Summer is Here! Are your Lips Ready?
“Summer loving had me a blast, oh yeah. Summer loving happened so fast…” —Grease, Summer Nights Its’ the stuff dreams and movies are made of: summer love. Warm summer nights, afternoons at the beach, vacations to the Caribbean—whether you are hoping to meet your next crush or are looking forward to romancing your long-time love —summer is sure to heat things up. Did you know that June 19th is National Kissing Day? Are you ready to get romantic? A healthy mouth and kissable lips are key to having the summer you have been dreaming of. From making sure that your teeth and gums are in top condition, to protecting and caring for your lips so they stay soft and blemish free, there are several measures you can take to stay romance ready all summer long. Tips for a healthy mouth The best way to make sure that your mouth stays healthy and halitosis free is to stay on top of your at-home oral hygiene practices. Don’t forget the basics: Brush twice a day Rinse after brushing Floss daily Take your oral care to the next level. You already know you need to set up routine visits with your dentist to keep your teeth in top condition. Consider the following treatments for extra protection. Regular fluoride treatments can help keep your teeth strong, especially if your water source is fluoride free. Dental sealants can protect your teeth from decay. Consider having them applied to your back teeth. Along with your routine cleanings, try a whitening treatment so that your healthy smile shines through. Taking care of your lips If you are concerned about keeping lips kissable, consider the following tips: Apply balm to your lips before you wash your face. It protects them from drying elements in your cleanser that can cause them to chap and flake. Use a humidifier at night to keep your skin (including your lips) moisturized. Don’t pick at flakey lips. Instead, remove the extra skin with a lip exfoliator or combine sugar and honey for a natural exfoliator. Protect your lips from the rays with sunscreen. If you wear lipstick, try to find one with vitamin E or Shea butter in it. Stay hydrated with water. Drink. Drink. Drink! If your lips are chapped, avoid spicy foods, foods high in citrus, and salt. They will only cause lips to dry out more. Avoid licking your lips. The acids in your saliva can cause irritation. When cold sores appear Nothing kills the mood like a cold sore. They are painful, unsightly, and contagious. They make talking and eating uncomfortable, and can be confidence busters when trying to woo someone. Cold sores heal over the course of seven to 14 days, but true love doesn’t wait. There are over-the-counter treatments that come in the form of messy ointments and creams that make the lesions more noticeable when applied while only reducing the healing time by 1 to 2 days. Or, you can talk to your dentist about getting immediate results with laser therapy. Laser therapy uses photonic laser energy to destroy the active virus responsible for the oral lesions and is accomplished quickly and comfortably without the need for anesthetic. Often, those who seek treatment at the first signs of the virus (tingling, and light burning sensations) don’t develop sores. However, if sores have already erupted the progression is stopped, and the appearance and discomfort is greatly decreased. Your lips will immediately appear significantly clearer, and be completely lesion-free in typically one to two days allowing you to feel more confident about getting cuddly. The benefits of laser therapy include: Profound and immediate pain relief Treatment stops lesions’ progression immediately Significantly reduces healing time Treatment time of just a few minutes Treatment is painless and can be conducted with out anesthetic (it feels like warm air blowing) After treatment, sores reoccur with less frequency and less intensity at the same location Treatment is affordable and can be insurance reimbursable With a little extra effort and support from your dental care providers, this summer is sure to be the best yet. Don’t let chapped lips or bad breath stand in the way of getting cozy under the summer night sky with that someone special. Call us today to schedule your next appointment or a cleaning and get your summer started off right.
Live Happier, Healthier & Longer: Why Your Smile Is Our Priority
Have you ever wondered why dentist and other dental and oral health professionals spend so much time talking about your smile? Shouldn’t they focus more on your teeth? As dental health professionals, we know that your oral health affects a whole lot more than just your teeth. You may think your smile is just another way to communicate your happiness, but we know it does so much more than that. Smiling regularly can improve your mood and even your health. But when you hide your smile because you are embarrassed of crooked, chipped, or cracked teeth, you not only miss out on all of the benefits of smiling, but your self-esteem and confidence plummet as well. Benefits of Smiling Smiling — even when you may not feel like it — provides some surprising benefits. The following are just a few. Healthier Heart. According to a study published in Psychological Science, smiling helps you recover from stress and upset. Researchers found that participants who smiled during a stressful situation had a lower heart rate when recovering. Smiling is also credited for lowering blood pressure. The more you smile, the less likely you are to develop heart disease. Makes You Happy. The act of smiling releases endorphins. If you’ve ever gone running or worked out, then you’ve probably experienced the elation brought on by endorphins (also known as a runner’s high). When your body releases endorphins, your mood is naturally elevated. Reduces Stress. Those endorphins that make you feel happy also reduce stress. Between the endorphins and the lower heart rate, you could feel downright calm and cool, even when life’s intensity starts to heat up. Improves Relationships. Study after study has shown that people are more likely to trust someone with a genuine smile. Feeling connected to others is key to enjoying an enriched life. The more you smile, the more likely you are to form close, lasting relationships with others. Minimizes Pain. Those endorphins that smiling and laughing release have been shown to reduce pain significantly, in some cases up to 40%. Smiling Is Contagious. When you smile, approximately 50% of the time people smile back. There is an area in your brain that is responsible for your facial expressions, and as it turns out, the act of mimicking someone else’s smile is an unconscious automatic response. In fact, one Swedish study found it takes effort to frown when you see someone else smiling. So when you smile, you are spreading all of the benefits that come along with smiling to everyone who smiles back. Way to pay it forward! How We Can Help You Smile As your oral health provider, your overall health and happiness is our primary concern. We understand that if you aren’t smiling, then you aren’t receiving all of the benefits from our services that are available to you. If your teeth are keeping you from smiling, we have a suite of services that can fix a wide variety of conditions. Dental Implants. Implants offer a permanent solution for missing teeth. Not only do they look and feel like natural teeth, they also maintain your facial structure and integrity. Crowns. Porcelain crowns are the perfect restoration for cracked, chipped, or broken teeth. These natural-looking covers make imperfections in teeth entirely unnoticeable. Teeth Whitening. We offer both at-home and in-office treatment options using the most effective teeth-whitening systems available today. All treatment options are simple and noninvasive. Porcelain Veneers. These ultrathin, tooth-colored coverings are custom made and are fit to the front surface of your teeth, changing the appearance to the size and shape you desire. Veneers are perfect for fixing discolored and chipped teeth. Straightening. Straightening your smile no longer requires years of wearing metal wires on your teeth. There are a variety of “invisible” straightening options, such as Six Month Smiles® and Invisalign®, which allow you to have a straighter, more aesthetically pleasing smile in a matter of months. We are also here to help you with your routine oral hygiene so that your mouth feels as good as it looks. If you find yourself holding back from smiling and laughing because of how you feel about your teeth, call us today to find out more about how we can help you feel better, live healthier, and smile more. 1. Kraft TL, Pressman SD. Grin and bear it: the influence of manipulated facial expression on the stress response. Psychological Science 2012;23:1372–1378. 2. Sonnby–Borgström, M. Automatic mimicry reactions as related to differences in emotional empathy. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 2002;43:433–443.
