If you have been peering in the mirror wishing the smile you see was a more vibrant, youthful-looking one, you certainly are not alone! In fact, millions of Americans are pursuing cosmetic dental procedures from teeth-whitening to porcelain veneers as a way to boost their self-confidence and open the door to new opportunities. For cosmetic dentistry options in Winter Park, consider what Dr. Zachary Hodgins can do for you!

One of the simplest and most affordable cosmetic dentistry procedures offered at The Dentist’s Studio is teeth whitening. Age, diet and lifestyle can all contribute to discolored teeth, detracting from their natural beauty. However, one hour in-office teeth whitening can resolve the issue quickly and easily, and the take-home maintenance kit our office provides can help you keep your smile brilliant!

We also find that teeth whitening benefits our patients overall dental health. This is so because once your smile is noticeably whiter, likely you will feel motivated to keep it that way through excellent dental hygiene. In this way, teeth whitening promotes dental health!

Your Orlando Cosmetic Dentist in Winter Park Dr. Hodgins wants to see you in your most beautiful, radiant smile! Contact our office today to see what cosmetic dentistry can do for you!

The entire team here at The Dentist’s Studio is passionate about Cosmetic, Implant & Restorative dentistry! One of the cornerstones of our practice, however, is preventive dentistry which we are equally passionate about expertly providing to our wonderful patients. After all, healthy smiles are the most beautiful.

We recognize that many of our Winter Park and Orlando dental patients lead very busy lifestyles. Remembering to floss every day and come in for regular dental cleanings, therefore, can often be put on the back burner. But there are plenty of reasons to make your dental health a priority!

A couple of the most compelling reasons to maintain optimal dental health through regular preventive care include:

* The longevity of your smile. Improper or inadequate dental care (both home care and in-office maintenance) can lead to advancing periodontal disease and eventually tooth loss, not to mention dental decay and the need for extensive restorations.
* The longevity of… well, you! Periodontal disease has been linked to cardiovascular disease, clogged arteries and stroke. This means that by taking care of your teeth, you could without a doubt be preserving your own life!

So if it has been a little too long between teeth cleaning visits for you, contact the office of Winter Park and Orlando Cosmetic Dentist Zach Hodgins today! Our caring staff is dedicated to helping you keep your smile beautiful through providing advanced preventive dental care, and educate you on proper home care!

If you answered yes to the question above, then there is good news. A new product called Oraverse® has been developed that reverses the effects of dental local anesthesia. In fact, it speeds up the recovery time by more than 2 times that of normal anesthetic recovery. This works really well for the busy business person that needs to speak to a client, or for someone that would just like to enjoy their next meal without that numb feeling. So if you’re sick of that uncomfortable numb feeling or drooling after your next dental appointment, ask your dentist about Oraverse®. Dr. Zach Hodgins at the Dentist’s Studio, in Winter Park, FL uses Oraverse® for his patients.

Dr Zach Hodgins attended The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology’s Conference on Sedation in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 26-27 2010. Some of the topics included: Issues surrounding minimal and moderate sedation in dentistry. Preoperative Assessment for Minimal and Moderate Sedation. A Review of Pharmacology Principles, Pharmacology of Minimal and Moderate sedation agents, Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen Sedation, Local Anesthesia and Vasoconstrictors, Monitoring During Minimal and Moderate Sedation, ECG Rhytm Review, Special Considerations for Pediatric and Geriatric Patients. Case Studies in Minimal and Moderate Sedation. Mortality and Morbidity Review, Laboratory exercises that covered a review of Advanced Cardiac Life Support Skills. Dr Hodgins is always staying on top of the latest advancements in sedation dentistry.

Our 3rd annual “Dentistry From the Heart” event was another huge success. With a team of 6 dentists and 12 hygienists and 10 assistants, we were able to help over 80 patients smile again. Thanks to everyone for their help. This event is a highlight of the year for us, and we look forward to another year of service for our Orlando community. Video and photos from the event will be posted soon.

At CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), new research has shown that golfers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)who received nasal positive airway pressure (NPAP) improved their daytime sleepiness scores and lowered their golf handicap by as much as 3 strokes. This research suggest that the possibility of improving your golf game may be motivation to improve NPAP compliance rates within the golfing community. Study resultes showed that the best golfers, defined as HI <12, had the most substantial improvements in their game. Within this group, the average HI dropped from 9.2 (+/- 2.9) to 6.3 (+/- 3.0); the SQ score from 10.8 (+/- 1.9), to 2.8 (+/- 2.6).

“The biggest handicap improvements occurred in the lower handicap, often older golfers. This group typically would be expected to trend in the opposite direction due to age-related deterioration in strength and endurance,” said Mr. Friedman. “The drop in handicap among the better golfers probably reflected that the major limiting factor was not golf skill but cognitive compromise that improved when the sleep apnea was treated.”

“OSAS can lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, all side effects which can negatively impact a person’s ability to golf to the best of one’s ability.” said Marc L. Benton, MD, FCCP, Atlantic Sleep and Pulmonary Associates, Madison, NJ. “As any golfer knows, when your ability to think clearly or make good decisions is compromised, the likelihood of playing your best is greatly diminished,” said Dr. Benton. “Through treatment with NPAP, we can improve many cognitive metrics, such as attention span, memory, decision-making abilities, and frustration management, which may, in turn, positively affect a person’s golf game.”

Science says a dentist can improve your golf game. Dr. Zachary Hodgins of The Dentist Studio in central Florida is ready to help you improve your golf score and help you feel alive during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping or never feel rested there is a possibilty you could be suffering from OSA.

Heart Disease. Who knows if you are at risk? Several studies conducted by Cardiologists, and by Periodontists (gum disease specialists) now suggest that there are various connections between dental health and heart disease. If you have gum disease, false teeth, or rotting teeth you are have a higher risk of heart disease. These studies suggest that keeping your mouth healthy is one of the keys to having a healthy heart.

One of the most common was periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a large amount of bacteria that is in the mouth. Many studies reveal that people who need heart transplants, suffer heart attacks, or need heart surgery were more likely to have dental problems. You can’t get by with normal brushing and flossing because the gums can bleed and let the bacteria into the blood stream. This can cause bacteria to line up on the walls of your arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis and artery blockage. It can also cause bacterial endocarditis, which is a form of strep bacteria that causes vegetative matter to grow in the valves of your heart.

Dental health and heart disease have a large connection to each other. People who have had surgeries, especially surgeries that used artificial valves, conduits or stents absolutely need antibiotic treatment prior to receiving any type of dental treatment, even a teeth cleaning. Its very important to talk to your dentist about heart conditions or surgeries you’ve had.  Your cardiologist will know if you need what are called prophylactic antibiotics prior to seeing the dentist. This large single dose of antibiotics taken an hour prior to dental work does prevent the greater risk of developing bacterial endocarditis.

Prevention is the key. This means flossing regularly & getting two teeth cleanings a year. If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, you should check with your Dentist about antibiotic mouthwashes that can help remove bacteria from your mouth before flossing. In Orlando and Central Florida Dr. Zachary Hodgins at The Dentist Studio can help keep your heart healthy and prevent future health risks.

Last month we held a Teeth Whitening Day in our office to benefit The Women in Need Foundation (WIN). We offered professional home teeth whitening at a discounted fee to our patients and in return all of the proceeds went directly to WIN. WIN is directly involved in helping women that have been victims of domestic violence. The event was a huge success, as we raised over $1200 for the organization. Special thanks to Mrs. Georgia Kelly Pittman, and to all of our patients who helped.

My wife and I ran the Chicago Marathon on October 11th, 2009. The weather was perfect for running, around 33 degrees at the start. It sure was a nice change from the sweltering heat that we were training in here in central Florida.
34,000 runners started the race, and I must say that it was an amazing experience to share with everyone. It was my fourth marathon, and i’m planning on doing the Goofy race in January 2010. The race is held on Walt Disney World property here in Orlando,FL. It consists of running a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday, and then a full marathon (26.2 miles) on Sunday. Hence the name Goofy, because you have to be a little goofy to run that far in 2 days! It should be fun, and i’ll keep you posted.

Health hazards commonly associated with chronic periodontitis (gum disease) go far beyond the mouth. People have been warned for years that persistent periodontitis can be one of the causes of heart disease. A new study suggests that gum disease may also be a risk factor for many other cancers of the head and neck.

The journal: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, the study included 207 control subjects & 266 patients with cancers of the head or neck treated between 1999 and 2005.

Dr. Mine Tezel, The State University of New York, Buffalo, & his colleagues noted: “Alveolar bone is the ridge of bone that surrounds the roots of the teeth, holding them in place. Loss of this bone is typically seen with severe periodontal disease.”

The report indicates every millimeter of alveolar bone loss increases the risk of head and neck cancer by 4-fold. (One millimeter is about the size of the head of a pin.) This link also noted in subjects who never used tobacco or alcohol.

We are not just Cosmetic Dentists but at The Dentist Studio Dentistry we are committed to go above and beyond in periodontal health. We want for our patients to live a long, healthy life. By remedying a small problem now you can avoid disaster in the future. We provide dental care to promote your overall health.

We want to make all of our patients aware of this very important study. If you do not take care of your gums, you are not just harming you mouth but your entire body.  Make sure to brush, floss and have regular checkups.  You may say “I don’t have the time” but think of all of the time and money one of these horrible diseases will cost you.

*SOURCE: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, September 2009.