Table of contents:

1. Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry Breaks Into the Wedding Industry
2. Smile South Florida and The Wedding Salon

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.

There are many ways that we can work together to help our businesses thrive. For example, we met with several extremely talented photographers such as KT Merry, Nicole Kent, Frank Sanchez, and Elizabeth Antunes. There are many occasions in the future where we at Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry have discussed sending our cosmetic cases to be professionally photographed upon completion of their case. We would also be able to help their clients to have the perfect wedding day smile for photos as well!

We also met with many makeup artists, including Ana Baidet. Talent like hers is extremely important to have on the big day and will certainly compliment a great photographer. When we do professional photo shoots in the future, we will be able to utilize those resources.

One very chic couple the we met, Katy and Marc Benichou, have a company called Bubble in Aventura where the rent out amazing furniture pieces for special events. We also had the pleasure of meeting T Gomez, and Monica Porrata-some great resources in party/event planning.

In the ways of entertainment, many people throughout Florida have heard of the Master Musicians and used their services of live classical music for their functions. Julie Bloch, of Master Musician’s was just lovely to speak with and gave great help and suggestions for our own wedding. We also met with Ruby of the Ruby Baker Band which offers exquisite live bands.

For those video needs contact Scott Wolfson (formerly worked for CNN), of Wolfson Productions, to tape and edit any special events needs. If you want to make sure that you don’t look like a fool for your first dance as bride and groom, Julie Manfre of The First Dance, is the woman who will make sure that you look like a professional.

Finally, last but surely not least were the hosts of this amazing function. 4 PM events President Tatiana Byron did a phenominal job hosting this event and offering great advice and suggestions for everyones businesses. She is one of the best in this business and we wanted to thank her for coming and speaking at the focus group. We also were priviledged to meet her event designer Thomas Noel of Event Design Incorporated. He spoke with us regarding our direct mailing campaign and offered great feedback.

Thanks again for inviting us to The Wedding Salon, and thank you also to everyone that we met and made contacts with. Hopefully, we can all keep in touch and refer business to each other in the future!

Table of contents:

1. Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry Breaks Into the Wedding Industry
2. Smile South Florida and The Wedding Salon

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.

All this pre-wedding preparation got me to thinking. Maybe there are other brides out there like myself who want to be the image of perfection and beauty, not only for my wedding day, but for all the days following? I mean, it makes perfect sense. The dress, the food, the room/location, and everything else that goes into a wedding, will only be a lasting memory in the mind (and in photographs) once the big day has ended. What will remain, is the smile that lasts a lifetime.

I started talking to our current patients who are in similar situations; they are either getting married, or celebrating large milestones in their lives. They all want to look their best on that day, and going forward. Many high school teens will call (or even their parents for them) to have their teeth whitened before the prom or graduation. We’ve had many patients who are getting married, in a wedding party, or simply attending a wedding, who want cosmetic dental makeovers before the event. It makes such a large impact on their self-confidence. They feel great about one of the first things that people notice; their smile.

As I started networking and researching vendors for my own wedding, I began to forge a connection with dentistry and the wedding/bridal/party industry. It was like a lightbulb went off.

To be continued….

Table of contents:

1. My Invisalign Experience: First Appointment
2. My Invisalign Experience: Exam, X-rays, Photos, and Impressions
3. My Invisalign Experience: First Aligners Delivered

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.

Being in my late 20’s, I really did not want to wear metal braces that are extremely visible.  I work in marketing so I am dealing with patients in the office, and clients outside of the office, all of the time.  It really was not practical for me to opt for metal braces.  I never thought that I’d be a candidate for Invisalign until I began working in this dental office and spoke with the doctors about it.

I met with Dr. Kenneth Anenberg, our Invisalign Specialist Dentist, and told him what I was unhappy about with my smile.  He checked my bite and looked at my teeth with a mirror to see the occlusion.  He talked to me about the benefits of Invisalign and what would be involved in the following visits.  He told me that Invisalign is a series of clear aligners that slowly shift the teeth to become straight.  In contrast to regular braces, the aligners are worn for approximately 22 hours a day, but can be removed during eating and to brush your teeth.

I was also really surprised when Dr. Anenberg mentioned to me that Invisalign will also act as a night guard to help with my minor TMJ (tooth clenching which can cause jaw problems, and headaches) and tooth grinding (which can cause small cracks or worn down teeth).  The clear aligners are also the perfect mechanism to use as whitening trays.  All one has to do is place a whitening material (should be a professional dental peroxide) into the aligners for 30 minutes, twice a day.  Then they can be rinsed out afterward and placed back in the mouth.

After this initial consultation, Dr. Anenberg told me that for my next appointment I would need to have a full series or x-rays (18 films), a panorex (panoramic film x-ray of mouth), digital photos of my teeth (front, up-close, and profile), and impressions taken of my upper and lower teeth.

Following my consultation, I was very excited to begin the process and be on my way toward straight teeth.  I think that this is great for anyone who is a least 16 years of age who wants a clear alternative to traditional braces!  Even many celebrities including Katherine Hiegl have used Invisalign to straighten their teeth.

To read all the Invisalign posts go to our Invisalign Page or Dental Blog.

For more information about Invisalign in Florida or to make an appointment with one of our Fort Lauderdale Cosmetic Dentists / Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentists, contact us today.

With so much film, media, and magazine exposure these days, Hollywood celebrities are zero-ing in on making every aspect of their physical exterior an image of perfection. Their smiles are certainly no exception!

Advances in technology over the past years have allowed dentists to create flawless grins for people, while still looking and feeling natural. These celebrity smiles can range from a few thousand dollars for a minor adjustment, to the extreme makeover cases of $50,000 or more for their toothy treasures.

And while some celebrities use their signature snaggle-teeth to their advantage, in most cases their new cosmetic dental work is a vast improvement as they jolt into super stardom. Here are a few examples of some celebrities that had smile makeovers:

(1) Elliot Yamin

Smile Makeover Method: Porcelain Veneers

This past American Idol contestant was once known for two things. An amazing voice, and terrible teeth. Now, with the help of cosmetic dentistry and over $50,000 in porcelain veneers, his career has soared into an oblivion of success. Now, when we see him in his videos and performances, his fabulous voice is accompanied by a celebrity smile.

(2) Miley Cyrus

Smile Makeover Method: Porcelain Veneers

This “Hannah Montana” superstar is idolized by kids and their parents alike. She is considered the next generation of media moguls that is taking our world by storm. Once she began gaining popularity in her show and concerts, she opted to make the switch to a more sightly smile. She is believed to have gotten veneers and a surgery to elongate the teeth and fix the “gummy smile” look.

(3) George Clooney

Smile Makeover Method: Porcelain Veneers, Crowns, and Crown Lengthening

This self-proclaimed lifelong bachelor once made a joke about getting surgery done on his eyes to make him look younger. It seems like his teeth were a more immediate concern for both aesthetic and physical reasons. As quoted by Dr. Abenaim (starmagazine.com), he believes that Clooney was a tooth grinder which was one cause for the actor to seek a cosmetic change. Aside from the veneers, the Dr. also suggests that Clooney had crown lengthening surgery, a surgical procedure done that brings the gumline up to expose more teeth. This work is estimated at anywhere from $30,000-35,000. Now we love you even more Georgie!

(4) Keith Urban

Smile Makeover Method: Porcelain Veneers

Before his days of super stardom and being the arm candy for gorgeous wife Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban’s teeth were far from perfect. Doctor’s believe that Urban had porcelain veneers placed over his choppers to create a far more pleasing effect. He had what dentist’s refer to a diastema, or large space between his teeth. While the veneers have improved his look, his dentist did a good job creating a natural look and left a little signature gap in the front.

(5) Katherine Heigl

Smile Makeover Method: Invisalign®

When it came to looking beautiful for her on screen wedding in 27 Dresses, Katherine Heigl didn’t need to do much. For her own wedding, Heigl complained that she did not want to wed with crooked teeth. She decided to opt for Invisalign, a series of clear, removable aligners that are used as an alternative to traditional metal braces. As of April 2008, 730,000 patients have completed, or are currently in Invisalign treatment.

If you’ve ever envied those perfect smiles, you may have done your own research and found the myriad of cosmetic dentistry options a bit bewildering. No doubt you’ve heard many mentions of porcelain veneers and Lumineers®.

“Ever since ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover, we have noticed a marked increase in patients asking about veneers, and more recently, Lumineers,” said Smile South Florida cosmetic dentist, Dr. Charles Nottingham. “Many people have some confusion about the differences and similarities between the two. Basically, a Lumineer is a type of veneer that requires less preparation and little or no removal of the tooth structure.”

In addition to being made of thin, porous porcelain, both products:

• cover only the visible portions of teeth;
• repair minor tooth imperfections;
• straighten and lengthen teeth;
• conceal stained or discolored fillings; and
• are stain proof, natural in appearance and highly resilient.

Of course, as Dr. Nottingham noted, there are distinct differences between these two popular, cosmetic-dentistry procedures. Veneers, also known as “dental porcelain laminates,” are wafer-thin shells that bond to teeth. They are permanent, custom-shaped and require the removal of roughly .5 mm of the original tooth to allow space for the new veneer. Lumineers are thinner; roughly the thickness of a contact-lens.

“Lumineers are ideal for minor cosmetic adjustments, but I would not recommend them for major extreme-makeover and instant-orthodontic work, “said Dr. Nottingham. “For example, I would suggest a patient add a couple Lumineers to extend small teeth, fix a minor chip, or change color. For patients who want to close a diasema (wide gap between teeth) without using metal braces, I would suggest traditional veneers because it allows me more flexibility in molding the veneer to create the best aesthetic look. One size does not fit all.”

ABOUT DR. NOTTINGHAM

Dr. Charles Nottingham was featured by ABC’s Extreme Makeover Dental Lab (da Vinci Studios) in Dentistry Today Magazine as the pinnacle of dental quality. Besides his commitment to the very best in dentistry, he also strive to provide his patients with the highest level of service for a lasting dental experience.

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