Replacement of lost teeth with dental implants has been around for many years. Believe it or not, dental implants have been found that are 4000 years old! These were made of bamboo. The first metal implant was found in a two-thousand-year-old Egyptian King. Experiments with different materials continued until the 1950s, when Dr. Brånemark discovered that titanium implants could let bone fuse to it, causing it to be strong and durable. As a result, most dental implants are made of titanium today, and they are just as durable as natural teeth. Zirconia implants are now in use, but their popularity is limited. Local surgeons who place them are more difficult to find. This post will discuss implants and the difference between titanium and zirconia.
Read MoreNo one human trait can stand alone as a benchmark of health and esthetics, but many fields of science have concluded that quickly identifying healthy perspective mates has an evolutionary basis. Indeed, most of us can assess attractiveness only after a few seconds. Age, symmetry, strength, and skin tone imply good genes and a lack of disease. Both sexes prefer physically attractive mates and have preferences for the level of attractiveness sought in a potential partner. Teeth Loom large in our sexual appraisals of each other. In a recent study by the Invisalign company, 94% of respondents noticed the other person's smile upon meeting them for the first time. In addition, 84% thought that an attractive smile is important for considering marriage. Additionally, one-third would not consider matching their friends with someone with crooked teeth. This post will discuss what constitutes a sexually attractive smile, the different preferences between males and females, how to have a naturally sexy smile, and what to do if you don’t think yours is good enough.
Read MoreEvery workday, I review my patients' medical histories. It is usual for most of them to have health issues. Upon reviewing their medical problems with them, I find that their lifestyles are frequently partially and sometimes wholly responsible for their poor health. Today I thought it would be good to do some statistics, and I want to share my results with you. You will probably be surprised how unhealthy we are. Before we continue, let me ask you a few questions. What percentage of Americans have an illness? What percent are on prescription medication? What percentage of us have allergies? What percent are overweight? How many missing teeth does the average person have? Ready for the answers? Make sure you are sitting down. The figures are not pretty.
Read MoreAfter 31 years of practice, I have seen a correlation between my patients with higher numbers of missing teeth and their failing health. Research largely bears my observations out. Today I am going to discuss five papers that give a little more clarity to the subject of dental health as it relates to overall health and mortality.
Read MoreWouldn’t it be great if we could somehow regrow missing teeth? What about growing back part of a broken tooth. This has been done by scientists. Read on to see how close we are to making them viable clinical approaches.
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