient Celts May Have Had Shiny Dental Implants

Sparkly, gold grills aren't just for Flavor Flav; ancient Celts may have sought out flashy smiles as well. Archaeologists have unearthed a dental implant in a grave in France that dates to the third century B.C.



The implant — an iron pin that may have screwed into the gum to hold a decorative tooth in place — was found in the mouth of a skeleton in a Celtic burial site in La Chêne, France. The tooth was described in the June issue of the journal Antiquity.



Though it's not clear what the false tooth would have been made of, it was likely put in to enhance the owner's smile, said Guillaume Seguin, an archaeologist at Archeosphere in France and co-author of the study.



"In Le Chêne, the replaced tooth is a central maxillary incisor," which is one of the "most visible teeth when you speak or when you smile," Seguin told Live Science in an email. "So there, the intention was probably aesthetic."



Ancient teeth



The replacement of lost teeth is nothing new: Previous studies have reported on a 7,000-year-old skull from Algeria that sports a replica tooth sculpted from bone. Other excavations have unearthed a 5,500-year-old skeleton from Egypt with a replacement incisor fashioned from a shell. And an Anatolian site has potential implants fashioned from calcite, though the remnant wasn't found in the mouth, so it could be an amulet, the authors wrote in the paper.



These ancient teeth were also likely implanted after death, the researchers wrote in the paper. After all, Egyptians believed that they would use their bodies in the afterlife, so some may have wanted to get started with a full set of choppers.



Celtic elite



Seguin and his colleagues were excavating an Iron Age tomb in France when they uncovered the skeleton of a woman who was 20 to 30 years old when she died.



The skeleton was bedecked with finery, including a bronze belt strung with brooches, a bronze bracelet and ring, and a pair of iron shears to trim her hair. Along with coral and amber necklaces that were found in nearby graves, the new discoveries suggest the woman was a member of the Celtic elite, Seguin said.



Though the skeleton was badly preserved, her teeth were fairly intact, with no cavities, tartar or wearing of the enamel, Seguin said.



In her mouth, near where the central maxillary incisor would have been, was a small iron pin. The location suggests it was used as part of a dental implant, which was either inserted into the pulp canal of the root, or into the tooth socket.



Both would have been painful, Seguin said.



If she did receive medicine for the pain during surgery, it was likely from a medicinal plant, such as a weeping willow, which contains acetylsalicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin, Seguin said.



Cause a mystery



The skeleton didn't preserve signs of trauma, but one possibility is that the Celtic woman lost her tooth from either a punch or a fall, Seguin said.



"The central maxillary incisors are the most commonly broken teeth by a facial trauma," Seguin said.



The false tooth was probably inserted when the person was still alive, though it may have been placed after death, the researchers said.



It's not clear exactly what material the tooth would have been made from, but Etruscan elites sported decorative gold teeth. The ancient Celts came into contact with them via trading routes, the authors wrote in the paper. As such, it's possible that the Celts admired the Etruscans' penchant for bling-filled smiles and emulated them, they speculated.



Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vintage-bling-ancient-celts-may-had-shiny-dental-190755223.html



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Google Glass Assists Dental Implant Procedures