Beauty And The Dirt

Have a read of the interview written by Jane Cunningham who is the best beautyblogger on the planet!

Don’t forget to leave your comments about the article on her site!

http://www.beautyandthedirt.com/2009/09/21/mimi-talks-to-dr-uchenna-okoye/

Who knew George could look better!

Years ago ER was my “must see TV”. George Clooney is back on the small screen looking better than before, why? His teeth of course!

He has had a smile makeover and boy has it made a difference, he definitely looks 10 years younger

As we get older our teeth get darker and shorter as they do their work chomping on all that lovely food.  Those short yellow teeth have gone and with it the years, also a little tweaking to remove the excess gum and he looks, younger, fresher and even more gorgeous!

That’s why your smile is THE best accessory

Dentistry Vegas Style!

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I wrote anything on the blog, totally shocking!  I am trying to decide if the time has sped by so fast because I am having such a great time or if it is just because I am getting older and I don’t know what it is about time, but the older you get the faster time seems to speed by!

Anyway in my defence I have been in the states, for almost three weeks, first for a conference and then for a course.  Yup the Yanks are still the leaders when it comes to cosmetic dentisty which is why I invest so much time and energy in the many trips I take there to learn all the new techniques to make sure our guests do absolutely benefit from the best.

I was in Vegas for the International Federation of Esthetic Dentistry.  It is a conference held every 2 years where all the top cosmetic dentists from over the world come together to share experiences and learn.  It is really intense, early morning 7am starts.  I was moaning one day and had to shut up after talking to a Korean dentist who had travelled twice the distance i did, was more jetlagged than I and was struggling to understand all that was going on because his English wasn’t that great.  It reminded me that excellence was a journey and he said he felt just being there was sufficient..nothing more to be said!

Beauty v/s Health

New research from Mintel has confirmed what we all already know

1. Stained yellow teeth are the top aesthetic concerns for consumers

2. 4/10 of us Brits are more concerned about the colour of our teeth than health issues such as cavities or gum disease

“Alongside wrinkles, teeth are another key indicator of age. Agelessness is one of the major social issues which has been gathering pace over the past decade. Whilst kids are getting older younger, older adults are refusing to accept their age,” This was a comment by the Senior analyst at Mintel.

I am often bemused by the panic of such stories and why people are suprised by the results.  It is as old as time.  Why do  we have to hide medicine in ‘nice food’ or drinks to get kids to swallow it?  The same reason why I have many smokers that know all about the fact it can kill them but won’t quit.  Suddenly they decide they want whiter teeth for a special event or birthday and this motivates them to quit.  Is it vanity?  Are they choosing beauty over life? Do I care?  Absolutely not, I’m for whatever works!

So going back to the Mintel story I know for a fact that anyone who has had their smile fixed no longer needs to be told to brush, floss see the hygienist etc They love the way they look, take pride in themselves and so are motivated to look after their teeth and their oral health improves drastically.

That’s what we should focus on, finding solutions that motivate so it is a win win for everyone.  Now if I could invent a floss that whitens teeth, flossing would no longer be the ‘F” word!

Smile Of The Month

“I am thrilled to bits with my new smile and love admiring myself in the mirror!”

Every one appreciates a healthy, beautiful smile. Studies report that more than 50 percent of adults state they are unhappy with their smiles. I love what I do because in as little as two weeks we can rejuvenate not just a person’s smile but their whole face, their confidence…and without lifting a knife!  I call it my Smile lift

Janet is a great example.  Nothing has changed in the before and after pictures…she is even wearing the same pair of earings!

What’s different?  Her new found confidence shines through.  She looks younger, lighter and her face even looks brighter because the flash, like our eyes picks up her brighter smile which reflects the light.

From never wanting to smile and always running away from having photographs taken, Janet now can’t stop grinning!

10 years younger

Everyone’s been asking and as teeth is my favourite subject, I thought I would talk a little about the cases I treated for the programme

This is Mary who was a great lady to treat with an amazing laugh and great sense of fun

 

 

At face value, you would think Mary’s main problem would be her crowns.  They  were very old, stained, had the classic dark lines around them.  However the hidden story is her gum disease

A lifetime of smoking meant that the disease had destroyed Mary’s gums and the toxins from the bacteria had destroyed the bone so her teeth became looser.  Unfortunately I was not able to save her remaining bottom teeth but working as a team we were able to give her a great result

What did we do?

1. Treated her gums.  This formed the foundational basis of all the treatment.  Working with the hygienist and gum specialist we carried out deep cleaning to remove the bacteria embedded deep within the gums.  The key was Mary’s hard work at home, using the techniques and tools we gave her

2. Extracted teeth.  This always makes me so SAD because in the majority of cases it is totally preventable. If I had met Mary 10years ago, maybe even 5y I am sure we would have been able to save more of the teeth

3 Cosmetic Dentures.  These are lovingly made and so fit really well with life-like customised teeth placed in the detures

4 Porcelain Crowns.  These replaced the old metal based crowns that Mary had.  All porcelain crowns are now very strong and beautiful.  The great thing is there are no more dark lines around the gum which is a dead giveaway you have had a crown

5 Gum Lift to improve the aesthetics and blend into her smile

10 years Younger Begins!

Hurrah we have lift off! The first episode of Channel 4’s makeover series 10yy aired on thursday and it was a major achievement. This series we have a totally new format, two people being madeover one with surgery one without.
Of course there was not enough of the teeth shown during the programme but then I would say that wouldn’t I? Seriously though all the contributors had their smile treated by yours truly and I am totally delighted by the results continue reading