Students at the University of Southern California's (USC) Dental Hygiene Program are being taught about the importance of passing on good lifestyle habits to their patients.
While some may believe that good tooth care is just about brushing and flossing regularly, the would-be dental hygienists are learning a more holistic approach to dental health, the Los Angeles Downtown News reports.
Diane Melrose, chair of the program, revealed that students working at the Dental Hygiene Clinic liaise with patients to put together a five-day diet diary, which allows them to examine nutritional habits and suggest changes that could be made to improve the health of their teeth.
She told the newspaper that she advises patients to look out for hidden sugars, such as those found in chewing gum, fruit juice, chips and even certain medicines.
It was recently revealed that energy and sports drinks are the worst kind of sodas for eroding tooth enamel, particularly in children and adolescents.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Chinese Dental Labs Turn Lead into Gold…?
When a 73-year-old Ohio woman fell ill, the news made national headlines. It wasn’t old age, or pneumonia, or cancer, or anything else you might expect. She had gotten lead poisoning from her new dental bridge.
Though she’d visited an American dentist, the bridge itself had been fabricated by a Chinese lab. Let me assure you that this is major news.
Your dentist is only as good as his or her dental laboratory
In my practice I am very selective of the laboratories that I work with. The best results come from having a relationship with a knowledgeable dental laboratory that has both expertise and access to all the latest materials.
Though she’d visited an American dentist, the bridge itself had been fabricated by a Chinese lab. Let me assure you that this is major news.
Your dentist is only as good as his or her dental laboratory
In my practice I am very selective of the laboratories that I work with. The best results come from having a relationship with a knowledgeable dental laboratory that has both expertise and access to all the latest materials.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Are people with whiter teeth smarter?
A new study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) reveals that people with a whiter-than-white smile are perceived smarter than duller-toothed counterparts!
The study – carried out in the States via the internet – was aimed at ascertaining what impact attractive teeth have on perceptions of an individual's appearance and personality and used ‘before and after' pictures of people who had undergone cosmetic surgery.
No respondent ever saw the same person with both a ‘before' and ‘after' smile but all respondents viewed the same set of eight individuals.
After seeing each picture, respondents rated each person on the following attributes:
• Attractive
• Intelligent
• Happy
• Successful in their career
• Friendly
• Interesting
• Kind
• Wealthy
• Popular with the opposite sex
• Sensitive to other people
Respondents used a 1 to 10 scale where a ‘1' represents ‘not at all' and a ‘10' represents ‘extremely.'
The statistical analysis demonstrates that there is a major effect of a smile on perceptions of all major attributes.
In each case, people are viewed as more attractive, intelligent, happy, successful in their career, friendly, interesting, kind, wealthy and popular with the opposite sex with smiles that have been altered by cosmetic dentistry versus their original smiles.
The study – carried out in the States via the internet – was aimed at ascertaining what impact attractive teeth have on perceptions of an individual's appearance and personality and used ‘before and after' pictures of people who had undergone cosmetic surgery.
No respondent ever saw the same person with both a ‘before' and ‘after' smile but all respondents viewed the same set of eight individuals.
After seeing each picture, respondents rated each person on the following attributes:
• Attractive
• Intelligent
• Happy
• Successful in their career
• Friendly
• Interesting
• Kind
• Wealthy
• Popular with the opposite sex
• Sensitive to other people
Respondents used a 1 to 10 scale where a ‘1' represents ‘not at all' and a ‘10' represents ‘extremely.'
The statistical analysis demonstrates that there is a major effect of a smile on perceptions of all major attributes.
In each case, people are viewed as more attractive, intelligent, happy, successful in their career, friendly, interesting, kind, wealthy and popular with the opposite sex with smiles that have been altered by cosmetic dentistry versus their original smiles.
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