It breaks my heart when dental patients in Buckhead come to me with a story of how they have spent years and years not smiling or covering their mouths so no one sees their teeth. Smiling is one of life’s simplest and most meaningful pleasures. So when people can’t smile, life loses some of its flavor and joy. Helping people rediscover a healthy, happy smile is one of the main reasons I love practicing dentistry, especially cosmetic dentistry. One of the cosmetic enhancements that I offer is porcelain veneers. Veneers can give a new freedom and confidence to people who thought they might never smile again. And they are one of the most effective ways to correct a multitude of aesthetic issues, quickly, beautifully and conveniently.

What Porcelain Veneers Can Do for Your Smile

As the name suggests, dental veneers are thin sheets of porcelain that cover your tooth to create an illusion of perfection. Our porcelain veneers are luminous and shaded to look so much like beautiful tooth enamel, they are impossible to distinguish from a natural tooth in your smile. And yet, they very effectively cover deep stains; close gaps; cover and repair chips and cracks; and even straighten a slightly crooked smile. When they are bonded to your own tooth, they are also incredibly strong and long lasting. In other words, porcelain veneers are your smile’s ticket to a beautiful, new life! And at our Buckhead dental practice we offer porcelain veneers.

Ann’s Story

Ann was concerned about her chipped and discolored front teeth. Since the chipping was indicative of a problem more serious than just a cosmetic issue, we didn’t start by applying veneers, which would have been damaged very quickly anyway. We began the process by correcting the bite problems that were causing her teeth to chip. We then brought her teeth closer to her chosen shade of white by bleaching. Of course, we used provisionals to check for the desired appearance and long-term comfort. Once everything looked and felt just right, we applied her beautiful porcelain veneers. Just look at her smile now!

“I’ve been a patient in this dental practice for sixty years. Dr. Davis has maintained the reputation for excellent dental care, and has broadened the scope of the practice to include more comprehensive care. I know that my cosmetic improvements will last because the underlying causes were addressed first.” – Ann

For more information about our beautiful and transformative porcelain veneers, please call our Buckhead dental office at 404-255-7500.

You would never buy a pair of performance running or hiking shoes without trying them on. Even when your feet have been measured, the shoes have been fitted, and you have walked around the store with them on, once you bring them home you sometimes realize that they rub here or pinch there. Your legs get tired, you get blisters, or your feet don’t breath properly. So you return the shoes and get another pair.

You can’t really do that with your dental restorations – at least not the returning part. I have seen a lot of dental patients in Buckhead who wish they could return the dental work they have had done. They come to me because their restorations are breaking down or falling out. They have headaches, they grind their teeth more – in short, one of the most important mechanisms in their lives, the one they rely on to eat and speak, is failing them and all because they couldn’t “try on” their dental work before they committed to it.

I believe in doing things a bit differently at my Buckhead dental practice. Every time I do any kind of work that requires a change to your teeth with new restorations I use provisionals. Simply put, provisional restorations are plastic restorations that serve as a template for porcelain restorations. They are created based on your molds and measurements and then placed in your mouth to see how everything is going to look, feel and function.

Think of your provisional restorations as a sort of trial smile – one you can take home and really put to work. You want to pay extra attention to how they feel  so by the time we get to placing your porcelain restorations, all the issues – cosmetic, comfort and bite – have been addressed and corrected. No matter how strong and durable a porcelain restoration is, if there isn’t harmony between your jaw and your muscles when you put your teeth together, the porcelain will eventually break. If we can get everything in harmony, even your plastic provisional won’t break or come loose!

Our method of taking enough time to be sure everything is right puts part of the process in your hands. You can take an active role in not only the comfort, but also the way your smile looks down to the details. Wearing provisionals is easy and comfortable and they look great – patients are surprised at how nice they look – but what really matters is the try-on period. It lets us get your smile right… and keep it that way.

For more information about how we make our dentistry so predictable, please call our Buckhead dental office at 404-255-7500.

Everyone has been exposed to some kind of marketing about cosmetic dentistry. From TV commercials to flyers in your mailbox, one dentist or another is making big claims about how his or her dentistry can give you the smile you always wanted. The truth is, not all cosmetic dentistry is created equal. Everyone has seen someone who has had unnatural looking dentistry. In fact, many of our patients have told us about friends who “got their teeth done.” These friends had cosmetic dentistry that not only looked bad, it was also uncomfortable and gave them headaches. Eventually, their restored teeth even started breaking.

That simply won’t happen here. Dr. Todd Davis in Buckhead will partner with you to create a smile that will never make people wonder if you have “had your teeth done.” How can we say that with such assurance?  We rely on advanced, proven and predictable methods to restore and perfect your teeth. We also partner with world-class ceramists that have the skill to make porcelain look like natural teeth.

When Dr. Davis has completed your treatment plan, you’ll find yourself smiling with brand-new confidence. You will have a beautiful, natural-looking and feeling smile that lasts!

If you would like to predictably obtain that beautiful smile that is appropriate and individualized for you, call our Buckhead dental office at 404.255.7500 to make an appointment today!

Hand washing probably seems like second nature to you. It certainly does to us! In Atlanta, studies by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have shown that regular hand washing is the best way to prevent infectious diseases. They have published guidelines for washing our hands at home and at work. How many of these suggestions do you follow?

●      Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.

●      Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

●      Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

●      Rinse your hands well under running water.

●      Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.

There are more occasions to wash our hands than most of us think of. In addition to hand washing after using the toilet, or during food preparation, the CDC also recommends hand washing after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, touching an animal or animal feed, and after touching garbage.

A clean and sterile environment is the first priority in any dental office, but especially at Todd C. Davis, DDS. The CDC and the state of Georgia have stringent requirements that keep our patients and our dental team safe and protected.

We follow or exceed every guideline for your safety and for ours. Treatment rooms are disinfected before your appointment, we use gloves and masks for even the simplest exams, and we clean and sterilize our instruments after each use. Our sterilization equipment is regularly inspected to make sure it’s working properly.

Have you visited our dental office in Buckhead yet? Call us at 404.255.7500 to make an appointment and experience the highest standards of care and protection for you. We know how important your dental health is to maintaining your overall well-being, and we want to help keep you healthy for a long time!

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Fortunately we do not see oral cancer very often, but we do find it.  We don’t hear as much about oral cancer as some other types of cancer, but it’s a serious risk that increases as we get older. I want to make sure my dental patients in Buckhead are aware of this disease, as well as its prevention.

Oral Cancer Risks

If you smoke or use tobacco and/or abuse alcohol, your risk of getting oral cancer can be as much as 300 times higher than non-users. (Source: National Institutes of Health, 2006.) Even the alcohol in mouthwash can add to that risk.

Another risk that most people aren’t aware of is HPV, or the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause genital cancers. It can also cause oral cancers, and has become as much of a risk as tobacco and alcohol. If you know that you have HPV, or are concerned about it, you may want to have more frequent checkups and cancer screenings. Talk to your doctor and if you’re comfortable doing so, let us know so we can coordinate your care with your doctor.

Oral Cancer Symptoms     

Oral cancer isn’t difficult to diagnose, but the danger is that it’s often caught in late stages when it’s spread to other parts of the body. If you notice any of the following symptoms in between checkups, please call us right away:

• A sore that doesn’t heal
• A lump or thickening of the lining of the mouth
• Difficult or painful chewing or swallowing

If you haven’t had a checkup recently, call our dental office in Buckhead at 404.255.7500 to schedule an appointment today. Information and prevention are both good keywords to keep in mind for life, a long life!

Did you know nearly 75% of adults in the U.S. have some fear of going to the dentist? In fact, fear of the dentist is so common that there are two names for it—odontophobia and dentophobia!

There are many reasons behind a fear of the dentist in Buckhead:

• A personal traumatic or painful experience
• Impersonal, uncaring dentists
• Mass media (movies, TV)
• A perception that you’re helpless or don’t have control

No matter why you’re nervous about going to the dentist, there’s a solution. If pre-visit anxiety is making you avoid the dentist completely, we can help by prescribing a medication for you to take prior to your visit. Sedation dentistry in Atlanta can help you relax, and you can either let yourself sleep through your appointment, or be awake enough to interact with Dr. Davis and your Buckhead dental team.

If you’re still anxious when you arrive for your appointment, we can also use nitrous oxide – laughing gas – to help you relax even more and help diminish any potential pain as well. The American Dental Association has approved these sedation dental therapies. They’re completely safe, but you will want someone to accompany you to the appointment and drive you home.

By being relaxed before your treatment, any local anesthetic will be that much more effective at blocking any possible pain.

Call our Buckhead dental office at 404.255.7500 to schedule an appointment and talk to us about your fears of going to the dentist. We can talk to you ahead of time about how we can help and plan ahead for your appointment.

Even losing one tooth can be devastating, especially if it’s visible to other people. Age, accidents, and gum disease can all contribute to losing teeth. In fact, nearly 30% of adults have lost all or at least one quarter of their teeth, requiring significant restoration, such as dentures, bridges, or dental implants.

Dental implants are titanium supports that replace the root of the tooth. Crowns, bridges, or dentures can be placed on them to restore your teeth.  They are a superior choice for tooth replacement for several reasons:

• Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth.
• Improved speech. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
• Easier eating. Dental implants allow you to eat your favorite foods with confidence.
• Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
• Durability. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
• Convenience. Dental implants eliminate the inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.

Dr. Davis recommends dental implants in Buckhead whenever possible for tooth replacement. Implants can help prevent the bone deterioration that results from the removal of the tooth’s root and are superior to dentures for your overall dental health.  Dr. Davis collaborates with highly talented surgeons and pre-plans the location of dental implants so that they can be restored with optimum esthetics and function predictably.  If you have existing implants that need repair, Dr. Davis will restore them to that same level of function and esthetics.

If you have dental implants that you think might be damaged, call our Buckhead dental office at 404.255.7500 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Todd Davis.

You may be so used to it, that you almost forget about it—pain in your neck, stiffness and soreness in your jaw, tension that seems to radiate from your head through every part of your body. Then when you stop and try to relax, you realize just how much pain and soreness you’re living with every day. It’s possible that you’re suffering from TMD/TMJ in Buckhead, or temporomandibular joint disorder.

Stop and think right now if you’ve experienced any of these symptoms:

• Headaches/Migraines
• Neck, shoulder or back pain
• Facial pain
• Clicking or grating sounds in the jaw joints
• Limited movement or locking jaw
• Unexplained loose, worn, or cracked teeth
• Pain or soreness around the jaw joints
• Congestion or stuffiness of the ears

If your symptoms are the result of TMD, the great majority of the time we can restore your jaw to balance and relieve your signs and symptoms, including pain, through precision, non-surgical TMJ treatment.  In short, you don’t have to live with chronic facial pain and headaches, tension, or jaw discomfort.

There are diagnostic tools and therapies that can relieve your symptoms by gently and naturally realigning your bite, relieving your pain, and managing tooth grinding and clenching. Depending on the specifics of your TMJ/TMD in Buckhead, we can custom-fit you with a bite appliance, adjust your bite where necessary by lowering or building up your teeth, or in some cases, place restorations for a custom-created bite.

If we’ve described your pain and symptoms in this article, relief can begin with a call to our Buckhead dental office at 404.255.7500 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Todd Davis.

One of the most versatile methods for restoring or refining a smile is dental bonding. If you’ve had a tooth-colored filling, or perhaps have had a chipped tooth quickly repaired, then you’ve experienced dental bonding.

Dental bonding may sound like a simple process. But it requires advanced training, technical skill and artful technique to create a bonded surface that is imperceptible from your natural tooth.

Dental bonding in Buckhead is nothing short of amazing in how it can be used:

●     Fill cavities with non-metal, tooth-colored restorations

●     Refine the shape of a tooth or close minor spaces between teeth

●     Lengthen a tooth that is shorter than the rest of your teeth

●     Cover a badly stained tooth

●     Repair a broken or chipped tooth

Just what is dental bonding? Dental bonding uses a pliable resin, custom-colored to the rest of your teeth. It’s applied and sculpted to fit the contours of the tooth being restored, as well as the adjacent teeth.

The restoration is then hardened using a special light, after which it’s refined and polished. Some patients may be skeptical about what dental bonding can do for them. Until they have it done and look in the mirror! They can’t believe they’re looking at the same tooth.

Call our Buckhead dental office at 404.255.7500 right away if you’ve broken a tooth so it doesn’t become a bigger problem. Or schedule an appointment with Dr. Todd Davis to discuss how you’d like to improve your smile. Dental bonding may be just the answer!

Your teeth are an important part of your overall health as well as being the most noticeable part of your smile. And your smile is usually the first thing people notice. Naturally you want a smile that’s white, attractive, and natural-looking.

Smile whitening treatments are the #1 service requested of dentists, and Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on over-the-counter tooth bleaching products.  Most store shelf tooth whiteners are safe, but some of them are acidic, and this can wear away your tooth enamel if you bleach too often. A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that half of the people who have whitening treatments experience some sensitivity afterwards, or pain. The chance of pain increases if you overdo whitening “touch-ups.”

The American Dental Association recommends that patients interested in tooth whitening start with a dental exam and consult with their dentist about the best methods for whitening their teeth. It’s the best way to achieve a beautiful white smile without damaging your teeth.

Dr. Todd Davis offers patients the Day White take-home whitening system for fast results. Day White involves using a bleaching gel on your teeth for 30 to 90 minutes a day. The difference is noticeable from the first application.

If your teeth are badly stained or damaged, Dr. Davis may suggest a more permanent solution, such as dental bonding or porcelain veneers. He will work with you to determine what shade of white is the best complement to your features, ensuring that your smile is transformed and enhanced naturally, and not so white that it appears “fake” and detracts from your appearance.

Call our Buckhead dental office at 404.255.7500, or request an appointment on our website to discuss your new, beautiful smile!