The staff of Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry certainly knows how to enjoy themselves and have fun during the holidays.  This past Friday, October 31st, was no exception.  With some of the office staff (including the doctors) dressing up for Halloween, we had a great time.

It’s the one time of year that you can pretend to be someone or something else, without having people think that you’re nuts!  I chose to wear a Corrections Officer outfit, to match Alex, who was a prisoner in his orange jumpsuit.  Dr. Anenberg was fully decked out in a 70’s hippie-meets-disco-mullet-haired dude.  It was hilarious! (See photo below).

I am taking Dr. A to jail.

Sandy, Dr. A, and I. Sandy just escaped from the mental hospital.

Heather makes sure that Alex doesn't move!

Dr. N is going to remove my tooth the old fashioned way! Jason is dressed up as the Devil, and Xochilt is a Captain.

Later in the evening, we had a fun-filled party at our house with plenty of candy eating and spooky music.  Dr. Nottingham came dressed up in a medieval knight outfit, while his wife, Elisabeth was a cute spider.  Xochilt and Jason made an appearance as well!

The American Dental Association (ADA) has been working in collaboration with OralCDx Laboratories for the past three years promoting public awareness for Oral Cancer. One very important step in this process is making sure that dentists and dental professionals are on-board and taking an active role in their practice’s knowledge and understanding of what Oral Cancer is, and how it can be reduced. An eminent step is early prevention and detection of Oral Cancer.

Our Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry Team is dedicated to making sure that each and every patient that comes into our office, whether it be for a large cosmetic treatment or a routine hygiene cleaning, is educated on, and offered Oral Cancer detection tests. According to the ADA, “it is now easier than ever to detect oral cancer early, when the opportunity for the cure is great. Only half of all patients diagnosed with oral cancer survive more than five years.” (www.ada.org)

Here are some of the important things that you should know:

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This past week, Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry had the unique opportunity of being invited to attend a cocktail party and focus group, hosted by 4 PM Events, the elite wedding industry marketing leader, for The Wedding Salon.

Every year in various locations such as Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, 4 PM events management company hosts a high-end bridal extravaganza for brides and vendors to attend. The one-stop shop for the best and finest in the industry is know only as The Wedding Salon. This year in Miami, the Wedding Salon will be located at the elite Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL.

At the cocktail party and focus group (held at Villa Woodbine), we met with some of the wedding and special event industries finest talent, and shared trade secrets for marketing and customer lead generation. Being the only cosmetic dental representatives attending, allowed for us to get ideas outside of our normal spectrum of thinking and forge relationships with new vendors and specialists.

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There are so many great ideas out there just waiting to be discovered -so much unchartered territory in the marketing world-that all you really need to do is just get creative, think outside of the box, and be ready to get “unbrideled.”

Great ideas can come out of necessity, so I guess that is where my trip began. I am newly engaged to be married next year (2009), and I work as a marketing & guest services coordinator for an upscale cosmetic dental office in south Florida-Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry. The first step began as I have always has crooked lower teeth, and could not imagine smiling in my wedding photos with these crooked snaggleteeth. I started looking into my options, and am in the process of getting Invisalign done to correct the crookedness and overlapping. Prior to my wedding I will also be getting ZOOM! whitening treatment done to make sure that my teeth are as pearly white as they can be.

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Dr. Anenberg is the best dentist in all South Florida. He is kind and understanding to all your dental needs, and meets them all in a timely manner. I have referred a lot of people over the years, and everyone is greatly pleased.

What a great dentist!!!!!!!!

When I did not have any insurance he was fare and made it affordable to me. Now I have insurance, everything is covered and there is never any hidden costs.

The staff is pleasant, and I always look forward to an easy stay. Nobody likes to go to the dentist but you will LOVE going to Dr. Anenberg.

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Many of us have been affected by the latest news with our economy.

Because I work in dentistry, I was concerned as to how this current situation affects the Dental field.  In the past economic times many people prolonged dental treatment for reasons such as fear, work schedules and more.

Now with the current economic situation we should all be more proactive with our dental care.  Many of us still have jobs that offer dental insurance.  We must take advantage of this benefit.  I find that a lot of patients unknowingly waste their yearly benefits.  I imagine that this is due to work conflicts and such. If we are all pulling together in these tough economic times, one way is to utilize these dental benefits.

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I have been working for Smile South Florida for over thirty years.  Every day we ask patients to have oral cancer screening.  I am often amazed to see many patients decline this inexpensive procedure.

This oral cancer screening test takes minutes.  It is a swish of a liquid and invaluable.

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da Vinci Studios, the dental laboratory service for ABC’s Extreme Makeover and Fox’s The Swan, now offers a lifetime warranty on their porcelain veneers.

“With more than 30 years in the business, da Vinci is confident enough in the quality of our veneers that we are now able to offer a lifetime warranty on all new cases,” commented da Vinci founder, Daniel Materdomini. “I know this is not common in the industry, but I can, without a doubt, back my products 100%. We know that this is going to make potential patients more comfortable in the idea of investing in a new smile.”

Dr. Charles Nottingham, lead cosmetic dentist at Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry, has been working with da Vinci for over 20 years. Recently, he had the distinct pleasure to perform restorative dentistry on Mr. Materdomini’s mother. After the completion of the case, Mr. Materdomini said,

“…your preparations and impressions exceed perfection [for our Mother]… If the Extreme Makeover show was filmed in Florida, I am sure you would be the providing dentist.”

In addition to performing work on da Vinci’s mom, da Vinci Studios has featured Smile South Florida in Dentistry Today Magazine and currently displays on the hompage of its website three of Dr. Nottingham’s patients out of a total of five.

Joining da Vinci Studios in its commitment to excellence in dentistry and service, Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry will be offering complimentary cosmetic consultations to all of those interested in da Vinci porcelain materials. In addition, Smile South Florida will make available da Vinci’s free smile design preview, which means patients can get a glimpse into how they can look with da Vinci veneers.

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Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry Offers Cosmetic Consultations, Invisalign Consulations, and Sedations Consultations - Complimentary!

Going to the dentists office can be a scary thing for anyone, no matter what gender or age you are.  Imagine if you wanted to have major cosmetic work that you would possibly be making a large investment on - both financially and aesthetically.  Would you trust your smile to just anyone?

I like to compare dental work (or any other cosmetic procedure for that matter) to a relationship:

(1) It needs to begin on a solid foundation
(2) It is a major decision that involves a great deal of thought, research, and
(3) You want to choose the right person

Choosing the wrong dentist that lacks experience, in exchange for price shopping, so-called “good deals,” and to-good-to-be-true offers can leave you in pain, in debt, and could cost more money out of pocket in the long run!

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Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, & Miami Dentists

The Pankey Institute is a world renowned dental continuing education school. The Pankey Institute has been training advanced cosmetic dentists for over 35 years; whereas, the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) has only been in existence for 10 years. Some of the top dentists in the world teach at the Pankey Institute. They teach students the latest technological advances in dentistry. Pankey-trained dentists are taught to be patient centered, which means treating patients as individuals, taking the time to carefully listen, and dedicating their efforts to eliminating discomfort (both physically and emotionally). The goal is to provide patients with a lifetime of health, comfort, and beauty with the least possible treatment.Our top cosmetic (Extreme Makeover) dentist, Dr. Charles Nottingham, is a graduate from the Pankey Institute and a member of the LD Pankey Alumni Association. Dr. Nottingham has completed more than 200 Pankey Credit Hours, which includes both the full Pankey Continuum Core Courses and Advanced Pankey Courses. The following are some of the courses Dr. Nottingham took at the Pankey Institute:

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At some point in our lives we have all felt the need to fit in. For teenagers this need to fit in can come at an unhealthy cost. The most common of all trends in teenagers today includes oral piercings. Unfortunately, not much thought goes into the negative risk factors behind this social trend. Some of the risks include:

• Severe Infection- The mouth has a substantial amount of bacteria which is worsened by oral piercings. The bacteria traps around and under the piercings. Piercings are the breeding grounds for bacteria.
• Prolonged Bleeding- Piercings can cause damage to the tongue’s blood vessels which can cause blood loss.
• Swelling and nerve damage- Because the tongue is in always in motion the healing process is long and drawn out. During the healing process it is customary to have swelling. The tongue has an abundance of nerves which can be very risky. If the nerves are damaged it is usually permanent.
• Bloodborne disease transmission- Oral piercings have been identified by the National Institute of Health as a possible factor in transmissions of hepatitis B, C, D, and G.
• Deterioration of the gums and enamel- In some cases the placement of the oral piercings can have a negative effect on the gums and enamel. Constant contact with the gums can cause recession. Bulky metal piercings banging against the teeth can cause the teeth to chip which causes unnecessary repair expenses.

The moral of the story is check out all the negative factors involved in oral piercings. Spread the word to your children and friends to help discourage them from making a mistake.

I recently began the process of Invisalign to straighten my teeth and I wanted to document my experiences step-by-step.  Hopefully, this will help future patients feel comforted and become informed as to what they can expect.

First Aligners Delivered

Today, I had my aligner delivery appointment.  My Invisalign upper and lower aligners arrived in my Invisalign Starter Kit (which includes a red and blue case for storage of the aligners), and an instruction pamplet for how to clean and properly care for the aligners.

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I recently began the process of Invisalign to straighten my teeth, and I wanted to document my experiences step-by-step. Hopefully, this will help future patients feel comforted and become informed as to what is involved and what they can expect.

Exam, X-rays, Photos, and Impressions

Today, I had the second phase completed on my way toward straighter teeth. I had my exam, x-rays, photos, and impressions taken.

The first step was for Sandy, Dr. Anenberg’s assistant, to take my full series of x-rays (FMX) and pano. The FMX consists of 18 films of x-rays (to get all of the teeth at all angles) and pano, which is a panoramic x-ray of the teeth and mouth. The purpose for both of these is to be able to see the placement of the teeth and bone in the mouth. Sandy is an amazing assistant and took great x-rays. I am usually very squeamish when it comes to this whole process, but she made it fun, educational, and painless. Time frame for all x-rays: approx. 30 min.

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Today, Michelle, one of our wonderful hygienists, performed a cleaning on me. She did an excellent job. She was very gentle and thorough.

The reason for this posting is a result of our discussion. While Michelle was doing the cleaning, I asked her what a cavitron is. She said a cavitron is a dental tool that uses high frequency sound waves to clean teeth.

She explained that the cavitron breaks up the plaque layers, which allows her to hand scale the rest of my teeth.

I then asked her what plaque is. She explained that plaque is a type of bacteria that lives in our mouth.

While she was removing my plaque, she instructed me not to swallow the plaque. I was wondering why. She explained that the plaque is the same material that builds up in one’s arteries.

I never made this connection.

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I recently began the process of Invisalign to straighten my teeth and I wanted to document my experiences step-by-step.  Hopefully, this will help future patients feel comforted and become informed as to what is involved and what they can expect.

First Visit: Complimentary Invisalign Consultation

Today, I had my complimentary Invisalign consultation.  I wanted to find out if I was a candidate for the Invisalign process since I really did not want to get traditional braces.  My upper teeth were mostly straight, however, my lower teeth have been extremely crooked (especially the lower front) since childhood.

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