First Impressions Are Everything!

Cupid's arrow could be deflected by a crooked tooth! It  may seem shocking, but a recent study by Kelton Reseach says we're all being judged at love, in life, and at work, by our teeth! There appears to be a perception that the nicer looking a person's teeth are, the better off the individual in many categories. People are perceived as being nicer, happier, wealthier and more successful.

A more beautiful smile can be achieved in a variety of ways. Here at Total Care Dentistry, we provide smile makeovers with complete restorative services including crowns, dentures and implants.

• Making a Lasting impression: It's important to have attractive teeth as part of a smile because pearly whites make a lasting first impression. Nearly one-third (29%) of Americans say the first aspect of someone's face they typically notice is his or her teeth, and 24% say this is also the facial aspect that they remember the most after meeting someone.
• Straight Teeth = Success: These thoughts also extend to perceptions regarding an individual's potential for professional and financial success. When looking at images, Americans perceive those with straight teeth to be 45% more likely than those with crooked teeth to get a job when competing with someone who has a similar skill set and experience. They are also seen as 58% more likely to be successful, as well as 58% more likely to be wealthy.
• Love at First Sight: Not if you have crooked teeth. When it comes to attracting a possible mate on a dating site, those with straight teeth are seen as 57% more likely than those with crooked teeth to get a date based on their picture alone.
• Crooked Teeth = Dull Social Life: Nearly two in five (38%) Americans would consider not going on a second date with someone who has misaligned teeth. Far fewer would ditch someone who lives with his or her parents (23%).
• Straight Teeth = Good Personality: People connect more positive descriptions with men and women who have straight teeth than those who have crooked teeth. Those with straight teeth are 21% more likely to be seen as happy, 47% more likely to be viewed as being healthy and 38% more likely to be perceived as smart.
• A Nice Smile Goes a Long Way : Nearly three in four (73%) Americans would be more likely to trust someone with a nice smile than someone with a good job, outfit, or car.
• The Want List: Having an attractive smile is something important to many Americans. Close to three in five (57%) Americans would rather have a nice smile than clear skin. What's more, 87% would forego something for a year in order to have a nice smile for the rest of their life; more than one-third of these folks would give up dessert (39%) or vacations (37%).

Smile Imaging Available

We've all seen them, those "try it before you buy it" products. They're a great way to really know what you're getting before you cough up the cash. Even high-end hair salons can take a quick picture of you and with the help of a fancy computer program, show your head with the hippest hairstyle so you can test-drive the look for yourself.

Wouldn't it be great if the dentist could do that for you?
Now, we can!

Here's how it works. Lets say you have chips on your front teeth and your smile just looks crooked.  Dr. Dooley has recommended you get 4 crowns but suggests 6 crowns and a special surgery that could completely even out your grin and help you ditch that "gummy" look. Done! But we know your only consideration isn't just appearance, it's cost, too, and you want to make sure you'll look your best.

Enter our new "smile imaging" program that will allow you to see what your restored smile will look like!

We take a picture of your current smile, and with the help of the experts at Bayview Dental Laboratories, use dental imaging software to show you exactly where Dr. Dooley will contour your existing features to create a new, more beautiful smile. The final result can show you with new crowns, whitening, gum surgery, a new denture, you name it! Visit our website for a complete list of services to learn just what we can do for you!

We're sure you'll love this amazing new feature! It's like seeing yourself in the future! This new technology will help you picture yourself with your new smile. Call us at 757-486-4880 or schedule online to find out how we can help make your dream results a reality!

Your best bat

Prince Fielder made a splash at the All-Star Home Run Derby in Kansas City last night. Eight splashes to be exact, as he lofted balls straight into the right field fountains. The Detroit slugger is now in the history books along side Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple derby titles.

The pro-baller will tell you practice is key in his successes. That and a little video game action as a child with Griffey Jr. and his father. Baseball at its simplest is repetitive motion: load, step, swing. As long as you can see and predict exactly where that speeding bullet of a ball will be... when it will be at the optimal position, you're good to go.

Detroit Tigers' Prince Fielder beat Toronto's Jose Bautista 12-7
in the MLB MVP Home run Derby July 9th.

The breakdown of the sport got us thinking about the surprising similarities between baseball and prosthodontics.

As a prosthodontist, a specialist in the replacement of missing teeth, Dr. Mary Dooley is familiar with repetitive motion, but that isn't what makes her so precise. It is her ability to "see that ball" and predict where it will be that gives her an edge.

Computer guided implant dentistry allows
virtual placement of implants to ensure success!

In the field of modern-day tooth replacement, patients of Dr. Mary Dooley are asked to have a CT scan performed. Consider this the "load" element in our baseball analogy. With a CT scan, prosthodontists are able to prepare for your dental implant surgery in its early stages. The next step in the process is unique. Our office utilizes advanced computer guides that allow the viritual placement of every implant. It is this stage that we'll label the "step." In reality, this is what allows Dr. Dooley to see and predict exactly where the real-life implants will go in a live patient. The virtual imagery gives her the precision she needs to make your case a home run. She can see where to place the implant, how deep to insert the implant and what size implant you'll need for optimal positioning. Finally, surgery day, and she "swings," and gets that hit of a lifetime with the successful placement and healing of new dental implants! The winner in this case, is the patient, but we're happy to accept the applause!   

The advancement is so important it puts the use of digital x-rays back in the shadows. No longer will prosthodontists have to extrapolate information from xrays. The ability to see a patient's implants before placement is amazing!

If you are considering having full size or mini dental implants, ask your doctor if they will be using a computerized surgical guide. Your chances of success will be dramatically increased, and your smile, that much brighter! Total Care Dentistry and Dr. Mary Dooley are excited to offer specials on implant placement this summer. Call 757-486-4880 or click here to schedule online and ask for more information.

Dental Implants Preserve Bone

As you may be aware, this is National Prosthodontics Awareness Week, recognized here in Virginia Beach to be so important our own Mayor has issued a proclamation announcing the same locally! Many of our patients and other blog readers are asking to better understand what a prosthodontist is.

Prosthodontists specialize in the replacement of missing teeth. Replacing missing teeth is important because of its side effects. In a recent Institute of Dental Implant Awareness survey, only 36% of respondents who knew about implants knew that tooth loss immediately results in bone loss. A lack of bone then leads to a change in your physical appearance, giving some people a "witchy" look, sunken features and a protruding chin and nose.

75% of respondents who already had bridges, partials, or dentures stated that they would have changed their minds about getting those treatments if they had been aware of bone loss resulting from extractions and that implants can preserve bone.

This patient has a multi-unit bridge. Bone loss is clearly
visible as support under the gums has been lost.

Dental implants are substitute tooth roots, providing the same function as natural tooth roots, including stimulating the bone, therefore preserving it.  By preventing bone loss, the facial structure stays remarkably intact. Bone grafting at the extraction site is still necessary in many cases and improves the likelihood of a successful implant.

Believe it or not, dentures reduce your ability to chew by nearly 75% less than your natural teeth. Restoring your smile with implants at the time of extraction, and treating periodontal disease regularly can keep you from suffering this fate!

As a prothodontist, I know you don't want to lose your natural teeth, or bone! Let us help you stay in the best oral health as possible. Visit my website and watch our videos on dental implants and periodontal disease. If you have questions, call us at 757-486-4880 or schedule your appointment online.

Mayor declares Prosthodontics Awareness Week in Virginia Beach

We are excited to announce a partnership between Virginia Beach City Mayor William Sessoms and our office! Below you'll find our official press release.

Mayor declares Prosthodontics Awareness Week in Virginia Beach

National Prosthodontics Awareness Week 2012 will be April 22-28. It focuses on raising public awareness about the critical importance of a healthy mouth. This is especially important now as the link between oral health and overall health is being increasingly documented.

Seeing the need for immediate treatment in many people in Virginia Beach, area dentist Mary T. Dooley decided to reach out to Mayor William Sessoms to bring attention to the cause. “Oral hygiene and restorations improve an individual’s self-esteem, Many adults who do not replace their missing teeth suffer premature aging, poor diet, loss of function and social embarrassment,” says Dr. Dooley.

Understanding the cause, Mayor William Sessoms issued a mayoral proclamation declaring Prosthodontics Awareness Week in Virginia Beach. It is our hope that his support will give weight to to the matter in the minds of patients desperately in need, and yet unconvinced of necessity.

“By utilizing dental implants, fixed bridgework, removable partial dentures and complete dentures a prosthodontists’ expertise can change a smile and a life.” Dr. Dooley explains. This initiative focuses on the important role prosthodontists have in treating patients with missing, broken and worn teeth. The American Dental Association recognizes prosthodontists as dental specialists with two to three years of additional training after dental school in the prevention and treatment of tooth loss and advanced expertise in comfortably treating even the most complex dental needs of patients. The American College of Prosthodontists is urging all patients to talk with their dentists about how to care for their damaged or missing teeth during this National Prosthodontics Awareness Week campaign and the appropriate time to seek the care of a prosthodontist.

 

Virginia Beach dentist Mary T. Dooley is proud to have served in the US Navy Dental Corps before having opened her doors to patients in private practice a decade ago. As a specialist in prosthodontics she is able to see patients through all aspects of care, from general cleanings and examinations, through major restorative care and implant dentistry.