Healthy Smile Series ~ Five reasons to smile !

So much more than than a pair of upturned lips, the smile is the most scientifically studied human facial expression. 

Here, Five facts that may make you, well, you know.

1. People with big grins live longer. In a study published last year, researchers pored over an old issue of the Baseball Register, analyzing photos of 230 players. They found that on average, the guys with bright, big mouthed beams lived 4.9 years longer than the players with partial smiles, and 7 years longer than the players who showed no grin at all. We can't credit wide smiles for long life spans, of course, but smiles reveal positive feelings, and positive feelings are linked to well-being. 

2. Smiles exert subliminal powers. When study subjects are shown an image of a smiling face for just four milliseconds—a flash so quick, the viewers don't consciously register the image—they experience a mini emotional high. Compared with control groups, the smile-viewers perceive the world in a better light: To them, boring material is more interesting, neutral images look more positive, even bland drinks seem tastier.

3. There are three degrees of happiness... An article in the British Medical Journal reported that it is indeed possible to spread the love: Within social networks, when one person is happy, the feeling migrates to two people beyond her. So if you smile, a friend of a friend is more likely to smile, too.

4...and two types of smiles. Genuine smiles and fake smiles are governed by two separate neural pathways. We know this is true because people with damage to a certain part of the brain can still break into a spontaneous grin even though they're unable to smile at will. Scientists speculate that our ancestors evolved the neural circuitry to force smiles because it was evolutionary advantageous to mask their fear and fury.  

5. To spot a faker, check the eyes. When someone smiles out of genuine delight, a facial muscle called the orbicularis oculi involuntarily contracts, crinkling the skin around the eyes. Most of us are incapable of deliberately moving this muscle, which means that when a person fakes a smile, her orbicularis oculi likely won't budge.


Reference: Oprah.com

If you do not LOVE your smile contact our office. Our motto is creating picture perfect smiles. 

www.NylaanDental.com

Healthy Smile Series ~ Laser Dentistry - what is the buzz all about?

Brian S. Nylaan, D.D.S.

So I must admit at my last dental cleaning Dr. Brian found a cavity. Oh no - how could this happen?? I work in the dental profession. I brush, I floss. I have some acid re-flux - another great part of getting older; Not !

No one wants to have a cavity filled. Everyone flashes back to the dental drill, the fat lip, the sound of the dental drill, all the terrible things we remember from our dental visits as a child.

So much has changed in the dental profession. In our office we have electric handpieces. There is a lot less noise. This handpiece does not generate as much heat, so less cold water is needed. Bottom line is it is a lot more comfortable.

This is my tooth after having
the restoration placed.

Our office also uses Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA). This way we can numb only the tooth being worked on instead of numbing your lip, tongue and cheek. We also have Oraverse. This reverses the effect of the dental anesthesia, so you can have your entire area numbed, and we can reverse the numbing after your treatment, so the fat lip and cheek feeling goes away much more quickly.

Today I had my tooth fixed with the dental laser. Oh my goodness. While I would not recommend getting a cavity, if you need to have a cavity restored, laser dentistry is definitely the way to go. There is still a handpiece being used, but there is no noise and no heat. The laser evaporates the diseased tooth structure which is then replaced with a fluoride emitting tooth colored resin. If you looked at my tooth, you would not be able to tell I had a restoration placed today. I do not have a numb lip, so no droopy smile, no slurred speech.

If you would like to see S.T.A. in action watch our video. To schedule your appointment contact our office and experience our expert care and new dental technology for yourself. After all, don't you deserve the best dental care that is available?

We believe that you do deserve to have excellent dental care in a warm caring environment. ~ Kris

Kris ~ Office Administrator

         

www.NylaanDental.com

Healthy Smile Series: Waterpik's Water Flosser

A water flosser using warm water, the jet tip and  the pulsating action of the device will provide a gentle flushing out of food and debris. This is going to do a couple of important things for you. 

One, your tissue is going to start heal and become less sensitive. This will allow you to brush more effectively, or add a power toothbrush.

There should be a significant reduction in both bleeding and gingivitis. Not only will the water flosser be able to flush out food and debris in areas nearly inaccessible to other self-care devices, it will reduce plaque and keep gingivitis at bay.

In a recent study those who used the water flosser removed three times as much plaque as those who used string floss and five times as much as those who only used a toothbrush. 

The water flosser users also had a better reduction in bleeding, 26% better than floss, and 53% better than brushing alone. 

Schedule your dental visit.

Reference: Dentistry IQ