The Fort Lauderdale, FL cosmetic dentistry practice Smile South Florida has seen a big upswing in the number of international patients in the last couple of years.  Seeking dental services that are superior to what they receive in their home countries, the international patients come from many different countries, especially the United Kingdom (U.K.)

Smile South Florida provides extra assistance to patients who are traveling long distances to take advantage of the practice’s services. The staff at the office can help make travel and hotel arrangements.  The practice has special arrangements with top-quality hotels and can recommend area spas, attractions, fun activities, and businesses.  It is all part of the office’s VIP service which includes warm and cold beverages, snacks, blankets, DVD movies while waiting, and relaxing music on an iPod. “We want to make every patient’s visit as pleasant and stress-free as possible,” notes Miami cosmetic dentist, Dr. Charles Nottingham. “International patients have done a lot of traveling, so they have a better experience if they are comfortable and at-ease when they get here.”

Visitors from the U.K. come to Smile South Florida for a wide range of cosmetic dentistry services.  The most popular is veneers, followed closely by porcelain crowns and teeth whitening. Veneers are wafer-thin, tooth-colored laminates; each is custom made for the patient in a professional dental laboratory. The dentist attaches a veneer to each tooth’s front surface to improve its appearance. Veneers can completely reshape your teeth and smile, correcting teeth that are stained, damaged, crooked, or misshapen.

Getting veneers can give your smile a total makeover.  Smile South Florida can provide a full set of veneers to a patient in just ten days.  The office makes every effort to expedite the services to accommodate the schedules of international patients. Sometimes they combine the initial diagnostic visit with the first step in the treatment. Other times they travel to Florida for a first visit, go home, and then return later for the second visit.

“Many British patients feel that they don’t have a lot of choices for quality cosmetic dentistry in the U.K. and the services which are available are expensive,” says Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentistDr. Nottingham. “They know that we provide superior results. Many of our patients are repeat patients or have been referred to us by friends and family.”

Dental tourism is a growing trend and South Florida is a popular destination for visitors from the U.K.  “Some visitors are snowbirds with houses here,” remarks Dr. Nottingham. “Many patients come and enjoy the beach or visit DisneyWorld.  You can have a great vacation and go home with a beautiful smile.”

Learn More:

To learn more about Smile South Florida, visit www.smilesouthflorida.com or call (954) 721-6950 to speak with a team member to learn more about Smile South Florida’s free consultations.

About Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry:

The cosmetic dentists at Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry have offices in Broward County and West Palm Beach and provide Boca Raton Dentistry, Fort Lauderdale Dentistry and Miami Dentistry. They specialize in dental aesthetics including porcelain veneers, dental implants, extreme makeovers, Invisalign, and sedation dentistry.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL – The cosmetic dentistry practice of Smile South Florida has launched a series of YouTube videos which have proven to be very popular. The videos are designed to inform patients about the practice and demonstrate the services they provide; many have been viewed more than 1,000 times.

“We uploaded some of the videos to YouTube a while ago, but we’ve been stunned at how many people have viewed them,” says Dr. Charles Nottingham, a Fort Lauderdale dentist at Smile South Florida. “They’ve been getting 1,000 to 3,000 views!  Clearly there are a lot of people on the Internet who are hungry for information about cosmetic dentistry.”

CBS 4 News: A clip from CBS 4 News describes the Ultimate Makeovers project, a program that Dr. Nottingham, a Miami cosmetic dentist, helped to establish.  Every year the Ultimate Makeovers Team performs a pro-bono makeover for a deserving member of the community whose income falls 200% below the national poverty line. Components of the makeover may include plastic surgery, laser eye surgery, cosmetic dentistry, and personal training. The CBS 4 clip describes how the program was inspired when a girl wrote to Smile South Florida about how her mother needed cosmetic dentistry.  The girl described how her mother wouldn’t leave the house and couldn’t find a job because of her smile.

Smile Gallery: Another YouTube clip features Smile South Florida’s Smile Gallery:  a series of before and after pictures of various patients, showing how significantly the cosmetic dentists at Smile South Florida have improved their patients’ smiles.  The transformations of some of them patients are quite dramatic. You won’t believe it’s the same person!  The Smile Gallery video has 1,042 views.

Florida’s Extreme Makeover Dentist: This short clip gives prospective patients an overview of Smile South Florida’s practice and includes testimonials from former patients who describe the work they had done and how they are complimented on their smiles.  The video also features a clip from an interview with Daniel Materdomini, the CEO of da Vinci Studios, the dental lab for ABC’s Extreme Makeover show.  He explains how he has seen Dr. Nottingham transform lives. Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentist Dr. Nottingham himself appears and describes how they strive to make each patient feel comfortable and at home in the office. This video has nearly 1,000 views.

Introduction to Invisalign: This video clip features Dr. Kenneth Anenberg, another Miami cosmetic dentist at Smile South Florida.  Dr. Anenberg and a patient demonstrate the process of an initial consultation.  He describes Invisalign, shows the patient some sample Invisalign aligners, and explains how the Invisalign process works. This video has nearly 3,500 views!

Learn More:

To learn more about Smile South Florida, visit www.smilesouthflorida.com or call (954) 721-6950 to speak with a team member to learn more about Smile South Florida’s free consultations.

About Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry

The cosmetic dentists at Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry have offices in Broward County and West Palm Beach and provide Boca Raton Dentistry, Fort Lauderdale Dentistry and Miami Dentistry. They specialize in dental aesthetics including porcelain veneers, dental implants, extreme makeovers, Invisalign, and sedation dentistry.

Boca Raton, FL – Digital photography has revolutionized the practice of dentistry and Smile South Florida, a Miami and Fort Lauderdale dentistry practice, has felt the impact.  Fort Lauderdale dentist, Dr. Charles Nottingham has found his digital photography equipment to be an invaluable part of his practice which helps him identify problems and explain treatment options to patients.

“On the most basic level, the photographs get attached to a patient’s file so that the staff can remember what the patients look like and identify them.  But it digital photography also serves some important diagnostic and clinical purposes,” explains Dr. Nottingham, a Miami cosmetic dentist.  “I can use the digital photographs to show the patient –right on the computer screen in the office – precisely what is happening with their teeth. We can manipulate the digital image and demonstrate what the patient’s teeth will look like after our treatment.  The patients find it extremely valuable to visualize the results of the treatment.”

With some dental problems, there are several potential solutions – each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Dr. Nottingham can show digital photographs which demonstrate how other patients responded to similar treatments.  “Patients are far more comfortable when they can look at images” explains Fort Lauderdale dentist Dr. Nottingham.  “You’re no longer asking them to make a decision with limited information; they have a much better idea of what they’re signing on for.”

Digital photography is also a fast, easy, and very accurate way to document treatment. Dentists can take before and after pictures so that records will accurately reflect the care the dentist has given.

Smile South Florida uses a Canon 60 D Camera with twin flash and a macro lens.  The 60 D is a popular camera for digital dental photography since it can instantaneously convert RAW images in-camera into JPEGs that can be displayed on the computer screen.  The macro lens and flash allow the dentist to get crisp, detailed images of the inside of the mouth, even zooming in for a close up shot of a single tooth. The Canon and its accessories allow for even lighting, accurate color, and no shadows – factors that are very important in designing a diagnosis and treatment.

Dentists can also use digital images to enhance their practice.  They can record the results of various treatments and evaluate the efficacy of different clinical options. Digital photography is also invaluable for doing studies and documenting the results of treatments, so it contributes to dental research and education.

Learn More:

To learn more about Smile South Florida, visit www.smilesouthflorida.com or call (954) 721-6950 to speak with a team member to learn more about Smile South Florida’s free consultations.

About Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry

The cosmetic dentists at Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry have offices in Broward County and West Palm Beach and provide Boca Raton Dentistry, Fort Lauderdale Dentistry and Miami Dentistry. They specialize in dental aesthetics including porcelain veneers, dental implants, extreme makeovers, Invisalign, and sedation dentistry.

Always at the cutting edge in dentistry, Dr. Charles Nottingham and his team at Smile South Cosmetic Dentistry are now offering the top-of-the-line Dexis Platinum Digital X-ray system to their patients. The Dexis system provides dentists with choices among various state-of-the-art sensors and comes with intuitive, easy-to-use imaging software.

Digital x-rays offer several advantages to patients. Gone are the days of waiting for X-rays to be developed.  The cosmetic dentists can view the X-ray images instantly and review them with patients on the computer screen right away. Patients spend more time discussing their teeth with the dentist and less time waiting for the x-rays to be ready. Viewing digital x-rays with our Miami dentists and Fort Lauderdale dentists also means patients will have a better understanding of their dental needs and will be able to make informed decisions about their treatment.

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When most people think of foods that can harm your teeth, they think of candy.  “However, there are a lot of other foods to avoid,” says Dr. Charles Nottingham, a cosmetic dentist at Smile South Florida. “Unfortunately, many of them are popular during the holidays.”

Sugar: Sugar, of course, is the #1 culprit in causing cavities. The worst offenders are sticky foods like lollipops, hard candies, and gum drops.  They give you a double whammy. Not only are they high in sugar, but they also stick to your teeth for a long time after you eat. Surprisingly chocolate is less like to be a culprit because it binds with fat molecules and doesn’t stick to teeth as well as other candies. If you do eat a lot of sugary foods, try to do so at mealtimes when increased saliva can wash sugar off teeth.

Starches: “Bread and potatoes are very popular parts of traditional holiday meals,” points out Dr. Nottingham. “But, the refined flour in white bread and the starch in potatoes are essentially sugars and so will affect your teeth the same way refined sugar does. So cut back on those rolls, mashed potatoes, holiday cookies, and potato chips.”

Alcohol: An occasional drink at a holiday party is okay. But excess alcohol wears away tooth enamel, discoloring teeth and making them vulnerable to cavities.

The good news is there are a lot of foods that are healthy for your teeth as well. “In general most fruits and vegetables help strengthen your teeth – as do a lot of foods containing protein,” says Dr. Nottingham.

Fruits and Vegetables: Any fruit or veggie with a lot of fiber will help out. Onions, celery, kiwis, parsley, and apples are all singled out by experts as being particularly good for your teeth. So look for holiday recipes that include these foods.

Dairy Products: In general cheese, yogurt, milk, and other dairy products (without added sugar), are good choices for the teeth. They help generate saliva which washes sugars off the teeth and they contain calcium, which strengthens them.

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People tend to think of beautiful straight teeth as a purely cosmetic concern – a luxury rather than a necessity. However, teeth that are crooked, stained, or have other problems can cause physiological problems in the rest of the body or can be an indicator of other health problems.

“Crooked and crowded teeth are hard to clean properly, potentially leading to tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss,” notes Dr. Charles Nottingham, a Miami dentist and Fort Lauderdale dentist.”A bad bite can also cause abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, poor speech, and excessive stress on the jaw bone and gum tissue.”

Poor bites can also influence chewing and swallowing and food selection – leading to nutritional problems. Pain in the jaw or teeth can lead to pain in the head, neck, shoulders, or elsewhere in the body. Oral pain often leads to diminished activity, lost work days, depression, sleep problems, and missed school for children.

“In addition, problems with your teeth can be an indicator of whole-body health issues,” points out Dr. Nottingham, a South Florida cosmetic dentist.”Scientific research indicates a link between gum disease and many other overall health problems including: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, premature births and many more.”

Sometimes teeth can reveal a previously unknown health condition. Conditions that can be detected in the mouth include diabetes (causesgum infections), acid reflux (teeth are much more prone to decay), some auto-immune disorders (the soft tissue in the mouth and salivary glands can be affected), liver diseases (the soft tissue in the mouth is jaundiced) and many more.

On the other hand, teeth that are well-cared for have a host of psychological and physiological benefits. If you visit your doctor regularly you can avoid infections in the mouth that could spread to the rest of the body. “If your bite is well-aligned, your mouth will be comfortable, you’ll be able to speak easily, and you can eat anything you want,” says Dr. Nottingham.”A beautiful smile can increase your self-esteem and encourage you to smile more (something everyone could use!). And increased self-confidence generates success.” Continue Reading >>

Dr. Charles Nottingham, a South Florida cosmetic dentist, has been selected as part of the Ultimate Makeover Team.

In the spirit of ABC’s Extreme Makeovers and Fox’s the Swan, there is a new standard: The Ultimate Makeover. Those shows have made extreme aesthetic transformations popular nationwide, but the new program offers a twist.

In the Ultimate Makeover Program, Florida’s best doctors and health practitioners go beyond changing people’s looks to transforming their lives. The Ultimate Team will help the less fortunate through community activism and fundraising corporate partnerships as well as through cosmetic procedures.

Nottingham Consulting Group sponsored a research investigation to discover South Florida’s top health practitioners. Each practitioner was selected by an independent panel using Ten Criteria. By qualifying and certifying the team, the community panel ensured that each practitioner meets a high standard of trust and professional ability.

The Ten Criteria are:

1. Years of experience
2. High quality education
3. Good standing in the community
4. Industry accolades and leadership
5. History of published works
6. Client testimonials
7. Tradition of community service
8. Praise from colleagues
9. A high degree of professionalism
10. Marketing

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South Florida Cosmetic Dentist Warns Against Badly Trained Cosmetic Dentists

Dr. Charles Nottingham, a dentist from Smile South Florida, describes the dangers of getting cosmetic procedures from dentists without advanced training and experience.

Nationally there are over 150,000 dentists, and the number is growing at a rapid rate. However, a staggering quantity of inexperienced students graduate from dental school every year and enter directly into practice. Some of these graduates go on to get specialized training in cosmetic dentistry, but many become general dentists who attempt specialized cosmetic dentistry without the necessary expertise.

A survey by Harris Interactive revealed that 11% of Americans annually (and the number grows every year) received an in-office cosmetic dental procedure to beautify their smiles. High-quality cosmetic dentistry can transform your appearance, but poorly executed dentistry can prove disastrous.

Here’s a shocking statistic from the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry: over 25% of  Americans’ yearly expenditures cosmetic dentistry is spent re-doing and correcting unsatisfactory dental work from a previous visits. “While cosmetic dentistry can be transformative, badly performed dentistry can lead to a lifetime of pain and problems.” says Dr. Charles Nottingham, one of the best cosmetic dentists in Florida.

A report by the Surgeon General found that over 39 million people, or 22%, experience some kind of oral-facial pain in a given six month period. The report estimates that 12.2% of Americans suffers from toothache, 5.3% from jaw joint pain, and 1.4% from face or cheek pain.

Founder of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, Ronald E. Goldstein estimates that 50% of American dental work is spent on cosmetic procedures. Undoing other dentists’ shoddy work accounts for an estimated one-seventh of the over $80 Billion spent on dentistry in the U.S. In a 2004 Wall Street Journal article, various cosmetic dentists estimated that re-doing others’ work accounts for 25% to 50% of their work.

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Nearly 30% of Americans are afraid of visiting the dentist and even will put up with pain or discomfort to avoid dental visits. However, for those people, there is another way: sedation dentistry.  It can also be called oral sedation dentistry, anxiety-free dentistry,  and relaxation dentistry.

Available for both general and cosmetic dentistry, sedation dentistry can be used for procedures from simple cleanings and root canals to complete smile makeovers. At a dental visit you and your dentist will agree on the needed treatment. The dentist will give you a prescription for a drug such as Valium, Ativan, or Sonata.

“Most of the drugs have been available for years and all are safe to use,” says one of Miami’s best sedation dentists, Dr. Kenneth Anenberg, cosmetic dentist from Smile South Florida. “Some of the prescriptions last longer than others, so the amount of time necessary for your treatment will help determine what kind of medicine you will receive.  Be sure to tell the dentist about other drugs you are taking and details of your medical condition.”

The day of the procedure, you will take your medicine before the appointment – how far in advance will be determined by how long your treatment will take. You will need a companion to drive you to and from your appointment. When the dentist starts the procedure, you will feel relaxed and, possibly, drowsy, points out Anenberg, a Miami sedation dentist.  Most patients don’t sleep deeply unless they’ve been administered general anesthesia, which most dentists don’t provide.

Some dentists provide Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) instead of or in addition to prescription medicine.  In use for more than 100 years, Nitrous Oxide is particularly good to combine with other sedation dentistry medicines since it provides pain relief and has some anti-anxiety properties.

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The Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentists at Smile South Florida have announced an Exclusive Agreement with da Vinci Studios, a premier provider of veneers and crowns. Because of their outstanding quality and customer service, da Vinci will be the only line of veneers and crowns that the Miami cosmetic dentists at Smile South Florida use. Da Vinci studios is the dental lab for ABC’s Extreme Makeover show and Fox’s The Swan. Only the top dentists in the U.S. can become certified da Vinci dentists.

“Da Vinci products are absolutely the best available in the U.S. We didn’t feel the need to carry any other brands of veneers and crowns. Da Vinci provides everything we need,” said Dr. Charles Nottingham, Smile South Florida’s top dentist. “It’s a pleasure to work with them.”

Smile South Florida’s top cosmetic dentist in the Fort Lauderdale and Miami area, Dr. Charles Nottingham, has maintained a close relationship with the owner of da Vinci Studios, Daniel Materdomini. Dr. Nottingham and Daniel speak regularly about maintaining the best cosmetic dental practices with da Vinci veneers. In fact, the Daniel sent his own mother to Dr. Nottingham for a full cosmetic reconstruction – and were very pleased with the results.

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Reprinted from ada.org.

CHICAGO, May 27, 2010 – If you participate in organized sports or recreational activities, there’s always the risk of injury to the mouth, says the American Dental Association (ADA).

In a recent NHL playoff game, a Chicago Blackhawk player was struck in the mouth by a speeding puck. Although wearing a mouthguard, according to news reports, the player lost seven teeth in the incident, which serves as a reminder that acute dental injuries can occur when least expected.

Unlike many National Hockey League (NHL) players, most people will not face a slap shot, rocketing up to 100 mph, which poses clear injury risks. The same is true for swinging sticks and flying elbows. In many situations, mouthguards can help reduce the incidence and severity of dental injury.

“I dread picturing the degree of damage that the player might have sustained without wearing a mouthguard.” ponders ADA consumer advisor Matthew Messina, D.D.S., a general dentist from the Cleveland area. “A properly fitted mouthguard is an important piece of athletic gear that can help protect your mouth, cushion blows that might otherwise cause broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw.”

Injury risk nearly two times greater

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Researchers examined 35 men with prostate inflammation. They found that the men with the most severe prostatitis also showed signs of periodontal disease.

Periodontitis has been linked to other health problems, including heart disease and diabetes, so researchers suspected a possible connection to prostate disease as well.

This study compared levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) – an indicator of prostate disease – with the clinical attachment level (CAL) of the teeth and gums and teeth – indicating possible gum disease.

The research about prostate health and gingivitis was conducted by periodontists at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and has been published in the Journal of Periodontology.

This finding supports the belief that oral health and whole-body health are deeply connected. Gum health problems – not just full-blown periodontal disease, but the bleeding gums, swollen gums or receding gums that can indicate gum disease – can indicate the presence of other inflammatory issues.

Reprinted from: http://www.thewealthydentist.com/blog/1210/gum-disease-and-prostate-health/

Miami and Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentist Dr. George Kolos and his team at Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry have recently started offering the Makkar PPM sports appliance, a mouth guard which is specially fitted to each user and has been proven to enhance sports performance. Invented by Dr. Anil Makkar, each appliance is custom-designed and manufactured for each individual. The device aligns the athlete’s head, neck and spine improving balance, range of motion, flexibility, endurance, and oxygen flow during athletic activities.

The appliance works on the principle that the muscles of the face, jaw and neck should be aligned to be most efficient and restful. Most people do not have that alignment naturally and the result can be headaches, neck strain, and cracked teeth.  The benefits that users experience are the result of a more efficient neuromusculature, and enhanced oxygen flow through an increased airway. Most athletes see improvement in their performance immediately.

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Reprinted from Delta Dental.

How a Trip to the Dentist Could Save Your Life

Using the force of Star Wars technology to spot rogue cells, dentists are on the front lines of the war against oral cancer – a disease that kills an American every hour. More than twenty-seven years ago, the country launched the Strategic Defense Initiative program, otherwise known as “Star Wars.” Today, some of the technology originally aimed at identifying enemy missiles is helping dentists and medical professionals identify a different kind of potential killer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year more than 30,000 people in the US are diagnosed with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx. Since this form of cancer is typically discovered late in its development, the death rate is higher than that of many other forms of cancer, including cervical cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In fact, of those diagnosed with oral cancer, less than half will still be alive five years later. Each year, this stealthy killer takes the lives of approximately 8,000 Americans.

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