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!

6 Tips for a Photogenic Smile

This post is reprinted from Webmd.com. Click here for the original post. You can check out our website for more tips and a list of services including whitening, crowns, veneers, dentures and implants that can help you show off your best grin!

WebMD Feature

By Joanne Barker

Reviewed By Alfred D. Wyatt Jr., DMD

With cameras in cell phones, email profile pictures, and online photo sharing, a camera-ready smile is almost a necessity. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a celebrity or genetically blessed to create a crowd-pleasing smile.

Smile Tip #1: Wear a "Parade" Smile
Photogenic smiles are gentle and natural. Lily T. Garcia, DDS, MS, FACP tells her patients to smile as if they are in a parade. In other words, strike a smile you can hold for a long time. When you smile gently, your face looks relaxed. Your mouth opens slightly, and your lower lip matches the curve of your upper teeth.
"You’ll feel the edges of your upper front teeth gently touching your lower lip," says Garcia, president of the American College of Prosthodontists. Your cheeks may rise a bit, but not too much. It’s the opposite of the quick smile that flashes across your face when you see an old friend. That kind of jumping-for-joy smile makes your eyes squint and your neck muscles tense -- which can make for an awkward-looking photo.
Smile Tip #2: Nix the Double Chin
More worried about your chin than your smile? It’s all about posture. "If you slouch or your head is too bent forward, you won’t like how your smile looks," says Pamela McClain, DDS. She recommends turning your head slightly and dropping your chin so your face is not completely square with the camera.
Smile Tip #3: Make Lipstick Your Friend
If you are a woman, select a lipstick that works with your skin tone. "The right shade of lipstick can make teeth look whiter," Garcia says. Shades like cherry red, wine, berry, plum, or rosy pink are your best bet. The blue-based or pink-based undertones will minimize any yellowish tones in your teeth.
On the other hand, Garcia says that the wrong color, especially one that’s too dark or too red, can detract from your smile. (Psst. Lipstick sticking to your teeth? Might be a sign of dry mouth or excess plaque.)
Smile Tip #4: Work With What You Have
You don’t need perfect teeth to have a camera-worthy smile. Just look at Tom Cruise and his off-center ivories. Garcia points out that the line between his two front teeth, which should line up with the center of his nose, is off to one side. It’s a rather obvious fluke but when Cruise smiles, few people notice it.
Smile Tip #5: Prime Your Teeth and Gums
Getting your teeth and gums camera-ready requires a bit of behind-the-scenes preparation.
If your teeth have yellowed with age, you might take time to try a whitening product from the pharmacy or visit your dentist. Correcting cracked, broken, or missing teeth will likely mean some time with a dental professional.Though you may think of them as supporting actors, healthy gums play a crucial role in a photogenic smile. "You can have beautiful teeth but if your gums aren’t healthy, that detracts from your smile," says McClain, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. Take Julia Roberts, McClain says: "She’s got a big smile, and she has a really nice blend of gum tissue and tooth."
Smile Tip #6: Practice
Your perfect smile might not happen overnight. If you have a big photo event like a wedding or graduation coming up, take time to practice smiling in front of a mirror. You can see how it looks and feels when you hold your shoulders back proudly and strike a natural, unforced smile. You can also play around with turning your head and finding your best angle.
 

Whitening Secrets & Tips!

       This is the time of year when we want to look and feel our best! Spring is one of the most popular times to gather together with people and enjoy time outside & around town. You’ll be smiling quite a bit. Want to have a bright, white smile?
      We offer all types of cosmetic dental treatments such as professional teeth whitening. However, you may want to know some ideas on keeping them white at home. Aside from brushing your teeth and avoiding foods and beverages known to stain such as coffee and red wine, here are strange but true trivia on dental care that you may not have thought of.

Use a straw: If you must have teeth stain-causing drinks like tea, cola or something else, be sure to use a straw. It helps the drink bypass the teeth and gums and cuts down on your chances for dingy teeth.
Avoid swimming often. You wouldn’t think of this but swim at your own risk: swimming regularly in pool water can cause stains. Funny to think this but the chemicals used to clean pools can lead to a condition known as swimmers’ calculus that leaves brown stains on teeth. You will need to see a family dentist to remove it.
Chewing on fingernails. Habitual nail chewers damage more than their cuticles; they can damage their teeth, too. If you have weakened enamel, you end up with an exposed, dented, soft area in the center of the tooth. As weird as it seems, the denting is much softer than the enamel and if exposed to bad habits such as chewing nails, using your teeth as a tool to open things, it will wear down. Brittle enamel is very prone to chipping resulting in making the teeth look very unattractive.

      Of course, if you hare struggling with yellow teeth and want to show-off a beautiful smile, give us a call at 757-486-4880 or schedule an appointment online. We have a options that will make your teeth shine like the beach on a beautiful summer day!