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Smile Texas's Cosmetic Dentistry Journal

Archive for the ‘Cosmetic Dentistry Journal’ Category

The Average Persons Top 3 Considerations When Selecting A Cosmetic Dentist

People who are deciding on which dentist to trust for a cosmetic dentistry procedure have consistently listed the following as their top three criteria:

  1. Post-graduate training in cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry.
  2. Extensive experience in performing cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry.
  3. Genuine compassion and sincerity.

Perhaps this is why so many people have placed their trust in Dr. Bret Davis of Smile Texas.

Dr. Bret Davis has been following his passion and perfecting his skills in cosmetic dentistry for over a decade.  He has studied extensively at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.  This stand-alone facility is considered the gold standard for post-graduate training in the highly technical areas of cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry.  Dr. Davis was one of the youngest dentists ever to complete the LVI curriculum and earn a fellowship status.  He then went on to instruct at Indiana State University Dental Residency while also maintaining a private practice.  Dr. Davis is also a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.  This distinction is achieved by fewer than 1% of practicing dentists.

Dr. Davis has put all his training to good use by placing literally thousands of all-porcelain restorations.  His training in proper bite alignment not only assures that a smile by Dr. Davis will look great, but it will last too!  In fact, we are so confident in the work of Dr. Davis that each of his cases comes with a Last Time You Pay policy.

Finally, Dr. Davis embodies the attitude of genuine compassion and sincerity that instills a sense of confidence in his patients.  All of his efforts to be the very best cosmetic and reconstructive dentist possible stem from his desire to give his patients the very best treatment.

In just one meeting with Dr. Davis you will know that you are in the right place.

Smile by Dr. Davis

Smile by Dr. Davis

Dr. Rick L. Kline and Dr. Bret Davis have a combined 40+ years experience in cosmetic, reconstructive, and implant dentistry. They have completed thousands of Smile Makeovers during their careers and have completed hundreds of hours of highly technical continuing education.  In addition, Dr. Kline can replace an entire upper or lower smile using dental implants and permanently fixed teeth, in just one procedure!  This is a miracle solution for those who have lost or are losing all of their natural teeth.  Guests travel from around the World to Smile Texas because they know they will find the best of a wide range of solutions that will be perfect for their needs.  And they will find them all in one office.

Services provided by Texas licensed general dentists.  Actual treatment results may vary.

A Smile Makeover At Smile Texas Is A Life Changing Event

Smile MakeoverPatients travel from around the World to visit the dentists of Smile Texas.  They come because they are unhappy with their smile and are finally ready to make a change. They come with a wide variety of dental problems, but they all share the desire to laugh and smile again without hesitation. A straight, white, beautiful smile will give you a new look that gets you noticed and changes how others perceive you.  In most cases, the dentists at Smile Texas can give you that smile in just two visits, in just two weeks!  They even offer an Express Service for their many out-of-town guests that completes all of your treatment in just one visit to Houston.

People come to Smile Texas with many complaints about their smile:

  • Teeth that are chipped or cracked
  • Big gaps or spaces
  • Teeth that are missing (since birth or due to accident or disease)
  • Teeth that yellow and stained, sometimes from childhood antibiotics
  • Badly damaged or decayed teeth
  • Bite problems caused by severe wear or teeth that have been ground down

No matter how bad people think their teeth are, the dentists of Smile Texas have seen worse.  And (as you can easily see by looking at our Smile Gallery) they can give you an amazing smile in just two visits, without braces!  Then, no more being afraid to smile or covering your mouth with your hand.

Dr. Rick L. Kline and Dr. Bret Davis have a combined 40+ years experience in cosmetic, reconstructive, and implant dentistry. They have completed thousands of Smile Makeovers during their careers and have completed hundreds of hours of highly technical continuing education.  In addition, Dr. Kline can replace an entire upper or lower smile using dental implants and permanently fixed teeth, in just one procedure!  This is a miracle solution for those who have lost or are losing all of their natural teeth.  Guests travel from around the World to Smile Texas because they know they will find the best of a wide range of solutions that will be perfect for their needs.  And they will find them all in one office.

Your Favorite Olympic Memories

The Summer Olympics have come and gone.  It will be 4 long years before they show up again in Rio de Janeiro.  I am always surprised how caught up in the excitement I get.  It’s not just the really popular sports, either.  While I love the swimming and the gymnastics and the track and field, I am fascinated by the BMX bicycle races, archery, and fencing.  What was your favorite Olympic memory?

  • Was it that the USA won more gold medals and more overall medals than any other country?  And that is not politically incorrect.  Our athletes compete under our flag.
  • Was it how the Brits got a healthy dose of American-like mojo and won more medals than they had ever before?
  • How about Michael Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete ever?
  • Didn’t you love the shy and retiring Usain Bolt winning the “fastest man” yet again?
  • Another special moment was marathoner Stephen Kiprotich who won the gold medal for Uganda on the last day of the Olympic Games.  Uganda had never before won an Olympic medal.  Can you imagine how proud he is?  And how proud his countrymen are of him?
  • The Opening Ceremonies are always spectacular and this year’s was no exception.  The queen parachuting into Olympic Stadium was just a hoot.  She was quite the good sport for participating in that.

I could add dozens more examples and I’m sure you have favorites that I’ve missed.  But it will be four long years before more Summer Olympic memories will be made.  Or, on the bright side it’s only about 18 months until the Winter Games begin in Sochi, Russia.  I can’t wait for the skating, the snowboarding, the curling…

My very favorite Olympic memory?  All those gold medal winning smiles.

It’s National Smile Week!

90 SmilesThe second week in August is National Smile Week.  Who knew?  And who says so?  Is there someone in charge of smiles?  Good job if you can get it.  National Smile Week has nothing to do with Dental Health Month.  That’s in February.  You remember Dental Health Month when you were a kid.  The health teacher had a giant scary tooth and a huge toothbrush to teach you the importance of brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist – still good advice today.  You also had to bring in posters with lots of gluing and coloring, illustrating good dental health.  You remember.  Do kids still do that or do they just hold up a Google image on their iPads?

But this is National Smile Week.  Coincidentally or not, Yahoo had an article last week about a study conducted by two psychologists that will soon be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science.  The psychologists found that students who smiled during stressful tasks were significantly less stressed than those students who did not smile.  Even forced smiles reduced stress.  So that old adage of “Grin and Bear It” appears to be true.  According to the authors, this means that even forcing a smile during an unpleasant task or experience might actually lower your stress level, even if you’re feeling like a grumpopotomus.

Smiling can also be contagious. Try it sometime.  As you go through your normal day, try giving everyone you see a smile.  In the grocery store, at the restaurant, in the corridors at work or at school, show off those pearly whites.  Invariably, people look a little shocked, but will smile right back.  So it makes their day less stressful, along with yours.  You can hope that they will “pay it forward” and smile at the next person they see.  A little smiling can make the world a little better place.  Not happy with your smile?  Give Smile Texas a call for a free consultation.  And Happy National Smile Week!

Dental Mysteries – Volume 7 – Sedation Dentistry

Welcome to the next entry in our ongoing series of patient information columns. Our goal is to educate the reader, thereby reducing any anxiety that a patient may feel from the unknown. Today, we unveil the mystery of:

Sedation Dentistry

Sleeping ManAre you in need of some serious dental work? Do you want to have a more beautiful smile? Have you been postponing treatment, risking your dental health and your self esteem, because you are afraid? You are not alone. Many people suffer from dental phobia. Sedation dentistry to your rescue! Sedation dentistry is a great option for patients who experience high anxiety when visiting the dentist.

Sedation dentistry uses medication to help you relax during dental procedures. There are different levels of sedation used.

Minimal Sedation uses nitrous oxide (or laughing gas) combined with oxygen that you breathe through a mask. The nitrous oxide helps you relax. The dentist can control the amount of sedation and the effects wear off quickly.

Conscious Sedation can range from minimal to moderate, depending on the dose. Your dentist will give you one or more pills about an hour before your procedure to make you drowsy. Some people fall asleep during the procedure, but you can be roused from your “nap” with a gentle shake. Conscious sedation requires you to have someone to drive you home.

Intravenous Sedation requires training in anesthesiology to administer. You receive the sedative drug through an IV into your vein. This allows the sedation to act more quickly. This method causes you to be on the edge of consciousness, but can still be awaked. Or, with more medication, you can be either almost unconscious or totally unconscious during the procedure.

Most patients remember very little or nothing at all about their visit and feel like hours went by in minutes. What you will remember is that you left home and then woke up with your new smile. Smile Texas uses nitrous oxide and oral sedation every day. Two days per week we have an Anesthesiologist (M.D.) in the office to administer IV sedation and monitor our guest throughout their entire procedure.

So, no more procrastinating! Get the smile you’ve been wanting and skip the stress with sedation dentistry.

Do You Really Need that Man Cave?

Man CaveAs summer starts to wind down, many families are getting ready to have an empty nest or at least a partial empty nest.  Many recent graduates are preparing to move out of the family home to move into the college dorm or to that new apartment to start a new job.  Are you one of these families?  Have you (secretly) started making plans for your son’s or daughter’s room?  Are you thinking of a Man Cave or a home office or a media room?   Maybe you should hold off for at least a little while.  You never know when homesickness, too much partying, or a job lay-off might bring your child back home.
Perhaps you should treat yourself in a different way.  After all, you deserve something for all those hours spent raising your offspring to be a mature human who is ready to be launched.  And has all that kid-raising and the endless graduation made you feel, well, a little old?  Do you pass store front or office building windows, see your reflection, and wonder why your mother or father is walking by?  One way to treat yourself, improve your appearance, and make you look and feel years younger is a smile makeover!
Do you have broken, chipped, damaged, discolored, crowded, or missing teeth?  Do you feel like your smile is nothing but gums?  Now, you can get that perfect smile that makes you feel and look great in as little as one week with an Express Smile Makeover from Smile Texas.  People will be amazed at the transformation that your new smile will give to your appearance and your confidence.  The next reflection you see will be yours!  And next year, if your child is still successfully launched, you can work on that Man Cave.

Dental Mysteries – Volume 6 – Teeth Grinding

Welcome to the next entry in our ongoing series of patient information columns. Our goal is to educate the reader, thereby reducing any anxiety that a patient may feel from the unknown. Today, we unveil the mystery of:
Teeth Grinding
Sore Jaw from Teeth GrindingDo you wake up in the morning with a dull, constant headache or a sore jaw? Or worse, do you wake up in the morning on the couch after being booted out of the bedroom by your partner who can no longer stand the annoying noise? If you answer yes to these questions, you may suffer from nighttime teeth grinding or “Bruxism”.
Teeth grinding can cause big problems. Chronic teeth grinding can cause broken teeth, loose teeth, or even loss of teeth. You can wear your teeth down to just stumps. Even more serious, teeth grinding can alter the function of your jaws, cause hearing loss and can cause or worsen TMD. TMD is Temporomandibular Disorder. The temporomandibular joint is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw to the bone of the skull. The joint lies immediately in front of your ear.

Teeth grinding can be caused by stress. Stress caused bruxism can be helped by a dental appliance call a mouth guard, which protects your teeth. You should also avoid alcohol, caffeine, and gum chewing which caused your jaws muscles to get used to clenching. Relaxation exercises can also help.

At Smile Texas Dr. Bret Davis uses the Myotronics K-7 Evaluation System to accurately predict the optimal position for a patient’s jaw. This position is then achieved by restoring worn, damaged or missing teeth using porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns, and dental implants if necessary. Symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, and jaw pain are dramatically relieved when the jaw is restored to a natural alignment. The Myotronics K-7 Evaluation System is typically used as part of a full-mouth reconstruction (restoration of all upper and lower teeth). Along with relief from all those symptoms you will also enjoy the added benefit of a beautiful new smile. This almost assures that you’ll be back to sleeping in your own bed.

Dental Mysteries – Volume 5 – Porcelain Bridges

Welcome to the next entry in our ongoing series of patient information columns.  Our goal is to educate the reader, thereby reducing any anxiety that a patient may feel from the unknown.  Today, we unveil the mystery of:
Porcelain Bridges
A porcelain bridge literally “bridges the gap” created by one or more missing teeth.  A dental

bridge consists of twocrowns which fit on to the teeth on either side of the gap, and the false tooth or teeth in between.  The two anchoring teeth which have the crowns fitted on them are called abutment teeth.  These can be your natural teeth or dental implants (see Dental Mysteries – Volume 2).  The artificial or false teeth are called pontics.  The pontics can be made from a variety of materials: gold, alloys, or porcelain.  Smile Texas recommends porcelain for a more natural-looking smile and stronger teeth.
The benefits of a porcelain bridge are many.  It restores your smile to its natural beauty.  It allows you to properly chew and speak.  It allows you to maintain the shape of your face.  There are many more benefits, but you get the idea.
The porcelain bridge procedure begins by preparing the abutment teeth.  Your dentist will prepare each of the two teeth to allow room for the crown to be placed over them.  Next, impressions are made to serve as a mold for the dental lab to manufacture the crowns and the pontic(s).  A temporary bridge will be fitted to protect the abutment teeth and the gums.  When the porcelain bridge is ready, you will visit your dentist for the second time so your dentist can securely cement the crowns in place and your smile will be complete with the dental bridge.
With proper care there is no limit to how long your new bridge can last.  Proper care includes nothing more than the normal brushing, flossing, and dental cleaning.  It’s important to keep the surrounding teeth healthy and strong to provide a solid foundation for the bridge.

Welcome to the next entry in our ongoing series of patient information columns.  Our goal is to educate the reader, thereby reducing any anxiety that a patient may feel from the unknown.  Today, we unveil the mystery of:Porcelain BridgesA porcelain bridge literally “bridges the gap” created by one or more missing teeth.  A dental bridge consists of two crowns which fit on to the teeth on either side of the gap, and the false tooth or teeth in between.  The two anchoring teeth which have the crowns fitted on them are called abutment teeth.  These can be your natural teeth or dental implants (see Dental Mysteries – Volume 2).  The artificial or false teeth are called pontics.  The pontics can be made from a variety of materials: gold, alloys, or porcelain.  Smile Texas recommends porcelain for a more natural-looking smile and stronger teeth.The benefits of a porcelain bridge are many.  It restores your smile to its natural beauty.  It allows you to properly chew and speak.  It allows you to maintain the shape of your face.  There are many more benefits, but you get the idea.The porcelain bridge procedure begins by preparing the abutment teeth.  Your dentist will prepare each of the two teeth to allow room for the crown to be placed over them.  Next, impressions are made to serve as a mold for the dental lab to manufacture the crowns and the pontic(s).  A temporary bridge will be fitted to protect the abutment teeth and the gums.  When the porcelain bridge is ready, you will visit your dentist for the second time so your dentist can securely cement the crowns in place and your smile will be complete with the dental bridge.With proper care there is no limit to how long your new bridge can last.  Proper care includes nothing more than the normal brushing, flossing, and dental cleaning.  It’s important to keep the surrounding teeth healthy and strong to provide a solid foundation for the bridge.

Dental Mysteries – Volume 4 – Dental Crowns

Welcome to the next entry in our ongoing series of patient information columns.  Our goal is to educate the reader, thereby reducing any anxiety that a patient may feel from the unknown.  Today, we unveil the mystery of:

Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to repair a broken or badly damaged tooth.  A crownDental Crown restores a tooth’s shape, size, and strength.  A dental crown differs from a dental veneer in that it covers more tooth structure because the tooth is more badly damaged, often by decay.  Dental crowns can be made from a variety of materials, including metal, porcelain covered metal, or all-porcelain.  Smile Texas recommends all-porcelain crowns, because they give the most natural looking smile.  All-porcelain crowns are covered at Smile Texas by the “Last Time You Pay Policy”.  This policy protects your smile investment by repairing or replacing the crown, at no cost to the patient, if it should break, become loose, be damaged, or come off.   No matter the cause!

The procedure for installing a dental crown requires two dental office visits.  During the first visit, the damaged tooth is prepared to receive the crown.  Local anesthesia or sedation dentistry is used to make the patient completely comfortable while the tooth is prepared to make room for the crown.  If a large area of the tooth is missing due to decay, the tooth will be built up to support the crown.  After the preparation, dental impressions will be made to send to a dental lab, where the permanent crown will be manufactured.  A temporary crown will be made to cover and protect the prepared tooth until the permanent crown is ready.

During the final visit, which can be as soon as a few days after the first visit, the temporary crown is removed and the permanent crown is seated.  The patient’s bite is checked for proper function and comfort.  This visit usually requires no anesthesia.  As easy as that – your smile is more perfect!

Enjoy the Fourth..But Protect Your Investment

The Fourth of July is coming up in just days.  Many of you are planning family gatherings, backyard picnics, or outings to cheer on your favorite baseball team.  Then, of course, there are the nighttime fireworks to enjoy.  Have a great time.  Try to stay cool.  Use sunscreen.  Drink lots of water.  These things you know, but there’s one more thing you need to protect….your smile.  If you’ve had a smile makeover with porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns, you need to protect that investment.  Sure, if Smile Texas created your perfect smile, your investment is protected by their Last Time You Pay Policy.  While it may not cost anything, there’s still your time involved.  Smile Texas is great, but they do not make house calls.
So here are a few rules to help you enjoy the holiday, while protecting your smile:
•Avoid the sticky.  Hard sticky candy, caramel, and bubble gum can stick to and pull off a crown.  Try sugarless gum instead.
•As your mother surely told you – DO NOT use your teeth as a tool.  Do not open the snack bag with your teeth.  And don’t even think about the bottle top.
•Do not chew hard candy and do not chew your ice.  Chewing ice is not only bad for your teeth, it’s annoying to your companions.
•While those raw vegetables are very good for you, try not to chomp down on the hardest ones like carrots.  Choose peppers or broccoli instead.
•While the baseball game calls for peanuts and Cracker-Jacks, try to avoid the hard nuts with your restored teeth.  You should also avoid biting hard crackers and big pretzel sticks.
So that’s not so bad.  It shouldn’t hamper your good time.  Here’s a few things you should do:
•The regular brush and floss daily is old advice, but oh so important.
•If you are playing any sort of ball – softball, baseball, football, even kick ball, wear a mouth guard to protect your teeth.
•If you grind your teeth at night, wear a night guard.  Everyone will sleep better.
So just a few rules and a few suggestions will help you protect your smile this July 4th.  Have fun and have a Happy Independence Day!