Fascinating Dental FactsSeptember 3, 2010: Studies have shown that your overall health is tied to your dental health, which is why it's important to come in for a dental exam at least twice a year. August 15, 2010: More than 15% of the popular has tried teeth whitening, which can be a big difference in the way you look and feel.
July 30, 2010: Now's the time to schedule back-to-school dental visits for your children.
July 15, 2010: With a missing tooth, you have two options - a 3-tooth bridge, or a dental implant. With today's advances in implants, the implant makes more sense in the long run, for a variety of reasons.
July 1, 2010: If you're tired of smiling and having the silver gleam of amalgam fillings or gold shine of crowns show, consider cosmetic dentistry options of natural-colored fillings and porcelain crowns.
June 15, 2010: Invisalign (removable aligners that can straighten teeth) is one of the greatest advances in orthodontics.
May 30, 2010: The primary cause of adult tooth loss is periodontal (gum) disease.
April 1, 2010: Spring cleaning time...dental cleaning that is. Now's a great time to schedule a cleaning and exam, both of which can help ensure good dental health. Paul Revere, the "Midnight Rider" who played an important role in American history, was a practicing dentist. Not in Littleton, Colorado, of course, but rather in Boston. He also engraved portraits, produced bookplates, sold pictures, made picture frames, printed money, designed powder mills, and was well known for casting bells. It's a wonder he could find the time to practice as a dentist.
March 15, 2010: If you've lost a tooth or teeth due to heredity, illness, or injury, dental implants can be a great alternative to dentures and bridges.
March 1, 2010: Many adults are now straightening having their teeth straightened, thanks to Invsalign, which is an orthodontic choice that consists of clear, removable aligners.
February 15, 2010: Most dental insurance plans operate on a calendar year (January 1 - December 31), with a maximum dollar amount of reimbursement allowed per year. That means that the start of the new year marks the start of new benefits. If you've been putting off getting a crown, implant, root canal, bridge, extraction, or other type of dental procedure, now's the time to schedule an appointment.
February 1, 2010: Thanks to the amazing Cerec technology, we can make crowns and bridges in just one visit!
January 15, 2010: A tooth abscess caused the scar on George Washington's cheek.
December 25, 2009: Doc Holliday practiced dentistry in Dodge City, Kansas and Dallas, Texas.
December 10, 2009: The long-necked giraffe has only lower teeth, no uppers.
November 30, 2009: Most dental insurance plans run on a calendar year, ending December 31. Now's the time to use up your 2009 benefits, before they're lost forever.
November 15, 2009: Today's cosmetic options for smile makeovers are almost endless. Thanks to improved techniques and materials, we can now: whiten smiles, straighten teeth, repair chips, fill in gaps, replace silver fillings and gold crowns, and more...sometimes in just one visit!
November 1, 2009: Dr. Jim Porter is one of the top Cerec dentists in the country; in fact, he trains other dentists on how to use Cerec technology to make beautiful crowns and bridges in one appointment.
October 20, 2009: Only flossing can reach all five sides of your teeth. For the best dental health, floss at least once a day.
October 1, 2009: We now offer Invisalign, which is the "clear" alternative to conventional braces. A series of clear, removable aligners straighten your teeth. Dr. Jim Porter is a certified Invisalign dentist.
September 1, 2009: We're now using the Galileo X-Ray system, which gives us 3D diagnostic and treatment planning capabilities.
August 15, 2009: Today's cosmetic options include teeth whitening, veneers, white fillings, inlays, onlays, implants, and more.
July 5, 2009: Paul Revere, of "Midnight Ride" fame was the first dentist to identify a corpse based on dental evidence.
June 21, 2009: Early toothbrushes were nothing like the ones we give out at our dental office in Littleton today. Known as "chew sticks," they've been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 3,000 BC.
June 7, 2009: Back in the 1800s, a teething remedy was called "Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup," and the main ingredient was alcohol - not something dentists today would endorse.
May 25, 2009: In 1863, in the Union Army, recruits had to have at least six opposing teeth, so they could bite gun cartridges. Even dentists back then must have frowned on this practice.
May 10, 2005: Queen Elizabeth of England (ruler from 1560-1590) was known for her "yellow and black" teeth. Apprarently, she wasn't a big believer in cosmetic dentistry, or refraining from sweets.
April 25, 2009: Hippocrates wasn't a dentist, but his writings contained numerous references to teeth.
March 5, 2009: Scattered through the ancient Greek Hippocrates' writings are several references to teeth and their relation to disease. Although Hippocrates was a physican, not a dentist, he undoubtedly added to the body of knowledge on dentistry.
February 20, 2009: Every dentist in Littleton, Colorado can give thanks to the Chinese, who invented the toothbrush in the fifteenth century.
February 10, 2009: Guess what Native Americans did when they had a toothache? No, they didn't visit a Littleton dentist. Instead, they gnawed on ash trees, believing the bark could cure dental maladies. Undoubtedly, they had a need for cosmetic dentistry after doing this a few too many times!
January 25, 2009: G.V. Black, who is often referred to as the founder of dentistry, is the dentist credited with developing silver amalgam in 1985. While this material stood the test of time for filling cavities, in our Littleton dental office, we have much better cosmetic, composite options available today.
January 15, 2009: The first X-ray taken by a dentist was in 1895, not in Littleton, alas. That picture required 25 minutes of exposure. Today, the digital X-ray equipment in our Littleton dental office takes just a fraction of a second. Not all dentists in Littleton have switched to digital, but our office did years ago.
January 1, 2009: Nearly 50% of all children between the ages of two and three already have cavities. As soon as your children turn two, we'd be happy to be their "Littleton Dentist." Bring them in for a visit to our Littleton office, near Dry Creek and Broadway, and we'll make sure that it's a special one.
December 15, 2008: By the time a baby is born, the crowns (the part of the tooth that will eventually be above the gums) of all 20 baby teeth have formed. We love to see children in our Littleton dental office. Bring them in after they've turned two, and we'll make their first visit to the dentist a special one.
November 30, 2008: Florence Nightengale wasn't a dentist in Littleton or elsewhere, but she did her part in the Crimean War by passing out toothbrushes to soldiers. November 15, 2008: Doc Holliday, famous for the "Gunfight at the OK corral," never practiced dentistry in Littleton, but he did work as a dentist in Dallas and Dodge City. Wonder if he attempted any cosmetic dentistry to supplement his gambling income?
November 1, 2008: According to historians, Paul Revere was George Washington's dentist. If that's the case, he might not have been the most talented cosmetic dentist. The scar on our first President's cheek was more than likely caused by a tooth abscess. Too bad George didn't have access to the high quality treatment our dentists, Dr. Porter and Dr. Durbon, provide in Littleton.
October 15, 2008: In Italy, during the Renaissance, Leonardo Da Vinci wasn't a cosmetic dentist, he didn't place implants, and he couldn't possibly have used the Cerec technology that is the cornerstone of our practice, but he was the first person to give an accurate illustration of the skull and teeth. So in a way, his contributions aided what we do in our Littleton dental practice today - from cosmetic dentistry and implant dentistry to Cerec dentistry.
October 1, 2008: Sharks don’t need cosmetic dentists! In the summer, their teeth grow back every two to three weeks; in the winter, it takes seven to ten weeks to develop new teeth. Sharks are never without at least three functional rows of teeth. If sharks did need a cosmetic dentist, in Littleton or anywhere else in the world, the cosmetic dentist would need three sets of arms to offer great dental care!
September 15, 2008: The Chinese contributed to cosmetic dentistry in a way, with the invention of the toothbrush, which dates way back to the fifteenth century. Today’s electric toothbrushes, which mimic instruments we use in our Littleton dental office, would put the early versions to shame.
September 1, 2008: St. Apollonia is known as the “patron saint of dentistry,” not because of her stellar homecare practices or beautiful smile. In fact, she earned this distinction because she was subjected to the torture of having her teeth extracted one by one. That’s enough to make any cosmetic dentist, or layperson, cringe!
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