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My Blog
Posts for: October, 2014
Can having a great smile help land you a high-level business position, a TV show, and a bride? Maybe — at least if you go by the example of Bill Rancic.
The 42-year-old Chicago native is well known as the first winner of NBC-TV's The Apprentice, a reality show where contestants vied for a job with Donald Trump's organization. Shortly after his selection as Trump's newest hire, Rancic met his future wife, Giuliana, when she interviewed him for E! News. Flash forward a few years, and the couple is now hosting their own reality TV show on Style network.
So how much has Bill's winning smile helped?
“I think a great smile says a lot about a person — especially in our professions,” Bill recently said in an interview with Dear Doctor magazine. He also mentioned that having a few cosmetic dental treatments helped him close the deal.
As a child, Bill wore braces to correct an overbite. For both kids and adults, orthodontic treatment is often the first step toward getting the smile of your dreams. The practice of orthodontics has changed dramatically in the past 20 years and there are now a number of choices available in lieu of traditional metal braces.
Not Your Father's Braces
For those who need to maintain a “professional” image, tooth-colored braces offer a less noticeable way to straighten your teeth. Lingual braces are another option that's suitable in some situations. These are truly invisible: bonded on the tongue side of the teeth, they can't be seen from the front.
Or, you may be able to forego braces altogether and use a series of clear plastic aligners to gradually bring your teeth into alignment. Not only are these difficult to notice, but they can be completely removed for short periods of time — at important board meetings, for example.
Red-Carpet Tooth Whitening
More recently, Rancic had tooth whitening treatments. Depending on the degree of lightening needed, these can range from custom-fitted bleaching trays that you wear at home under the supervision of a dentist, to in-office whitening treatments that work in far less time. Both can be effective in lightening your teeth by six shades or more.
But if you need the ultimate in whitening, veneers may be the best option. These are fingernail-thin coatings, made of pearly-white porcelain or composite material, that are placed directly on the tooth surfaces. Realistic and durable, they can provide a “Hollywood white” smile that's ready for the red carpet.
Did Bill's cosmetic dental work really improve his life? We can't say for sure — but as his wife Giuliana recently told Dear Doctor, “First impressions are very important, and having a beautiful smile will help anyone make a great impact on others.” So perhaps it worked on her!
If you would like more information on how cosmetic dental treatments can improve your smile, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more about this topic in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “The Magic of Orthodontics” and “Important Teeth Whitening Questions Answered.”
Periodontal or gum disease is a serious condition that could lead to tooth and bone loss. Unfortunately, you may not even realize you have it — the disease in its early stages can be difficult to detect. If you know what to look for, however, a few signs can tell you something isn’t quite right.
Bleeding gums after brushing, for example, are a likely indication that your gum tissues are inflammed due to an infection caused by bacterial plaque. Coupled with chronic inflammation from the body’s response to the infection, the unhealthy tissues bleed easily.
As the disease progresses, you may also notice changes in your gums’ appearance: redness at the gum line, as well as some slight swelling. Receding gums expose more of the tooth below the enamel crown. As roots become exposed to the oral environment, you’ll begin to notice painful sensitivity to hot or cold. In time, the disease may cause bone loss producing other signs like loose teeth or teeth shifting from their original position.
In some cases, gum disease can cause a painfully acute abscess. This occurs when the bacterial infection becomes isolated in a pocket of space between the teeth and gums. As the body attempts to fight the infection, its defenses are overwhelmed and the abscess becomes painful, swollen and filled with pus.
If you encounter any of these signs, it’s important to take action quickly to minimize the damage and stop the disease’s progress. Our first priority is to remove as much bacterial plaque and calculus as possible and may consider antibacterial and antibiotic treatments. This may take more than one session, but it’s necessary in stopping the disease.
Long-term success, though, will depend on improved oral hygiene (brushing and flossing), regular office cleanings to remove difficult to reach plaque and calculus, and checkups to monitor the condition of your gums. You can also lower the risk of reoccurrence with improvements in diet and life-style (such as quitting smoking). Instituting better hygiene and lifestyle habits, as well as keeping alert to any signs of recurring disease will go a long way in preserving your teeth and overall oral health.
If you would like more information about periodontal disease and its effect on your health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Warning Signs of Periodontal (Gum) Disease.”
