The health and looks of your teeth and the perceived social status

Besides your regular cleaning, what is the most common reason you go to the dentist? Tooth hurting? Well, it's a good time to make an appointment with Aliso Viejo Dental because the health of your teeth is starting to become a social status too.

Good teeth have always been an indicator of good hygiene and health, but lately it's also an indicator of how wealthy you might be. Recent studies even show that bad teeth might hamper social mobility or status for certain people as rising healthcare costs directly affect people and how they have access to dental treatment or orthodontists or if they would pay for cosmetic dentistry.
Those studies show that people who cannot afford these types of procedures or dental care are being “left behind” and might even be discriminated against because of the health or beauty of their teeth. Actually, this seems to become a new unnoticed discrimination when it comes to job security and social status, according to several studies conducted by social scientists.
When researchers digitally manipulated the teeth and smiles of subjects in pictures and asked people to give their first impressions, they noted similar patterns of discrimination against guys with poor oral health. Those with crooked, yellow or missing teeth were judged to be of limited intelligence (!), low class, bad parents, less professional, less physically beautiful and lacking social skills! Wow! This means that bad teeth might prevent otherwise qualified candidates from getting better jobs or promotions.
There is a social cost of going without dental care, too. Numerous studies show a strong correlation between appearance and income. Research has found that "better than average" looking people earn 5% to 10% more. Most studies say that your smile is the first thing others see when they form their first impression of you, and that makes more sense here.

Your oral health is very important and can be a first chance for your dentist to find other health problems before your doctor can, they say that the mouth is a mirror of your overall health.
Fortunately, there are ways to have wonderful teeth, a great Smile and good oral health without having to pay too much. We take most PPO and HMO insurance, we have affordable procedures and great no interest payment plans with CareCredit, so schedule your appointment today or just call us at (949) 425-1447 for more info!

Do you love Spring or do you have allergies?

Yesterday was the first day of Spring, which is an important event in different cultures. We call it the Equinox (or St Patrick's Day, depending on who you ask!), Persians call it Nowruz, Japanese people call it Shunbun no Hi, and some even celebrate the World Storytelling Day, I guess you get the idea: people love Spring! Well, make that most people, because 58 million Americans with allergies almost hate it!

What causes springtime allergies? The biggest problem is the pollen, which is released into the air by trees, flowers, grasses and others (some say the level of pollution is a factor too). When pollen or other triggers enter the body of an allergic person, their immune system goes into overdrive.
Everybody knows the symptoms, allergies usually bring itchy and watery eyes, itchy ears and nose, sneezing, congestion, and sinus pressure. That's no bueno!

Can they affect your teeth? Most people don't know it, but yes! The maxillary sinus cavities are the ones most likely to be affected by congestion and pressure during allergy season. These sinuses are located right at the root of your molars and premolars. If pressure and congestion builds up in the sinuses, it can put pressure on the roots of these teeth and can cause tooth pain.

What you can do: If you suffer from allergies, try to limit going outside on high pollen days, but that defeats the purpose of spring! Also, you can try taking some OTC allergy medication or whatever your Doctor recommends. Antihistamines and decongestants can start to provide relief within an hour. However, for more severe allergies, you many want to try a nasal spray. If toothache symptoms persist, make an appointment with your Dentist.

You can afford it!

Every day we diagnose Patients and offer treatment plans that include the proposed treatment for their dental woes. We take care of the problem at hand first, from emergencies to tooth aches to prevention. But we always propose a Smile Improvement option, which is better known as Cosmetic Dentistry, to keep things simple. While some patients are happy since it might be the first time someone mentioned this to them and are eager to start improving their lives and overall health, we noticed that some Patients tend to put their smile improvement on the "back burner". It seems that "there are more important things to do first" or "I'm sure it's expensive and I can't afford it". But since we care about our Patients -we move mountains to get the right financial plan for them, just to prove that "it's not that expensive" and "you can afford $100/month with no interest"! CareCredit is a great tool to finance more costly procedures, or Sedation for patients who don't want to remember the experience of their Smile Makeover. But sometimes they are just surprised how affordable some procedures are and how big impact they have on their smile and the improved perception others will have of them (LASER Teeth Whitening comes to mind first!).

If you could improve your ‪smile‬ in any way, without worrying about money or pain of fear -what would you choose? ‪Teeth Whitening‬? Replace old, dark, potentially toxic amalgam/mercury ‪‎fillings‬ with new white ones? Straighten your teeth with ‪‎Invisalign‬? Would you get ‪‎Veneers‬? It's much easier than you think, and some of these procedures are less expensive than most people heard they cost. Call or come over and ask for a free evaluation for your Smile Improvement or just a LASER Teeth Whitening, with no strings attached, you don't have to switch Dentists or send old X-Rays. At least you have an idea of what it costs and you can plan it better, we won't pressure anyone to start a treatment until they are ready. Let's start the road to a better you today, we'll do it together!

Wondering Which Celebrity Has The Best Smile?

Whether we like them or not, we agree with them or not, follow them on Twitter or not - celebrities have a great impact on your life. They start trends, stand for causes, and speak for the ones who don't have a public voice.
A lot of trends started at the Oscars defined the hair style or what colors we wear for the rest of the year, because we love to see our favorite stars finally winning their coveted trophy! But while it's true that hair and makeup trends come and go, when it comes to looking your best – whether on the red carpet or in your living room – a perfect smile never goes out of style!
And so far we can be pretty safe to say that the Hollywood celebrities drive a good trend regarding beautiful smiles!
“Amidst all the fashion and beauty news of awards season, a brilliant, confident smile is one of the most important accessories any star can sport on the red carpet”. “Hollywood A-listers know the power of a high wattage, confident smile both on screen and off, and many go to great lengths to achieve their perfect smiles, from whitening to straightening their teeth or a full blown Smile Makeover.
We couldn’t agree more! No matter your celebrity status, it's the confidence behind your smile that makes it shine! It's time for you too to get a #BrighterSmile so you can be more confident in your day to day life too!

Tips for improving your smile

There are a few easy ways to improve your smile and the way others see you every day. You can make better first impressions, improve your chances to get a promotion or a better job, improve your relationships and ultimately your life! Start with the easier ones and work your way up as needed:
 

Whitening: A Cosmetic Touch Up

Teeth whitening has evolved a lot over the last decade, it is a safe, fast, effective, and affordable treatment. This is the best option for those that already have a great smile from a dental standpoint, and just need a touch up. Or, this can also be used as a final step in the treatments below.

 

Invisalign: Straighten your Smile

This is a relatively easy way to improve a your smile without getting veneers. As long as there isn’t a functional bite issue, adult clear braces are a fairly quick option.

 

Restorations: Creating a Unique Smile

Restorations include Crowns, Veneers, bonding, Bridges or Implants. A key part of creating a restoration for a patient is designing their smile, that takes into consideration facial shape, smile, skin tone, eyes, and hair all create a “look”, and the materials and techniques used to achieve that. We use LASER Therapy and Dental Labs that create exactly the final products that we need for our patients.

 

There is also the peace of mind that you are in good hands, the Doctors and our Staff are highly qualified and knowledgeable, they use the latest technology in a safe, clean environment. Regardless of the treatment you get recommended and choose, the goal is to get the everyday self-confidence that comes from a great smile!

We love our community, we are blessed with great patients in a vibrant and awesome city! We are thankful for giving us the opportunity to serve Aliso Viejo Patients and proud to be the Business Of the Month on ‪ Chamber Of Commerce's website!

We have been members of the Chamber for almost 2 years now and we are excited to participate in networking meetings, mixers, breakfast with the Members and even the annual Ugly Sweater contest!
Thank you for having us as part of this community, thank you for great Patients and we are looking forward to many, many years of Smile Improvements!
http://www.AlisoViejoDental.com/SafeRemovalOfAmalgam.html‬

Evidence of Harm

A documentary exposing the devastating effects of dental mercury fillings on patients, staff & the environment.

Examining the link between Alzheimer’s disease and mercury.

Evidence of Harm chronicles the lives of three ordinary Americans who become reluctant health advocates after suffering from the devastating effects of hazardous mercury vapors during routine dental procedures. The film presents a haunting portrait of a dental industry all too willing to turn a blind eye to science while placing profits and politics ahead of the 120 million Americans currently implanted with toxic mercury dental fillings.

This documentary came to realization when, Randall, the films creator received news that his father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Randall immediately set out on a personal journey to find the cause for what might be contributing to this devastating illness. While scouring the scientific literature, a connection was found. There were numerous studies indicating mercury (a known neurotoxin) was a causal factor in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease… and the largest source of mercury in the general population had been repeatedly shown to come from mercury dental fillings. After discovering this information Randall set about making a documentary on the hazards of dental mercury fillings to patients, staff and the global environment.

Get more info about this documentary here.

Contact Aliso Viejo Dental for more info about safe amalgam fillings removal or to schedule an appointment to have yours safely removed and disposed of.