By Clifton Harris DDS

If your smile has everything you want, BUT, one tooth just doesn’t fit in, then a porcelain veneer may be what you need.  Porcelain veneers are a type of dental restoration that camouflages the crooked, cracked or broken look of teeth to make them appear as if they are perfectly shaped and in alignment.  The way this is done usually involves removing some of the tooth structure that is positioned out of the arch form (the space that the teeth would be in if they are perfectly straight). Then replacing this removed tooth structure with porcelain of the same shape and color as the adjacent teeth.   Some people call it instant orthodontics because the result can be what we hope to achieve when we get braces.  Sometimes braces are the best way to fix an out of alignment problem, but when the teeth are chipped, discolored or abnormally  shaped, then orthodontics will straighten the tooth, but it will still retain all the other undesirable problems with its appearance.   Usually when teeth are straightened with braces, the one’s that are not appealing to the eye will eventually be bonded or veneered.   Veneers may be a better option if there are only a few teeth that are a concern because it is quick, easy and more cost effect than doing the full braces route.   Another great aspect of veneers are how closely they match and resemble natural teeth.  Today materials are 100 times better than they were 10 years ago and they are still evolving.  With advances in color stability, strength, and high bond strengths to tooth structure, veneers can be placed today with less tooth reduction than in the past.  Discolored teeth are one of the main reasons a person would desire veneers. Most people are very self conscious about a dark smile, which leads them to smile less or not to the fullest extent they would if their teeth were brighter.  This can have a huge emotional affect on some people.    A new smile can literally change a person’s whole outlook on life.  I hear it time and time again, “If I know enhancing my smile would give me so much more confidence and a happier attitude, I would have done it years ago.”   Things to look out for when considering veneers are:  1) Make sure your dentist has experience doing this type of procedure and ask to see previously completed case.  2) Digital photography is an essential part of the process.  This is how a dentist should communicate with the laboratory that is making your veneers.  There are 12 key photography shots that should be taken before the teeth are prepared which will allow you, your dentist and his lab to pick the correct shape and color of tooth to fit your face shape.  3) make sure you evaluate veneers before they are permanently bonded to place.  Many patient’s ive seen just want to get the process completed and will place their trust in the dentist approving everything.  I recommend to all my patients to bring in their spouse or significant other to approve the new look before with delivery the case.  Your veneers can be adjusted before final placement if things just don’t look like you would like.   If you have any questions about the veneer process, consult with your dentist for the answers.

How Can Dentistry Help Facial Asymmetry

By Clifton L. Harris DDS

We all have those little asymmetries with our looks that sometimes drive us crazy.  One eye or ear higher than the other or a shoulder that’s higher, or just a haircut that turns out lopsided.  What ever it is, there is always an underlying cause.    Our body’s natural shape is formed by the underlying muscles which align our bones, placing forces and moving them into positions to give us our overall appearance.   So if all of our muscles are comfortable, relaxed and in a normal physiological position and condition, we should have a normal or symmetrical appearance.   The fact is, our muscles are in a constant state accommodation.  They are changing and adjusting due to outside influences such as posture, limiting habits like holding a phone on one side repeatedly, or carrying a backpack on one arm.   These actions cause muscle to push and pull on our skeletal system and therefore changing how we would normally look.  When one shoulder is higher than the other, there are muscles on the lower side that are shorter in length than the higher side.  They are accommodating for some reason such as poor posture or an injury of some sort.  Where do teeth come into the picture??  Teeth are the main influence as to where our Jaw bone will be positioned.  If  teeth are missing, worn down, or in the wrong place (the most common problem) on one side or both, the jaw muscles have to accommodate to allow us to eat and function properly.  This accommodation will usually cause facial muscles to shorten, and pull on other parts of the head and neck.  If the right side pulls more than the left, the right ear and eye will be lower in appearance.  Your jaw will look slanted as well.  We have many new techniques in dentistry that can help correct these problems.  When we balance out a patient’s occlusion, (the way the teeth come together) we allow the muscles of the face and upper body to align themselves correctly.  This also allows muscles of the face to align symmetrically fixing the high and lows we see in our face.  The case below restored with crowns and veneers shows a good example of this.  The photo on the left shows an unbalanced occlusion before treatment, note the facial asymmetries.  The photo on the right shows a new and balanced occlusion after treatment.  Notice the ears, eyes and jaw.  They are now symmetrical to the face.  Some people will say that his head is turned sideways.  Well they are right.  It’s turned sideways because the muscles in the neck are accommodating, pulling to the side of his unbalanced bite.  Balancing this patient’s bite, allowed his neck muscles to pull evenly on both sides which resulted in a symmetrical posture.  This happens unconsciously when body’s structures are in balance.  A dentist trained in Neuro-Muscular techniques has the knowledge and instrumentation to establish a balanced bite which can help people these types of asymmetries.   To learn more about the benefits of Neuro- Muscular dentistry, visit www.leadingdentist.com or Email me at drharris@kimkitchendds.com

By  Clifton Harris D.D.S.

How we express and present ourselves says every thing about us.  When we look at people, we typically and subconsciously evaluate how that person looks and feels.  We look at their hair, their clothes, their body language and make opinions of how that person looks and ultimately feels about life.  Our moods are very dependant on how we hold or position our bodies. Your smile is a position that has a big impact on your mood.    A depressed person hangs their head, and appears emotionless, unhappy and does not smile.  A happy person stands tall and shows many variations of their pleasant attitude and is typically showing a bright smile.   So what do teeth have to do with these characteristics????     It’s been said that one smiling person can change the entire attitude of a room full of people.  Smiles are contagious and it’s hard not to smile when other people are doing it.  But what if your smile is not what you would like it to be?  When I discuss smiles with patients I hear often they cover their teeth with their lips for photos and try to smile in a way that doesn’t show their teeth.  Hearing this saddens me because I know the health benefits of smiling and laughter. If you can’t naturally and emotionally smile when you need to, you are avoiding the expression of that good feeling.  Holding back that good feeling contributes to a depressed or stressed mood and affects the body chemically in ways that can lead to unhealthy conditions like heart disease and stroke.      One study I read recently from a UAB health systems article “Happiness Protects your Heart” says “Fibrinogen is a substance that is directly related to risk of coronary heart disease, and happier individuals have lower fibrinogen responses to stress tests which indicates that this could be a health mediating mechanism.” I personally know smiling makes you healthier and feel better about life,  I hear it so often from patients I have treated in ways to enhance their smiles.  Whitening of teeth, correction of chipped or broken teeth, removal of silver mercury fillings (a whole other health concern here as well)  and extreme make-over procedures with veneers always, in my experience, always makes a happier patient.  Not only will smiling more make you a healthier person, it will also put you in a better mood, better frame of mind to be more productive at work and possibly more successful in any business situation.  Many reports I have read show that a first impression is often one of the major determinants to employment opportunities, successful business deals and good long-term work relationships.  How good of a first impression does a person make who doesn’t smile?  Not a great one!  I suggest if you are  unsatisfied with your smile to visit your dentist and discuss options that can improve it. You might be surprised at how easy and affordable it could be to get the desired smile you really want.  Not to mention the added benefit of a happier, healthier you.

By Clifton Harris DDS
Typically the tissues in the body that hurt chronically (over a long period of time) are muscles. If we run too much our leg muscles hurt. If we rake the leaves for the first time this year our shoulders will hurt. Head, back, and neck pain are 90 % of the time a muscle ache in that specific area. What is making these muscles hurt? Just like running too much and having sore legs, a headache or neck-ache is a group of muscles in the head or neck area that has been over-worked. Most all the muscles in the head and neck play a role in jaw movement and head positioning. This is where your dentist comes in and can be a valuable asset to helping people with chronic pain problems. Unfortunately, the teeth are the final determinates as to where the jaw must ultimately position itself to allow for mastication (eating and chewing) of food. If the teeth place our jaw in a position that makes the muscles moving it there work harder than normal, these muscles will ultimately hurt. Our jaw is hanging from our skull 24/7. If it’s not able to rest due to where it is positioned, we will develop chronic pain in these muscles. Try walking around with your hands over your head. After a few minutes, your muscles tire, ache a little, so you drop them down. Your arms weren’t hanging in the right place to allow the muscles in the arm and shoulders to rest periodically. Holding our arms in the normal position allows the supporting muscles of the arm to periodically relax and rest, therefore no pain develops. Jaw clenching, grinding of teeth, cracked teeth, and mal-aligned or crowded teeth, all can cause over working of your head and neck muscles due to improper positioning of the jaw. A dentist trained in Neuromuscular Dental techniques has the ability and the instrumentation to find the optimal relaxed jaw positions, then design a bite appliance specific for your situation, to give these muscles the chance to rest by directing the jaw to a more relaxed position. The results I’ve experienced with chronic pain patients has been phenomenal. Elimination of upper body aches and pain, improved sleep habits, improved productivity and awareness, decreases in snoring and best of all not living on an over-the-counter pain reliever.
It’s important that a dentist be able to recognize the issues with teeth and jaw positions that can cause a lot of these problems. A dentist trained in NeuroMuscular techniques can be a huge asset to a person suffering from chronic pain situations of the upper body.. Being trained in NeuroMuscular dentistry, I, as a regular part of my dental exams, do what I call a “pain exam”. It consists of questions designed to screen for chronic problems that may exist, but the patient may feel is a “normal” every day ache. The questions cover these areas specifically:
• Headaches
• Clenching or grinding
• Pain or clicking and popping in Jaw joints
• Shoulder, neck, and back pain
• Numbness in arms and fingers
• Pain in and behind the eyes
• Facial pain
• Difficulty swallowing or frequent choking
• Ringing or congestion in the ears
• Sleeping disorders like insomnia, tossing and turning, and frequent waking
• Snoring and/or sleep apnea
• Chronic fatigue
If you are experiencing upper body pain as described above, consult with your dentist or give us a call here at Old Town Smiles and let us help you get out of pain.

Face it, we are rough on our teeth. Sometimes we neglect them, take them for granted or simply just abuse them. Between physical activities like sports or chewing hard substances like ice, our teeth can get knocked out, broken, cracked and worn down. Forgetting routine dental appointments and ignoring proper cleaning tactics can result in periodontal disease, tooth decay and ultimately tooth loss.

When teeth are missing, your mouth must compensate for the lack of chewing power in that area in order to function normally. So, the chewing force may shift to another part of the mouth, which can cause unwanted spaces and changes in your smile.

So, how do we mend our mouth’s broken ties? By simple dental procedures. Smiles can be renovated to look pristine using a combination of crowns and bridges to support or replace lost teeth. A crown snugly covers the complete visible surface of your affected tooth to add strength, durability and tooth stability, while restoring your tooth to its natural shape and size. Crowns can be made of precious metal, porcelain pressed to metal and all-porcelain. A bridge, also known as a pontic, is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill the gaps left by the original missing tooth. The new tooth is then anchored to the two porcelain crowns, renewing your once damaged smile.

The moral of the story is to be nice to your teeth: be diligent with your oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly. Your teeth are hard workers and they deserve to be pampered. But, if the damage is already done, see us immediately. We can decide on the best treatment to restore your smile. Your teeth will thank you for it.

Caring for your oral health includes regular teeth care and gum care. Neglecting your gums can eventually lead to periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, which is a culprit for the deterioration of your overall oral health. Periodontal disease affects 75% of adults over 35 years of age and is responsible for approximately 70% of all adult tooth loss. Since symptoms of periodontal disease oftentimes are unnoticeable, people never realize their mouth is under bacterial attack.

Highly recognized as a greatly progressive disorder, periodontal disease is triggered by preventable factors like plaque build-up, tobacco use, certain medications and stress, as well as unpreventable measures like systemic disease and fluctuating hormone levels during puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Research proves up to 30% of the population may be genetically susceptible to gum disease.

Periodontal disease begins when the bacteria in the sticky film which forms on the tooth surface, or plaque, causes gum inflammation. If the irritation is ignored, plaque will release toxins breaking down the natural fibers which hold your gums to your teeth, permitting even more bacteria and toxins to invade. Plaque deposits quickly harden into calculus or tartar, which is a rough, porous substance not removable with brushing. Over time, this progression can lead to severe inflammation, bone loss, gum recession and tooth loss.

Symptoms and signs include:

• Red, swollen, tender or bleeding gums
• Gum recession, or gums pulling away from teeth
• Loose or separating teeth
• Pus between the gum and tooth
• Persistent bad breath
• Bite changes
• Change in the fit of partial dentures

If you have noticed any of the above signs or symptoms, please make an appointment promptly! Together, we can win the battle against periodontal disease and maintain your wonderful, dazzling smile: gums and all. Now that’s something to smile about.

Oftentimes the dental profession is considered strictly for more intense cleaning and hygiene purposes. However, a dentist is actually an artist who can make your smile sensational. Most dentists now practice and perform cosmetic techniques, not just the run-of-the-mill routine cleanings. Cosmetic dentistry seeks to create a more aesthetically pleasing and healthy smile.

Although you may be meticulous about your dental care routine, your teeth still might not look their very best. Drinking coffee, tea or wine will take a toll on your teeth, causing them to look dull and stained. Aging or the use of some medications can also result in a discolored smile. One easy, safe way to revive your smile from these factors is through teeth whitening.

Plenty of adults are looking towards dentistry to heighten the appearance and function of their teeth. Cracked, chipped or unevenly spaced teeth are easily resolved by procedures like bonding or veneers. Severely damaged teeth can be repaired with crowns, while bridges and dental implants are natural-looking options used to revitalize your smile. These methods will not only give you a more beautiful smile, but will also rejuvenate your mouth’s functionality.

If you are not satisfied with your smile and want to take it a level up from dull to dazzling, speak with us about the many smile enhancing options available to you.