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Iconic Teeth From Your Favourite Movies

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Halloween is coming up – this year your costume can be instantly recognizable with some iconic teeth! Movies and TV shows use prosthetic teeth, natural imperfections in the actors teeth, and make up to give their characters a distinct look.

Winifred Sanderson, Hocus Pocus

The oldest of the Sanderson sisters was obsessed with beauty and youth so it makes sense that the costume designers gave her comically large teeth that don’t meet “conventional” beauty standards.

Austin Powers, The Austin Powers movies

Powers’ bad teeth were created by a dental technician named Gary Archer. Mike Myers came to Archer and told him, “I want bad British 1960s teeth”, based on a widely-held stereotype. Archer took pictures and made drawings of British patrons at an English pub that he often visited and the pictures became the inspiration for the final design Archer showed Myers, resulting in his iconic smile.

Lloyd Christmas, The Dumb and Dumber movies

When Jim Carrey was a child he got into a fight, resulting in the chip in his front tooth. The tooth was capped and Carrey had it temporarily removed to portray Lloyd Christmas.

The Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland

Johnny Depp has said the Mad Hatter’s iconic smile was inspired by comedian Terry Thomas’ diastema. In an interview Depp said, “the French call the teeth with the gap in the middle ‘les dents de bonheur’ – ‘the teeth of happiness’,”. A fitting inspiration for the (sometimes) jovial Mad Hatter.

Harry Lyme, Home Alone 1 and 2.

Harry’s gold tooth plays an important role in his identification. When he first enters the McCallister’s house impersonating a police officer, Kevin notices his gold tooth when he smiles. As a result when Kevin is almost hit by Harry and Marv’s van Harry smiles at him again and Kevin notices the gold tooth, blowing his cover as a police officer.

Stu Price, The Hangover

Did Ed Helms REALLY pull out his own tooth for a movie role?! Well, kind of! When Helms was a teenager he had a dental implant placed. Instead of blacking out a tooth for the movie he decided to talk to his dentist to see if he could have the 20 year old implant crown temporarily removed. His dentist agreed to remove it and the rest is movie history!

Belletrix Lestrange, Harry Potter Movies

Though Belletrix’s rotten teeth are never specified in J.K. Rowlings’ book, actress Helena Bohnam Carter felt the gnarly teeth would give her character a feral look. As Bellatrix had spent so much time in prison, Carter felt her teeth should look savage and deranged as she hoped to portray her as such.

Dracula – 1958 Starring Christopher Lee

Vampire fangs have an interesting history in Hollywood as most people associate fangs with Bela Lugosi’s popular 1931 portrayal. Lugosi, however, never wore fangs in his role as Dracula. In the era before microphones actors needed to enunciate for optimal clarity; prosthetic fangs impeded this greatly. Fangs were not popularized in vampire films until Christopher Lee’s iconic portrayal in 1958.

Let us clean up your “fangs”! Call today to book an appointment.

School snacks for healthy teeth

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With the return to school fast approaching our office sees the improvement in your child’s oral health. No more all-day summer snacking and slurping back sugary drinks.

The snacks you send in your child’s lunch can help keep their smile healthy all year long.

School Snacks, Dentist Approved:

  • Fresh fruit and crunchy vegetables. They’re high in fiber and will help fill up hungry tummies. Bonus: chewing crisp fruits and veggies can scrub away food particles and plaque.
    • While citrus fruits, such as oranges, and grapefruit are healthy and delicious,  citrus fruits contain citric acid which can cause enamel erosion. Moderation is important!
  • Unsalted and low-salt nuts, such as almonds or walnuts.
  • A lunch meat and cheese roll up.
  • Cottage cheese or low-sugar yogurt. Both are excellent sources of calcium and vitamin D, which promote healthy bones and teeth!
  • Peanut Butter (especially natural) is packed with fiber and protein. Spread on celery stalks, apple slices, or on wraps with bananas.
  • Small cubes of cheese. Especially cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, and other aged cheeses. These cheeses trigger the flow of saliva which helps to wash food particles away from teeth.
  • Choose water instead of soda or juice!

Uh-Oh! School Snacks to Avoid:

  Dried fruit, fruit leathers and fruit snacks
Not only are they loaded with sugar, but these snacks are gooey and sticky and cling to the surface of teeth and gums.

  • Energy, protein or granola bars
    These may seem like a good choice, but they are very similar to candy bars in the amount of sugar and calories. Many contain sticky dried fruit that cling to teeth  long after the snack is eaten.
  • Cracker snacks
    White flour crackers like goldfish, graham crackers, and bagel chips also stick to teeth. These types of crackers contain carbohydrates that turn into sugar when broken down. Try healthier alternatives like whole grain crackers and triscuits.
  • Sports drinks
    Sports drinks contain extra calories and high levels of sugar, almost as much as soda. They are also  acidic and can contribute to enamel erosion.

Call today for your back-to-school cleaning!

Surprising Facts About Teeth!

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Let’s explore some of the most surprising things you probably didn’t know about teeth!

Your Teeth:
  1. Your teeth’s enamel is the hardest substance in your body. Just don’t test in on bottle caps because…
  2. Teeth are the only part of your body that do not naturally heal.
  3. But on average, people only spend 48 seconds each time they brush – the standard recommendation is 2 minutes!
  4. So three out of every four Americans has some form of periodontal gum disease.
Other Creatures:

5. Some snails have more than 20, 000 teeth, even though their mouth’s are no bigger than a pinhead

6. An elephant’s tusks are actually teeth!

7. Giraffes have the same number of teeth as humans – 32

8. You can tell the age of a dolphin by counting the rings on its teeth – just like a tree

 Historically:

9. Barbers used to pull teeth – talk about a one-stop-shop

10. Most Americans did not brush their teeth every day until after World War 2. In WW2, the military required soldiers to brush their teeth twice a day, and they brought that habit home after the war.

11. Neolithic humans filled cavities in their teeth with beeswax

12. The cotton candy machine was co-created by a dentist who called it “Fairy Floss”. Now that’s surprising!

Your Dentist:

13. DDS vs. DMD – DDS means Doctor of Dental Surgery, DMD means Doctor of Dental Medicine. The degrees are the same as they have the same education but each practitioner can decide what their degree is called.

14. You can’t lie to your dentist – General dentists can tell a great deal about your habits, diet, and oral hygiene routine just by looking at your teeth. They can tell if you floss everyday or just for the days leading up to your appointment. They can also tell what types of foods you eat and whether you grind or clench your teeth.

15. Your dentist is an artist – Dentistry is an artistic as well as scientific profession. Dentists must have an artist’s aesthetic sense, an eye for detail and the manual dexterity to perform precise procedures in a small area.

Call today for your appointment https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

Pulling Baby Teeth – When and How?

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Should you be pulling out baby teeth? How and when is the best time?

Youtube can show you countless creative ways to pull out baby teeth; from the “slamming door” method to newer techniques like the nerf gun. For some kids this is harmless fun, but for others it can be painful and scary.

It’s important to remember that teeth should only be pulled when they are loose enough to come out with very little pulling by the parent or child. Having a loose tooth can become uncomfortable as it can shift around and poke the gums affecting chewing. Remember that you want to make sure the tooth is not pulled out prematurely. Let your child be in control of the situation; this will ease anxiety and fear surrounding losing a tooth.

Your child will likely play with the tooth with their tongue throughout the day, gradually loosening it. If they are becoming anxious to lose the tooth offer crunchy snacks like apples to speed up the process.

When the tooth is truly ready to fall out organically there should be little or no blood, but have gauze ready to clean the area and rinse the mouth out to keep the site clean.

If your child has a loose tooth that is causing pain or keeping them up at night, call our office to make an appointment and we can assess if the tooth will need to be extracted in office.

(604) 936-1263 or email https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

Don’t forget to read last week’s blog about the tooth fairy for more information!

 

 

TikTok Veneer Trend Ain’t Bussin.

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In a recent TikTok trend influencers are doing “veneer checks” to show off their shaved down teeth. The problem is – these influencers aren’t getting veneers! Their teeth are prepped in a way that suggests they’re getting full mouth crowns. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal,  crowns compromise a great deal of your tooth structure leaving them weak and vulnerable.

Preparing a tooth for a veneer involves removing a small layer of your enamel. We then cement a thin, shell-like porcelain piece (the veneer) to the outside of your tooth. This can improve the shape, colour, length, and overall uniformity of the tooth.

Preparing a tooth for a crown involves cutting down your tooth to a peg-like shape and covering the whole prepared tooth with a porcelain or zirconia cap. It also improves shape, colour, and uniformity. Crowns are typically reserved for teeth that are already compromised due to a crack, root canal, or large area of decay.

On average, veneers and crowns need to be replaced every 10-15 years. As a result, the people in the TikTok videos will likely need to replace their restorations 5 or more times in their lifetime. They may find this is costly and detrimental to their oral health.

If you’re not satisfied with your smile, book a consultation with our office and we can discuss ways to improve your aesthetics. Lets achieve the smile you’ve been dreaming about!

Our office offers whitening, Invisalign, night guards, and other services that can help your teeth look their best without shaving them down to pegs.

Call today for your consultation! https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

 

Source:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/michaelblackmon/veneers-dental-work-instagram-smile

 

Affordable Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures

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Nowadays, Cosmetic dentistry is growing at a rapid pace. All thanks to this improving industry which has made the dental procedures more and more affordable for people.

The most affordable cosmetic dentistry procedures THAT  we are going to help you with are:

1-Teeth Bleaching

Do you have discolored teeth? Do you want them to shine bright? If yes, it’s quite a cheap dental process and the best part is that it doesn’t come with any side effects.

2-Tooth Contouring & Reshaping

If you have a misshapen or chipped tooth for some reason, try the tooth contouring and reshaping treatment. It’s one of the painless dental processes that will help you feel good about your teeth and your smile.

3-Dental Crowns

Trying to fix your bad breath? Tired of chips, cracks, and cavities? Try dental crowns!

These crowns are basically dental molds that help by improving the visual quality of your teeth.

4-Composite Dental Bonding

Do you wish to get your tooth’s structure fixed? Or want a treatment that can help in improving your tooth’s strength?

The composite dental bonding is so far the best thing you can try. It’s a cheap process and it will fix almost all your major teeth issues.

Always there are options to fix your teeth and have your beautiful smile back.

If you like to check your options for cosmetic dentistry, don`t hesitate to call us at 604 936-1263 and make an appointment with Dr.Ross.

Diabetes and Gum Disease

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Those who are dealing with Diabetes should know that elevating blood sugars increases the risk of developing gum disease also can be more severe and take a longer time to heal.

Likewise, Gum disease and the body’s response to gum infections can make it harder to keep blood sugar levels in control. To keep your gums healthy, you need to brush after each meal and floss then rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash daily.

How can diabetes affect my mouth?

Glucose is present in your saliva diabetes is not controlled, high glucose levels in your saliva help harmful bacteria grow.

These bacteria combine with food to form a soft, sticky film, Plaque.  Some types of plaque cause tooth decay or cavities. Other types of plaque cause gum disease and bad breath.

On the other hand, Diabetes causes blood vessel changes. The thickened blood vessels can reduce the flow of nutrients and this reduced blood flow can weaken the gums and bone which puts them at a greater risk for infection.

Infections from untreated periodontal disease can cause the blood sugar to rise and make it harder to control diabetes. Some of the first signs of gum disease are swollen, tender,  or bleeding gums. Sometimes you won’t have any signs of gum disease. You may not know you have it until you have serious damage.

Your best defense is to see your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.

Happy Holidays from Dr.Ross and Staff

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Wishing you a sparkling holiday season 

May your smiles be Merry and White!

   

 

Snoring and dental problems

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If you don`t have good oral health, it can be the reason for your Sleep Apnea.

You can sometimes find early signs of a sleep disorder by visiting your Dentist.

The first sign of having sleep apnea is tooth grinding  (bruxism). Grinding can cause tooth wear and breakage as well as inflamed and receding gums.

A spike in cavities can also be a sign of grinding.

Sometimes mouth`s anatomy and sinuses and Sometimes the eruption of the wisdom teeth can be the reason for snoring.

When the tooth has partially erupted, this causes a flap of tissue to become infected and swollen.

Because of this condition, patients may sleep with their mouth open, leading to snoring.

Snoring also can be caused by a number of factors like allergies, a cold, overweight, or alcohol consumption.

Other risk factors that contribute to what causes snoring include the following:

Being male, Being 40 years of age or older, Pregnancy and family history of snoring.

 

There are approved oral appliances available to help with snoring.

Your dentist can make you a custom snoring device, but only after you have been officially diagnosed with an oral problem. This oral appliance is a device that fits like a retainer and looks like a mouth guard. It supports your jaw and tongue to maintain an open upper airway.

 

There are several benefits to using a custom-made snoring device over store-bought ones, including:

– The device is much more effective than any prefabricated one because

it’s specially designed for your mouth.

– A custom snore guard will last definitely longer than that one you can get over the counter.

– They are portable, so you can take them with you while traveling.

–  Oral appliances are far more comfortable than wearing a mask!

 

Why water is the right choice for your oral health?

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– Drinking water helps prevent cavities and staining

For drinking sugary drinks you need to know that the sugars combine with the bacteria in your mouth and form acids that make cavities in your teeth. Having the occasional soda or sports drink is OK, Just when you make sure that drinking water is a regular part of your day!

Also, when you are outside until you can get home to brush and floss, drinking a glass of water and swishing it around a little in your mouth after having food, definitely helps a lot.

– Drinking water fights bad breath

Do you know why so many of us get “morning breath”? it`s because of the Bactria which grows in Dry mouth. You can stop morning breath by keeping hydrated with water. This also helps to produce saliva to wash away any lingering food particles that could contribute to bad breath or tooth decay.

– Fluoridated water helps fight tooth decay and cavities, especially with children!

Fluoride strengthens the tooth structure, making the entire tooth more resistant to decay. It also can repair the early stages of tooth decay.

Don’t forget to visit your dentist every six months for a dental exam and cleaning to make sure your smile stays healthy and strong.