Advanced cosmetic dentistry blog

Your teeth are one of the first things people notice about you. As such, it is important that the message they send is one of confidence and beauty. Choosing a dentist to perfect your smile is not always an easy choice. How do you know what to look for? Are you looking for brighter and straighter teeth, or does your misaligned jaw cause you chronic pain? More importantly, what raises a cosmetic or neuromuscular dentist from “good enough” to “great”?

Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies

Dr. Kent M. Johnson not only graduated from prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), he has been an instructor there for 12 years. Teaching Full-Mouth Restoration the highest level course offered at LVI, Dr. Johnson passes on his knowledge and experience to budding cosmetic dentists looking to become exceptional dentists. It was his dedication to quality, years of experience, and professional approach that prompted LVI to invite him to teach. This same level of commitment and professional integrity is carried over into his personal practice and is evident in every smile he helps restore to its most beautiful state.

Technology

Dr. Johnson is devoted to keeping on top of the latest in dental technology. Advanced Dentistry of Park City is one of the most state-of-the-art advanced dental facilities in the nation, and it’s right here in Park City, Utah. This devotion to keeping on top of technological advancements is indicative of Dr. Johnson’s similar devotion to his patients. By employing the latest, safest, most efficient technology available, Dr. Johnson is able to serve his patients in ways they never thought possible.

Staff

The staff at Advanced Dentistry of Park City is professional and friendly, and these qualities are mirrored in Dr. Johnson. The extra care and attention paid to patients will exceed your expectations of a visit to the dentist’s office, and certainly raise your standards. We prize ourselves on offering our patients a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. We don’t simply want you to be pleased. We want to reset the bar for excellence in the advanced dental industry.

We welcome your questions, and encourage you to talk to others about their experiences with Dr. Johnson. If you live in Salt Lake City, Park City, Heber, Utah, or in surrounding areas, please contact us at Advanced Dentistry of Park City today to find out for yourself how amazing a dental experience can be.

There has been some increased interest in BPA in dental materials since a small article appeared in USA today. You may recall that BPA is a chemical that was shown to be released from some water bottles, especially when hot water was placed in them. This chemical has the potential for causing some health problems that could be potentially serious. This is not a new concern for the dental profession since there was a similar article that appeared in the dental literature in 2008.

A couple of points were made in the article that are very important to review. This gets a little complicated, but there are some very important considerations and we are talking about you and your children’s health. In the article they differentiated two different compounds that dental materials could be made from. Bis-Dma and Bis-Gma.  In the article they pointed out that only the Bis-Dma seemed to release BPA into the saliva for about 3 hours. BisGma is a completely different molecule and did not break down to BPA.

There are still dental sealants on the market today that contain Bis-Dma (mainly Delton by Dentsply). In Dr. Kent Johnson’s office we have never used a sealant that contains Bis-Dma. In fact we don’t actually use a sealant material for our sealants. We use a permanent restorative material in the form of a flowable composite. Studies have found that it is a stronger material and tends to last longer in the teeth.

I went back to check the materials that we use in our office and NONE of the materials contained Bis-Dma. There is actually a good reason for it that has nothing to do with BPA. The Bis-Gma material have some better characteristics for how we use them and have therefore become much more common in the more expensive materials.  Since that is all we use, it has not been an issue in our office.

Dental sealants have been in service for many years and have been a main reason why our children do not have near the number of fillings in their teeth that we did. They are a great service and a terrific way to prevent tooth decay. Even in the article they mentioned what a valuable service they were and recommend their continued use.  To learn more about the materials we use in our office, please contact us today.

The process for a perfect smile can seem overwhelming. With so many choices, you may find it difficult to decide on a procedure that will work best for your needs. For many people, porcelain veneers offers an option that yields quality results that are both highly functional and aesthetically appealing.

Common Concerns for which Porcelain Veneers can be the Perfect Solution

Porcelain veneers can solve a number of common problems and help create the smile you’ve only dreamed of. Porcelain veneers effectively cover teeth that are:

• Cracked or chipped
• Unevenly spaced or gaps between the teeth
• Oddly shaped
• Crooked and crowded
• Short or worn down
• Dark or yellowed
• Stained

Porcelain veneers are wafer thin, and cannot be used to correct severe structural issues, but their diversity allows them to be the obvious choice for many.

Benefits of Veneers

Dr. Johnson uses the latest, most efficient ultra-thin veneers greatly reduces the amount of time you’ll need to wait to transform your smile from blah to brilliant. Outside of saving time, porcelain veneers offer many benefits including:

• Eliminates the unsightly gray appearance at the gum line from traditional crowns with metal
• Gum tissue does not reject porcelain but instead treats it much like your natural teeth
• Porcelain veneers are stain resistant
• Porcelain veneers reflect light in the same manner as natural teeth
• Many patients choose prepless veneers which are quick and relatively noninvasive

If you live in Salt Lake City, Park City, Heber, Utah, or surrounding areas, and have been considering making minor adjustments to your teeth to perfect your smile, please contact Dr. Johnson at Advanced Dentistry of Park City to discuss your options, and learn more about the wonders of porcelain veneers.

Silver and mercury amalgam fillings have long been the only option for filling in cavities. As a less expensive option, they remain popular today. Though brilliant at the time they were invented, like all medical and dental procedures, new advances have helped raise the level of patient safety and overall aesthetics. With safety and structural concerns surrounding amalgam fillings, there’s never been a better time to contact Dr. Kent M. Johnson about having your amalgams fillings replaced.

Problems with Amalgam Fillings

People wish to have their amalgam fillings removed for a number of reasons. Some of the more common reasons are:

• Mercury vapor is a poisonous gas that can be released from amalgam fillings.
• Amalgam fillings can weaken the surrounding tooth, causing it to break, crack, or chip.
• Amalgam fillings are dark colored and can make your smile aesthetically displeasing.
• Most older fillings leak along the margin and have begun to decay underneath the filling. Often times this does not show up on dental x-rays.

Other problems, or problems related to these common issues may also prompt someone to have their amalgam fillings replaced with porcelain, or composite fillings.

Alternatives to Amalgam Fillings

There are several different types of tooth colored restorations, but the primary options used by most cosmetic dentists are composite fillings and porcelain fillings. Composite is a filling material that is placed directly in the tooth by your dentist and then shaped and polished. They are the latest, healthiest, and most aesthetically pleasing option for replacing amalgam fillings.

Composite fillings are the least expensive option and are best used in small restorations because they do not have the strength of porcelain. However, in the right situation, they can be very long lasting and beautiful restorations.

Porcelain restorations are usually made by a ceramist and then placed in the tooth by the dentist. They are more expensive than composite fillings, but they are able to restore the tooth back to its original strength and beauty. It will be as if you have a brand new tooth.

Porcelain fillings are vastly superior to amalgam fillings for a number of reasons:

• Porcelain fillings are stronger than amalgams
• They will not compromise the structure of the surrounding tooth
• Porcelain is white, and more closely matches the color of your tooth
• Porcelain reflects light in the same manner as natural teeth, making them blend even more into the smile you were born with

If you live in or around Salt Lake City, Park City, or Heber, Utah, and would like to, for any reason, replace your amalgam fillings, or if you are looking for the safest, most natural looking way possible to fill new cavities, please contact the experienced dental team at Advanced Dentistry of Park City for an initial consultation.

Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is responsible for every movement your mouth is capable of. Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is the catchall term for any number of problems that may occur in your TMJ. Common symptoms of TMD are:

• Limited, or completely diminished jaw mobility
• A jaw that clicks or pops
• Tenderness in or around the TMJ area
• Head, neck, and backaches
• Increased tooth sensitivity
• Ear pain or ringing in the ears

Some of these symptoms are similarly caused by other dental issues. Advanced Dentistry of Park City is one of the nation’s most advanced cosmetic dentistry facilities. With the help of cutting edge jaw tracking technologies, and hands-on examinations, Dr. Kent M. Johnson is experienced in determining if your particular symptoms are indeed being caused by TMD.

Treatment for TMD falls under the category of neuromuscular dentistry. Several options exist to help ease your pain, and realign your jaw into its natural and most optimal position. Treatment options include, but are not limited to:

• Mouthguards or biteguards
• Reshaping of the teeth
• Orthodontic procedures
• Building up the back teeth
• Full mouth restoration

Depending on your unique individual case, Dr. Johnson will review your needs and desires before making his suggestion for the most suitable treatment option.

If you live in or around Salt Lake City, Park City, or Heber, Utah, and you are experiencing the discomfort of TMD, or have questions about TMJ treatments, please contact the TMD specialists at Advanced Dentistry of Park City, for an initial exam and consultation.

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