Dental Blog

As the days of another year race forward, we're all aware that time isn't slowing down. The demands of modern life push and pull on us from every angle. Deadlines at work and headlines at home write the story of our lives. The never-ending list of responsibilities and activities jostle for attention from a limited number of hours in the day. If we,re lucky, we eke out little blocks of time for ourselves.

Healthy partnerships pay off. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, acclaimed author Stephen Covey offers the "synergy" habit. He outlines that if two people work together, the output is greater than the sum of their parts: 1+1=3...not 2! Cooperative efforts yield results that aren't possible working alone, often exceeding expectations.

If we chose our habits based on the latest headlines, we’d be caught in lurching chaos. One day we’d be popping Vitamin D, and throwing it out the next. In the 24/7 news storm driven by social media, midnight bloggers, and major news outlets, a flood of conflicting reports fill the insatiable demand for information. Now, even the credibility of flossing can’t escape controversy.

The tooth fairy has an average rate for baby teeth, and every kid looks forward to cashing in. But once the permanent teeth move into place, the value jumps upward. Along the way, the cost of maintaining and repairing teeth usually receives a lot of consideration in the household budget.

Stereotypes abound when it comes to aging. Advancing years bring imminent changes, but losing teeth doesn't need to be part of your story. While dentures provide a valuable service for those who need them, they aren't inevitable for most people. In fact, more patients than ever enjoy their own teeth throughout their lifetimes.

More than 11 million plastic surgery procedures trim, shape and mold the American public each year. Along with tummy tucks and face lifts, smile enhancement treatments bring a clear finish to many cosmetic cases. And the details that create a brilliant smile shouldn’t be overlooked, including the display of the gums. The gums, also known as gingiva, play a crucial role in the appearance of your smile while providing critical support.

Smiles send powerful messages to everyone around us. Volumes of research confirm the influential role of smiles on our relationships and our self-esteem. Romances may start with a simple smile across a crowded room, and children reinforce their self-worth through mom’s flashes of approval. Salespeople who happily display their teeth and gums sell more than those who don’t. In fact, one study recently quantified the monetary value of a smile! Regardless of the measure, a genuine, attractive smile feeds success in every part of your life.

You're enjoying a delicious handful of sugar-coated peanuts...actually, a second handful that you almost passed up. You bite down and hear a loud crunch, which just didn't seem right. Your tongue makes a pulse-spiking discovery: A significant chunk of your upper left molar fractured, and the piece has already disappeared into the abyss.

You've probably flipped open an issue of People magazine and seen a perfect, brilliant smile staring back at you. That smile likely looked different not very long ago. With today's gorgeous dental materials, veneers can transform facial appearance dramatically in just a couple of visits. Sometimes acting like "instant orthodontics," a set of veneers can correct chips, stains, and even deeply discolored teeth. But they can also alter the length and size of teeth, or help teeth that seem rotated suddenly appear straight. While it sounds dramatic, the journey from one smile to another is actually within reach of many patients.

Flashy metal grins fill the pages of most high school yearbooks, a rite of passage for many teenagers. Not long ago, misaligned teeth left you with two options: live with them or wire up. But today you'll find new stealth ways to straighten out your smile And that means a confident new look lies within reach of everyone, regardless of age.