“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” 

Cosmetic dentists receive years and years of training to have the ability to fabricate the “perfect” smile.  But the ultimate question is:  What is perfect?  A recent study in the Journal of the American Dental Association looked at this very question from laypeople’s perspective. 

Read more…

Lose a Tooth, Lose a Month?

Really?  Teeth are that important?  If I lose a tooth, my life gets shorter?  Yep, that’s the conclusion researchers at Göteborg University, in Göteborg, Sweden reached when they compared dental records to mortality rates of people over 70 years old.

The results showed that each remaining tooth at age 70 decreased the mortality risk by 4 percent over 7 years, and 2 – 3 percent over 18 years.

What about other stuff that can cause both early death and tooth loss?  For example, smoking, poverty, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, salivary gland disorders to name a few.  The researchers claim that from their studies, no cause and effect exists here.

They removed the effects of income, marriage, smoking, education, physical activity, diseases, social activity, drug consumption, and weight issues from the equation.  They found that losing teeth seemed to affect how long people lived independently of any of these factors.

The reason is a little unclear, but previous research shows that people with more teeth eat better, and they presume that replacing teeth with implants can help lengthen lives.

More reasons to brush and floss!

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(Information taken from DrBicuspid.com)

In the dental office, we never mention the “n” word…the one that rhymes with beedle.  If it weren’t for the “beedles,” maybe we dentist would be more popular.  Nobody likes “beedles,” but if we didn’t numb your tooth, we definitely wouldn’t remain friends. 

But what if we could numb your tooth without you even knowing it?  Or, better yet, what if we could do some procedures without the use of “beedles” altogether.

At Greystone Smile Design, we are on the cutting edge of dental technology.  Our goal is to make dentistry comfortable – we don’t just treat teeth, we treat people.  That’s why I’m excited to announce one more advancement in our pursuit of pain-free dentistry – Profound topical anesthetic.  This is one of the strongest topical anesthetics on the market. 

Do your gums hurt when you get your teeth cleaned?  Those days are over!  All we have to do is simply apply the Profound topical to the sensitive site and waaalaaa – painfree without a “beedle!”  This can also be used for deep cleanings and several pediatric procedures including simple baby tooth extractions and most baby tooth fillings.

For procedures where we do have to use a “beedle,” the vast majority of patients do not feel anything.  After applying the Profound with a Q-tip and waiting about 2 minutes, you will already begin to feel the numbness.  The top teeth are easy – you will rarely feel anything on these.  Even the dreaded “roof of the mouth” injection can be relatively painless.  For the bottom teeth, we can virtually eliminate the injection that numbs your lip and tongue.  Profound is so strong that we can place it around the tooth to be treated and inject only around that tooth – no fat lip, no fat tongue, no drooling, and no slurred speech!

In those situations where we do have to numb your whole head, our anesthetic reversal agent can reverse the numbness in about half the time so you can get on with your day. 

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There has always been some disagreement in the dental world about this question.  Some past studies showed that high-concentration hydrogen peroxide-based products can cause increased porosity leading to demineralization and calcium loss, but results have always been inconclusive. 

Researchers from the University of Trieste found that whitening does not alter enamel surface roughness, even after multiple applications of the strongest in-office solution on the market (38% hydrogen peroxide).

The study authors looked at 20 patients; all underwent an in-office 1 hour whitening procedure with 38% hydrogen peroxide once per week for 4 weeks.  The results indicate that these bleaching products have no harmful effects on enamel morphology. 

The major difference in this study compared to past studies is that actual patients were examined.  Past research was conducted in the lab on extracted teeth.  These results show the remineralization capability of the oral environment. 

Other colleagues in Ohio found the same results – no change in enamel surface roughness AND no change in enamel surface hardness after 1 hour in-office whitening.  But, they also claim that take home whitening products may cause decreased hardness in enamel because of the longer application times.  Once again, this is debatable and more research is needed. 

Visit us at Greystone Smile Design for a FREE whitening consult!

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Birmingham, AL cosmetic dentist Dr. Tom Dudney teamed up with Rick and Bubba for Mother’s Day 2008 in the “Fix Mama’s Mouth – Ultimate Mother’s Day Makeover.“  The grand prize winner was Donna Chitwood of Fort Payne, AL.  Dr. Dudney also participates on a Rick and Bubba Show segment entitled “Teeth Talk with Dr. Dudney.” Dr. Dudney answers various questions from the general public regarding cosmetic dentistry and oral health.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dudney at Greystone Smile Design, call 205-433-9452.

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Birmingham, Alabama Cosmetic Dentist