Want to Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthier

Want to Keep Your Teeth and

Gums Healthier? Try Adding

This Little Known Step to Your

Daily Dental Routine

Everyone pretty much knows by

now brushing and flossing after

every meal and getting a

professional cleaning at least

every six months has a huge

impact on dental health.

But there’s another facet to

personal daily dental hygiene

that has a big impact on dental

health: scraping your tongue.

Perhaps we don’t hear that

much about it because tongue

scrapers are not well promoted.

One inexpensive one can

practically last a lifetime.

Studies suggest that by

removing the soft plaque from

the tongue, you’re removing

most of the bacteria and other

debris that are the primary

source of bad breath, hard

plaque (tartar) and mineral

leaching acids (tooth decay).

The latest research associates

the bacteria in our mouths with

heart disease and other

ailments. The bottom line – for

dramatically better oral hygiene

and health just add cleaning

your tongue to your routine.

You can get a tongue scraper at

your next appointmentTry Adding

Tongue Scraper

Try Adding This Little Known Step to Your Daily Dental Routine

Everyone pretty much knows by now brushing and flossing after every meal and getting a professional cleaning at least every six months has a huge impact on dental health.

But there’s another facet to personal daily dental hygiene that has a big impact on dental health: scraping your tongue.

Perhaps we don’t hear that much about it because tongue scrapers are not well promoted. One inexpensive one can practically last a lifetime.

Studies suggest that by removing the soft plaque from the tongue, you’re removing most of the bacteria and other debris that are the primary source of bad breath, hard plaque (tartar) and mineral leaching acids (tooth decay).

The latest research associates the bacteria in our mouths with heart disease and other ailments. The bottom line – for dramatically better oral hygiene and health just add cleaning your tongue to your routine.

You can get a tongue scraper at your next St Louis dental appointment.

The Key To Dental Treatment Lies Beyond The Teeth

In a perfectly constructed mouth, the teeth and jaw fit together to perform the function of chewing. The slightest adjustment to a tooth can throw this precise functioning off-balance. Even the replacement of a filling can make your bite feel different if it’s not balanced correctly and if not adjusted, can cause your jaw joints to move out of place.

If just a simple filling requires such precision, imagine the precision required in placing veneers or implants while ensuring they not only look great but are completely natural in their feel and fit. [Read more...]

Why Your Exam Is So Critical

If you wanted to remodel your home you’d hire a general contractor. If you hired an electrician or a carpenter, their knowledge would be sufficiently limited to provide you with the desired outcome.

Similarly, the scope of your dental exam is based on a practitioner’s knowledge of dentistry. Usually, a dentist doesn’t see much beyond what he or she can treat. At Artistic Dentistry, we treat nearly any dental situation — from root canals to orthodontics to cosmetics to identifying the “mysterious” reason for a tooth problem.

Your teeth and mouth tell a story. Your mouth, gums and jaws indicate much about your overall health. Aside from your dental condition — I can sometimes detect conditions like osteoporosis, leukemia, cancer and even bulimia.

So, the next time my St Louis dentist staff calls to get you scheduled for your cleaning and exam, you should know that this is one of the most important visits you can make.

The Boring Truth Most Dentists Don’t Tell You

Celebrities. Glamour. Gorgeous Smiles. They all go together.

Most cosmetic dentists have photos of gorgeous women and handsome men flashing million dollar smiles and having fun.

It all convey the idea that cosmetic dentists are in the glamour business.

And maybe, to an extent, we are. [Read more...]

Is Cosmetic Dentistry a Luxury?

Before Whitening

After One Hour In-Office Whitening

What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry describes procedures that restore or enhance your smile.  These include dental crowns, bridges, dental implants, porcelain veneers and whitening.

Even simple whitening can have a dramatic effect on your appearance. The before and after pictures to the left of one of or patients shows what can be achieved in just an hour.

The top reasons my own St Louis patients are having cosmetic dental procedures to restore and update their smiles include:

Single and looking for a mate. Often the confidence that comes from having a great smile transforms an introvert into an extrovert. For many of our patients, a new smile is a life transformation.

Professional Image. For professionals, executives and any career that dealing with people, having a nice smile is no longer just a competitive edge. It’s a necessity.

Health-conscious. Maintaining the functionality of your teeth is vital to overall health and its impact is felt more as you get older.  So many of our patients are health conscious. They exercise, eat right and try to stay away from medications. These same pateints understand the importance of maintaining the functionality of their teeth. These are people who do not want to have dentures in their older years.

So, is cosmetic dentistry a luxury? For many, that’s like asking if you can afford to exercise or eat right.

How Important Are Before and After Photos?

I read about ten different dental journals each month. Most disheartening is the importance put on the appearance of the patient’s teeth after treatment. To the untrained eye, the cosmetic makeover may look great. But a photo does not depict the entire story. In many cases that come to me after having cosmetic work, the structural integrity established by jaw position has been compromised and that new beautiful appearance is jeopardized every day by bad jaw function which may one day fail.

People Always Look At Your Teeth & What do they see?

It’s scientifically proven that people see your smile or teeth as the 1st or 2nd thing they notice when they look at you. Did you realize this?

In some studies it is the eyes first – in other studies it’s the smile. Either way, when you come into contact with other people they ARE going to notice your teeth and smile no matter what, since the mouth and eyes are the chief vehicles for communication.

People are drawn to beautiful things and having a beautiful smile plays a huge importance in how attractive other people see you. You probably already knew this just by having common sense but over the past 20-30 years the scientific evidence clearly shows that your smile influences how you are perceived and treated by others in every situation in life.

So many changes have occurred in cosmetic dentistry in the past few years, that most people who come into my St Louis dental office inquiring about veneers, crowns, bridges and straightening are surprised to find out they’re living with antiquated notions of dentistry.

I have a free report about cosmetic dentistry that you can order by calling 800 719 6911 and leaving your address on the automated 24 hour message. If you already know you want to fix your smile, call my office at 314 576 3000.

For a bit of bad teeth humor, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoMhLoKku0U