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Putting Your Best<br />
SMILE Forward<br />
featuredMERCHANT<br />
Easy cosmetic dental enhancements can<br />
make big improvements in your appearance<br />
Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is quoted as saying “Because of<br />
your smile, you make life more beautiful.”<br />
That’s so true. The image of a perfectly-toned body is<br />
lessened if it’s not accompanied by an equally dazzling smile.<br />
But thanks to amazing strides in today’s cosmetic dentistry, it’s<br />
easy for someone with a ho-hum grin to obtain a true humdinger<br />
of a smile.<br />
While most everyone agrees that a great smile is an important<br />
social asset, did you know that 75% of adults surveyed think that<br />
an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success<br />
In today’s flagging economy, that’s reason enough to<br />
improve your smile.<br />
Dr. Joseph Capista is an esteemed authority on aesthetic dentistry<br />
who offers technical skill with an artistic touch. He’s so<br />
well respected in this field he’s been selected as Cosmetic<br />
Dentist for the Philadelphia Sixers Dancers for five straight<br />
years. “Dr. Joe” sees hundreds of people each year with all sorts<br />
of smile issues like chipped teeth, gaps or discolored teeth -<br />
issues that cause them to withhold a full grin or feel selfconscious<br />
when they open their mouth.<br />
“Knowing you have a beautiful smile gives you the kind of<br />
confidence that lights up a room,” he says.<br />
Change That Dingy Smile into a Dazzling One<br />
As we get older, our adult teeth naturally become darker due to<br />
changes in the tooth’s mineral structure. In addition, heavy consumption<br />
of coffee or soda or other teeth-staining beverages like<br />
red wine, smoking, or even certain medicines can stain your teeth.<br />
With a “bright is right” outlook, it’s not wonder that tooth<br />
whitening is the number one cosmetic dental treatment in the<br />
U.S. today. Whitening toothpastes, gels, trays or strips are sold at<br />
the supermarket or pharmacy but, warns Dr. Joe, “can be very<br />
abrasive.”<br />
Dr. Joe offers easy, safe and effective alternatives, like one<br />
hour laser teeth whitening (Zoom!) in his office which provides<br />
the quickest results. A dentist-supervised teeth whitening kit is<br />
the next best choice. For this approach, models are made of<br />
your teeth during your initial office visit. On your second visit,<br />
you’re given clear plastic trays which you wear comfortably at<br />
home while doing other activities for one to two hours a day, or<br />
even while sleeping.<br />
“The results are pretty spectacular and often last one to five<br />
years,” notes Dr. Joe. “If the teeth start to look a bit dingy, we<br />
can give you extra gel for a quick touch-up.” In fact, Dr. Joe’s<br />
practice is currently featuring a “Whitening for Life” program<br />
which offers the take home whitening kit, and all follow-up gels<br />
for a lifetime of dazzle, provided you maintain a regular schedule<br />
of preventative/hygiene visits.<br />
Other Easy Cosmetic Dental Options<br />
Today’s hot dental procedure is the Porcelain Veneer – a thin,<br />
semi-translucent shell that is custom made and then bonded to<br />
your teeth. An easy alternative to minor orthodontics, porcelain<br />
veneers can be used to visually close up gaps, to correct broken or<br />
AFTER<br />
Dr. Capista treated Chris with four porcelain<br />
veneers to eliminate the spacing between<br />
his upper six front teeth. The gleam in<br />
Chris’ eyes after treatment says it all.<br />
BEFORE<br />
chipped teeth or to provide a makeover for crooked or stained<br />
teeth. Porcelain veneers are more natural looking and can be<br />
color-matched perfectly to your surrounding teeth. The end result<br />
is a more attractive and healthier-looking smile. Digital imaging<br />
photos are often used to show astounding before and after views.<br />
They are most often used to replace old “crowns” or “caps,”<br />
which yellow over time and often have dark edges around the<br />
gum line (unlike veneers, which are all porcelain, yesterday’s<br />
crowns were porcelain bonded to metal, which results in the<br />
dark edges). “Some of us have crowns that are older than our<br />
favorite running sweatshirt,” quips Dr. Joe, an avid runner.<br />
Composite Bonding is another technique used for chipped teeth,<br />
or when teeth are worn around the gum line. It is a metal-free,<br />
tooth-colored material that is applied directly to a tooth and then<br />
made to match your surrounding teeth in terms of color, texture<br />
and shape. The end result is a natural, uniform smile.<br />
Restorative Crown and Bridge Dentistry might be required if<br />
you have missing teeth, heavy decay or have a loss of supporting<br />
bone structure. Partial dental bridges can be fixed or removable<br />
and made from a variety of materials.<br />
No time No Longer an Excuse<br />
With many of the above procedures able to be accomplished in<br />
three or less gentle visits, there’s no reason why you should put<br />
off correcting a teeth problem that takes away from your appearance.<br />
It’s time to put your best smile forward!<br />
Dr. Joseph Capista is a highly-respected U.S. authority on<br />
cosmetic dentistry who completed post graduate training at<br />
the famed Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies.<br />
For more information on Dr. Capista’s services and the “Free<br />
Whitening for Life Program,” visit www.capistasmiles.com<br />
and click on the Free Whitening for Life box for more details.<br />
48 I <strong>PhillyFIT</strong><br />
March/April I 215-396-0268 I www.phillyfit.com