Archive for dentistry

Your Health and Face Lift Dentistry ®

Posted by: | Comments Comments Off
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Preventing TMJ Problems

We are living longer and need to take better care of ourselves. If our teeth are going to last to one hundred years of age, preventing TMJ problems by optimizing the function of the bite with the TMJ (jaw joint) has prevented future problems. It has been my experience that after treating patients with Face Lift Dentistry for over 26 years, every patient has had fewer TMJ problems and additionally has experienced life-changing benefits of a renewed self-esteem.

dennis Your Health and Face Lift Dentistry <sup>®</sup>

Dealing With TMJ Problems

TMJ Problems

Many patients have TMJ problems such as heavy tooth wear from grinding or clenching, clicking or popping jaw joints, headaches, neck pain or back pain and facial pain due to a bad bite. Some patients have jaw joint problems and are not aware that they have lost over a third of their tooth structure from grinding! As patients age, the teeth loose enamel and the bite deepens. (Read more about Tooth Grinding or Bruxism)

What is a Bad Bite?

Bad bite is term describing the functional harmony between the teeth and the TMJ or jaw joint. When there is little to no harmony, the TMJ and surrounding muscles must work much harder and compromise normal function. When muscles have to compromise or work harder, damaging TMJ symptoms can be from mild to extreme. (Read more about Natural Facial Optimization)

TMJ & a Bad Bite

Most patients have some form of TMJ problems and many of these patients are not aware of the destruction to the jaw joint and the teeth that is caused by a bad bite. Patients come into my office with many symptoms and TMJ pain but do not realize that the bite is off in all three dimensions. They also did not realize the incredible advantages of early treatment. (Read more about TMJ Problems)

Bad Bite Correction Changes Lives

Face Lift Dentistry ® is the creation of the best possible bite for the particular jaw dimensions and natural jaw functions of the patient. These patients have experienced comfort that exceeded their expectations. “Wow, that bite feels a lot better and I did not even know I had a problem” and others have said, “I can chew better, I feel a lot better and I look a lot younger”. One wife said, “My husband smiles more, looks 100% better, is more romantic and he feels much happier about himself, he is a new more positive husband”. Another said, “ Dr. Muslin, you have changed my life, people treat me better because I look like a new and healthy women, thank you”. Face Lift Dentistry relieves pain, improves jaw comfort and decreases the possibility of having TMJ pain in the future. When the jaw muscles function normally, the patient has more energy, less discomfort, less stress and a healthier body. (Read more about Mouth Reconstruction)

Neuromuscular Dentistry, Who Needs It?

The life expectancy of all patients is increasing. In just the last 30 years the life expectancy has increased over 20 years! Because patients are living longer, it is of particular importance that patients get the best level of dental care they can afford. Just about 80 percent of patients that I see would benefit from Face Lift Dentistry as it would reduce the stress level in the face, neck and jaws. Neuromuscular dentistry is a word coined to describe a form of positioning the lower jaw in a better position but neuromuscular dentistry alone is not enough to create the ultimate level of care, Face Lift Dentistry ®.

Categories : Facelift Dentistry
Comments Comments Off

The Art of Facelift Dentistry

Posted by: | Comments Comments Off
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Why Can’t Any Dentist Perform a Dental Facelift?

In order to help someone understand the process of Face Lift Dentistry, it had to be broken down into simple terms for easy mental visualization.  Los Angeles cosmetic dentist Sam Muslin explains:

Scientific Studies Scant

The science of Face Lift Dentistry was perfected over years and years of successful treatment of many patients, covering a wide variety of dental problems.  These patients are all well documented and very happy with their improved confidence and lifestyles that only Face Lift Dentistry can achieve.  After 25 years of photographic documentation of successful treatment with all of the variables that individual people can present, combined with x-rays and complex motion tomography, written testimonials and video testimonials, the scientific results are in!  Face Lift Dentistry works very well if the dentist can adjust his plan and be creative in order to help the patient have biologically natural looking results.

Adding Length to the Teeth

Many dentists may “add length” to the teeth with resulting TMJ pain or inability to chew or speak clearly.  A patient can have worse jaw joint stress if the dentist is not highly skilled in achieving a biologically harmonious length.

Facelift Dentistry ensures that teeth length is functional in all dimensions.  Simply adding length to the upper front teeth increases the patient’s overbite.  The bite gets worse with most cosmetic dentistry that “simply adds length” to the teeth.

Making the Teeth Bulky
Some dentists may “add bulk to the teeth” to try and achieve similar results but the outcome is bad!  The increased bulk traps food while eating.  The last thing that makes a patient look attractive is chunks of food trapped around bulky teeth.

“Bulky” teeth do not look natural and adding length can be a functional disaster with deeper overbites.

The number one complaint in my office is that the patients do not want “thick or bulky looking teeth” like their friend just got from some cosmetic dentist.  The shapes of the teeth need to be natural looking and feeling.  See Samantha’s video testimonial to understand how porcelain veneers can look fake, feel bulky and feel very “unnatural”.

Adding bulk to the teeth is a terrible solution for most patients and it violates basic biological principles of natural looking teeth.

Face Lift Dentistry is Not Intended to Replace a Cosmetic Face Lift

A Dental Facelift is an extremely complicated process of creating a beautiful, natural looking smile that lengthens the face and supports the lips, functions perfectly with the TMJ or jaw joint and supports the lips and clarifies the speech.  Face Lift Dentistry is a true creative art form that requires biological compatibility with all of the functions of the mouth that can achieve a younger and natural looking face lift.  It is not intended to replace a face lift by a plastic surgeon, but to augment the results for the plastic surgeon.

Categories : Facelift Dentistry
Comments Comments Off

Not All Dentistry Is Created Equally

Posted by: | Comments Comments Off
Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Pain-free Treatment

Last week, a patient came in to our office complaining about a toothache. She was in the process of switching dentists, and Dr. Muslin had been highly recommended by another patient. She told me that she was dreading the visit since she’s had plenty dental treatment completed over the years and never enjoyed any of it. It turns out she was right in calling in to visit a dentist because the filling that had come out, her roots exposed and infected. Her tooth needed a root canal. An hour and a half later, the root canal was completed, a post and build-up was placed, along with the preparation for the porcelain crown. The patient told me that, this was the best root canal she has ever had!  She was completely shocked that the treatment could be completed so quickly and painlessly.

Dr. Muslin’s Response:

When it comes to dental treatment, some may think that a filling is a filling and a crown is a crown period. The hand that delivers the treatment, however, really makes a difference in the effectiveness of the work. Moreover, saving a few dollars for more inexpensive treatment may end up costing more in the long run. My mom learned this lesson the hard way when she went to her insurance dentist for a root canal and crown. She still felt pain in the tooth even after the root canal was completed, so the dentist retreated the tooth with another root canal. She ended up having to pay an extra thousand dollars for that tooth, on top of the money she lost from missing work hours and experiencing constant pain all due to seeing the wrong dentist.

Categories : Blog, Root Canal and Crowns
Comments Comments Off

News and Awards

Dr. Sam Muslin received the 2009 "Best Cosmetic Dentist in Los Angeles" award from LAs Best, featured in the Los Angeles TImes.