Your Smile Miami - Biscayne Dental Group - 305.572.1600

Are you looking for new trends? How about straighter teeth. It seems more and more adults these days have come to accept braces as “socially acceptable.” These days you can run into an adult wearing braces almost every day in any major city in the U.S. That’s right braces are back!! Adults are wanting to look better and are realizing that straight teeth are a crucial part to their appearance. In fact, a current study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry found that people with beautiful smiles were found to be not only more attractive, but also more interesting, successful, intelligent and wealthy. Imagine what a beautiful smile can do for someone interviewing for a job. That could be your “one up” on the competition. There are a few ways to get beautiful teeth. Braces is just one option. Invisalign is another. Invisalign is the alternative to braces and is great for adults with a busy lifestyle. All these options are available at our office. Give us a call and stop by so we can discuss which option is best for you. What do you have to lose? The consultation is free and our office is great. Hope to see you soon.

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Operation Smile’s dream and vision has long been to help our partner countries become self-sufficient in providing surgeries to their children. To this end, they launched the Build a Dream campaign in October of 2006 to open comprehensive care centers in seven countries worldwide. So far, centers are open in four of the target countries: Honduras, China, Colombia, and Vietnam. Construction is currently under way in Morocco, Brazil and the Philippines.

This means that will-equipped, Operation Smile-trained medical staff can work year-round to provide children in need with free reconstructive surgeries and after-care. Where once they could help 150 or so children in a given year, local teams can now potentially help thousands.

Dr. Rita Dargham was on the Operation Smile team in November 2007 to help children in Etheopia with cleft lip. She continues to be an active member in the organization and awaits her next incredible trip abroad.

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Cosmetic Dentistry Booms as Beautiful Smiles Make Summer Sizzle

As summer heats up, people around the country work frantically to get in shape and catch a tan in order to look their best for the beach, weddings, and family events. Now, new data gathered in an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) – Levin Group survey reflects that people are increasingly undergoing cosmetic dental procedures to help them look and feel their best for the summer months and beyond.

Who is the typical cosmetic dental patient?
70.2% of those inquiring about cosmetic dentistry are not ‘the young and the beautiful’ or even ‘baby boomers’ with disposable income. They are everyone in-between: 31-50 year olds. That means they’re people in the workforce or stay-at-home parents who just want to look and feel better for themselves, and by association, their jobs and personal lives.

Is cosmetic dentistry really booming?
Absolutely. 48.3% of dental practices reported annual production of more than $700,000 each year, with an average of $661,000 annually. At the same time, a third of all practices report they have more than 2,000 active patients who spend on average more than $400 per visit. Nearly 40% of responding practices report growth of over 15% in the number of cosmetic dental procedures performed in the past five years.

“As the numbers prove, people are increasingly aware of the amazing benefits cosmetic dentistry can provide,” American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) member dentist Dr. Julio Hernandez of Miami, FL. “Summertime is the perfect time for a dazzling new smile, ready for the fun of summer and the holidays ahead.”

Today’s cosmetic dental treatment options include:

Whitening – The most commonly requested cosmetic dental procedure, many whitening options are now available to consumers in a wide range of prices. Dentist-supervised treatments remain the AACD recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.

Veneers – An increasingly popular procedure, veneers are ultra-thin, custom-made laminates that are affixed directly to the teeth. They are a great option for closing gaps or disguising discolored teeth that did not respond well to whitening procedures.

Bonding – An option for chipped or cracked teeth, bonding is a process in which an enamel-like material is applied to a tooth’s surface, sculpted to an ideal shape, hardened, and then polished for a lifelike smile.

Implants – A replacement for dentures, implants are a stronger, more attractive option for replacing missing or lost teeth. An anchor is placed in the patient’s jaw, and a life-like ceramic restoration is built around it and matched to the original tooth color.

As with any dental procedure, the AACD recommends consumers consult with their dentist before undergoing any cosmetic dental treatment.

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This goes along with the previous blog entry that included pictures of Dr. Rita with Operation Smile in Ethiopia:

I’ve often been asked “How did you know you wanted to be a dentist?”
My answer has always been the same: “I always knew I wanted to be a doctor.”
As a child my answer never waivered….it always stayed the same. I had this immense fascination with art, and science. When away from such interests, I spent most of my time socializing with friends…always searching for more people to laugh and have fun with. At the insistance of a close family friend, while paving the way for medical school, I was asked to spend some time at a local dentist’s office. I did, reluctantly! What I saw, and experienced, felt like “home”. The dentist was having so much fun!! He spent his days using the fascinating properties of both art and science to create the beautiful smiles we all look for, in both ourselves, and in our friends and families!!! With this I felt I had found the perfect combination of smiles, laughter, and science!! And…I could still be a “Doctor”!!!!

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Dr. Rita Dargham volunteered for the dental charity Operation Smile, and here are some photos of her with thankful patients.

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I’ve often been asked “How did you know you wanted to be a dentist?”
My answer has always been the same: “I always knew I wanted to be a doctor.”
As a child my answer never waivered….it always stayed the same. I had this immense fascination with art, and science. When away from such interests, I spent most of my time socializing with friends…always searching for more people to laugh and have fun with. At the insistance of a close family friend, while paving the way for medical school, I was asked to spend some time at a local dentist’s office. I did, reluctantly! What I saw, and experienced, felt like “home”. The dentist was having so much fun!! He spent his days using the fascinating properties of both art and science to create the beautiful smiles we all look for, in both ourselves, and in our friends and families!!! With this I felt I had found the perfect combination of smiles, laughter, and science!! And…I could still be a “Doctor”!!!!

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Many people ask me why I like to be a dentist. My answer: I was born to do this. I believe you really have to have the right personality to do this job. So many patients come in afraid of the dentist and not wanting to be there. I, on the other hand, usually have an ear to ear smile. My football coach in high school used to call me “Smiley.” I am generally a pretty happy guy and that really helps patients feel at ease. We do a lot in our office to make every patient feel comfortable. We use iPods’ with relaxing music, aromatherapy, warm blankets, and lip therapy. Patients really appreciate it when we go the extra mile for them.
Besides being a happy guy, I’m also a little nerdy. I love studying and learning. I do a lot of continuing education. This gives me a better understanding of different areas of dentistry and a unique edge to really look at my patients as a whole. Besides Cosmetics, orthodontics is one of my favorite areas of dentistry. I did an apprenticeship for four years with an orthodontist. Today, I treat a full range of comprehensive orthodontic cases. This is a whole different area of dentistry that few general dentists explore. Of course, we see lots of kids for braces, but also many adults. The desire to have straight teeth has become so main stream, that more and more adults today are seeking treatment. Invisalign® has also opened the doors today for many adults who have wanted straighter teeth without the use of braces. On the other hand, kids today are begging their parents for braces. I don’t remember every begging my parents. I certainly didn’t look forward to getting them the second time around when I was in college. But today, I’m certainly glad I went through it. I think it is important to be proud of your smile.
I figure, if you’re proud of your smile you’re likely to smile more. Smiling makes you feel happy. Happy people are less depressed, have better relationships, more friends, and less stress. Okay, that is not totally scientific. But, I like to think that I am doing my part to make the world a better place. After all, we all have to visit the dentist. So why not see someone who is generally happy, very knowledgeable, and is going to go out of his way to make you feel comfortable.
Dr. Julio

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