Dental photography

The Southern Women’s Show from a Dentist’s View

Well, it's been almost 2 whole days for Smiles by Payet Dentistry here at the SWS, and it's been a blast.  Admittedly, as a happily married guy, I've probably not enjoyed it as much as the women or as if I were single :-) , but it's been a blast as an exhibitor for the first time (it won't be the last for sure).  We put a lot of work into our booth, so of course we'd love it if you stopped by Booth 204-206, which is right by the Fashion Stage to the left of the Main Entrance. A couple of my awesome staff, Rosie and Kay, set it up with some help from Kay's friends, Patti and Chuck. Check it out: It's a lot of fun watching people, of course, and it's been fun watching people and getting to talk to so many as they go by, or as they stop and ask questions about our Oxyfresh Fresh Breath products, the Six Month Clear Adult Braces, Laser Periodontal Therapy, or Invisalign.  Since I have my camera with me, fellow professional photographers do stop to chat as we're shooting the fashion shows (it's easy to spot us with big white lenses LOL); we've also gotten to meet a number of the models after they've finished their shows, and I'm excited to say [...]

Six-Month Adult Braces + 2 CEREC Porcelain Veneers equals one happy patient!

Ever since we started doing Six Month Braces in 2004, the number of smile makeovers that we've done with porcelain veneers has dropped dramatically. This is because we can create beautiful smiles much more conservatively with six-month braces than we can with veneers, simply because there is no drilling on the teeth. There are times however, when porcelain veneers are an excellent option. Caroline's case is a perfect example of how the two can work together: we first used six-month braces to straighten her teeth, then whitened them.  Finally, we used our CEREC CAD/CAM machine to make to 2 porcelain veneers right in our office, in a single appointment to complete the smile makeover by matching her peg lateral incisors to match the rest of her smile. If you are interested in learning more about either porcelain veneers or Six Month Braces (see more in our Before and After Smile Gallery), please contact us at either 704-364-7069, or Request an Appointment Online.

Complete Smile Makeover with Porcelain Crowns

A Full-Mouth Smile Reconstruction Quite some time ago, I showed this case as an example of how badly teeth can be damaged by grinding them, whether at night, in the daytime, or both, and why something as simple and inexpensive as a nightguard (my recommendation is a NTI-tss).  It is especially inexpensive in comparison to the cost of rebuilding a smile that is so broken down.  This gentleman came to us in 2008, looking for options to feel good about his smile again for various reasons.  After plenty of discussion, we agreed that the only option that would truly give him the smile that he wanted was a Total Smile Makeover/Reconstruction with porcelain crowns. After showing the Before-After pictures of his smile, I'll discuss some of the issues you need to consider if you are thinking about significant cosmetic dentistry for yourself. Frequently Asked Questions about Smile Reconstruction When rebuilding a smile such as this, it is crucial to establish a proper bite relationship of the top and bottom teeth.  Sometimes this can take a little while to figure out, because - when the teeth are so worn, the patient has long since adapted to a very bad bite relationship.  The muscles have to be relaxed, accurate records taken, and excellent communication is necessary among the patient, the doctor, and the lab, to ensure that the crowns are made to look good, feel good, and last a long time. However, in severe wear cases, we always remind the patient that s/he already did a pretty good job destroying their natural set of teeth, so a nightguard is an absolute requirement as "insurance" to protect their investment, and even then they are more likely to break [...]

Just how outrageous is dental "insurance?" Check this out!

As a practicing dentist for almost 11 years now, in a practice that does accept assignment of dental insurance benefits, I have seen almost every conceivable attempt by dental insurance companies to hold up payment, deny payment, or anything they can do to keep the money that should rightfully help pay for your dental care.  But this one took the cake for me, and I have to share.  Which insurance company?  Metlife.  Seriously........they said there was not enough missing tooth structure due to decay or fracture on these teeth, and therefore they don't need crowns.  Are they CRAZY!!!!!?!?!?!?!? [...]

New page on www.SmilesbyPayet.com – Dental photography

In our office, as I've demonstrated many times before, we use the power of digital dental photography to improve patient understanding of what's going on in their mouths.  Truly, as the 2 sayings go: Seeing is Believing, and A Picture is worth 1000 words. I've added a new page to our website along these lines, and I hope you'll enjoy it:  Smiles by Payet Dental Photography It's still a work in progress, so please bear with me - more to come!