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Why You Should Never Fall Asleep Without Brushing

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I mean, you probably already knew this.  It’s common sense you’d want to brush away all of the food particles and bacteria produced from the day out of your mouth before you go to bed.

 

But at the same time, we’ve all done it.  We’ve had those late nights out when you get home and you’re too darn tired to brush those teeth.  Now, we’re going to explain to you why you really can’t be too tired to brush your teeth before bed.  Because there are repercussions, and they’re pretty nasty.

 

First off, not brushing your teeth leads to bad halitosis.  In other words: terrible, horrible breath.  Usually you can tell your breath is bad by the mere taste in your mouth.  And if you can’t stand your own breath, how will others?

 

But worse than bad breath, if you decide to skip a night here and there, you will pay.  According to the Huffington Post: “ Skip a session, and you’re on your way to encouraging the growth of bacterial buildup in the form of plaque, which can lead to cavities and gum disease.”

 

During any given day, if you run your tongue along your teeth, you may find a sticky, fuzzy substance.  This is the formation of plaque as it builds up in your mouth during the day.  When you brush your teeth at night, the fluoride in your toothpaste fights the bacteria sitting on your teeth and prevents it from attacking your teeth.

When you leave plaque lingering by not brushing, it can become tartar, “‘that hard, yellow, rough material you sometimes feel in between your teeth’” according to Dr. Ruchi Sonata, a dentist and representative for the American Dental Association.

 

There is no timeline of when plaque starts to turn into a cavity, but Dr. Ruchi says that skipping one tooth brushing session can already start the process of a cavity formation.  So don’t skip people!  But at the same time, doing a sloppy, quick brushing job can be just as bad as not brushing altogether.

 

As you can see, there is no replacement for brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day.  Also, the ADA recommends visiting a dentist twice a year to get rid of the tartar in between your teeth — a dentist is the only one who can truly get at that hardened gunk in between your teeth.

 

Tip:  Assuming that breath mints and mouthwash are cleaning your teeth is false; while these make your mouth feel fresh, they aren’t truly cleaning your teeth and fighting bacteria from growing in your mouth.

 

about_doc_Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.

 

 

 

Can Your Smile Determine Your Social Status?

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More important than ever before is the answer!  Good teeth are not only an indicator of attractiveness, but a sign of social (and economic) status — and possibly your way into a new job.

 

According to a survey USA Today took of 5,500 single adults in the United States, the first factor both men and women judge in a potential partner is their teeth.  Can you believe it?  Good teeth are now considered a ‘must have’ for both men and women when it comes to dating in America.

 

But now the pressure to have ‘good teeth’ is reaching beyond the world of dating.    Malcolm Gladwell, a writer and social scientist, told The Times that it is obesity and teeth that are “becoming the new benchmark of inequality.”  It’s true — there are certain stereotypes people make about someone based on their teeth:  whether if they are lower or middle class, what ethnic background they may have, how much money they earn.

 

Gladwell has determined a lower chance of success for those who suffer from obesity and bad teeth as they tend to be ‘denied’ certain ‘entry-level’ jobs (DailyMail).

 

The problem here is primarily with stereotyping individuals who are overweight with poor dental health.  People draw inferences from an overweight person: that they are lazy, gluttonous, depressed, unmotivated, etc.  The same goes with those with bad teeth:  lazy, un-hygienic, poor, etc.  These assumptions are drawn based on the appearance of an individual are ones that will cause a potential employer to avoid hiring one great potential candidate over another candidate who is of a normal weight with a better looking smile.

This rise in discrimination of people with bad teeth has raised some concerns of sociological inequality, especially in places like Britain where there is a large population of people who don’t have access to dental healthcare.  A poll conducted in England in 2013 by VisionCritical found that people assumed those with whiter teeth were wealthier; not only that, the survey found that people with whiter teeth were assumed to earn more than £10,000 pounds than those with not as sightly smiles.

 

The VisionCritical survey also found that people with bright, white smiles were believed to be five years younger than they actually were.  Also, their bright white smiles “improved their employment potential by 10 per cent, results showed” according to the DailyMail.

 

In Britain where the standard of dental health is generally poor, the solution to this socio-economic inequality is not clear.  In the US, with the rise of government healthcare, one can only hope this will become less of a problem for Americans in the future.
about_doc_Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.

 

 

 

Dr. Mike Malone’s Holiday Promotions!

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It’s the season of giving, which is why Dr. Mike Malone and Associates is running two big holiday promotions!  The first of which is a Holiday Whitening Special!  We’re giving 35% of the Zoom Whitening treatment which brings down the cost to $395 from the usual $600.  To get this offer, visit our Facebook page and look for this post:

The offer is good through January 31st, 2014.

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Now for our second offer, we’re giving away an iPad!  All you have to do is subscribe to our blog through December 20th to win a free iPad Air!

 

Must be 18 & older to win. Local entrants only. Winner must pick up prize at the office of Mike Malone D.D.S. and agree to sign a release form to be feature on Dr. Malone’s social media pages. Call for more details.

 

Mike Malone, DDS and Associates

300 Doucet Rd.

Lafayette, LA, 70503

Phone: 337-989-1268

 

 

about_doc

Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.

 

 

 

 

New Service: The KöR Whitening Treatment

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Dr. Malone now offers the new and improved tooth whitening service: the KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching System.  Thousands of dentists around the world agree that KöR is the most effective and predictable technique ever developed to whiten teeth.  “No other dental product of any type has ever been ranked higher than KöR Whitening,” according to the product’s website.

What’s So Great About KöR Whitening?

The deep bleaching system was developed by cosmetic dentist Dr. Rod Kurthy who has successfully whitened his own teeth using the system.  KöR Whitening works by “restoring your teeth’s ability to absorb oxygen. The oxygen from KöR Deep Bleaching gel is absorbed deeply into the tooth, dissolving stain molecules.”

Here are some benefits to the KöR whitening system:

  • Long-lasting results
  • Healthy, bright natural looking teeth
  • Teeth will whiten up to 16 shades
  • Little to zero tooth and gum pain during treatment
  • Safe for teens as young as 14
  • The only whitening system effective on tetracycline-stained (dark) teeth
  • The bleaching trays are made up molds of your teeth, so they are more comfortable and fit better than those of other bleaching systems.  Plus, the bleaching gel is sealed inside the tray and will not leak into your mouth.

Just check out this before and after below!

 KöR Whitening Versus Zoom Whitening

As you may know, Dr. Malone currently offers Zoom Whitening as a tooth bleaching service.  While Zoom Whitening is also very effective, KöR Whitening provides longer-lasting results plus little to no sensitivity.  Tooth bleaching is considered safe generally speaking, yet some patients have experienced tooth and gum pain when treated with Zoom Whitening.  Thousands of clinical trials of KöR Whitening have been tested on patients who do not experience the sensitivity of other bleaching systems.

There are some similarities between these two bleaching systems.  Both require an in-office treatment involving strong peroxides to jump start the whitening process, and then require the patient to continue whitening at home using plastic trays.  But the speed of the results between Zoom Whitening and KöR Whitening vary.

With Zoom Whitening, results usually aren’t drastic until several at-home treatments following the initial in-office treatment.  With Kör Whitening the results are astounding — and the treatment schedule is a bit different.  There are two in-office treatments followed by home trays.  Hey, it wasn’t rated the best dental product for nothing!

Here are a few close-ups of creator Dr. Rod Kurthy’s before and after KöR Whitening:

So if you’re interested in a permanent deep tooth bleaching service, contact Dr. Malone’s office today and ask about the KöR Whitening Treatment!

about_doc_Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.

Patient Kristen Girault Places in Top 10 in Miss USA Contest

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Mike Malone DDS & Associates would like to extend a congratulations to our long-time patient Kristen Girault for placing in the top 10 in the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas!

 

Dr. Malone has been the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants for quite some time.  But Kristen is the first Miss Louisiana to place in the Miss USA pageant since 1996 when Ali Laundry won the contest.  Congratulations, Kristen!

 

 

A Metairie native, Kristen has been competing in beauty pageants for years.  She was a first runner-up in the Miss Louisiana Teen USA in 2009 and 2010.  In 2012, Kristen placed in the top 10 of Miss Louisiana USA.  Finally on October 27, 2012, Kristen was crowned Miss Louisiana 2013 at the annual pageant right here in Lafayette, Louisiana.

 

After winning the pageant last October, Kristen took time off from school and traveled around the state and country as a representative of Louisiana.  Then on June 16th, Kristen was featured in the live telecast of the Miss USA pageant at the Theatre of the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.  She made the first cut and earned a spot among the final 15 contestants; after the swimsuit competition round she made another cut to make it to the top 10!

 

Kristen credits much of her success to her 3 years as a New Orleans Saintsation.   Here is a quote from Kristen’s interview with the New Orleans Saintsations:

 

“Being on the (Saintsations) for three years definitely gave me the biggest workouts of my life, especially on gamedays,” said Girault. “It prepared me physically for that. Making appearances in the city as a Saintsation helped me learn how to best represent my team and city, similar to my role now in representing the state. Going out and traveling the state was a breeze as Miss Louisiana because it became second nature for me due to my time as a Saintsation.”

 

Now, Kristen is looking forward to returning to LSU in the fall to continue her Nursing degree.  We are honored here at Mike Malone DDS & Associates to have contributed to Kristen’s success.  Just goes to show how a bright, white smile goes a long way — especially if you’re in the spotlight like Kristen!

 

Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.

 

 

Chew on this!

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You don’t smoke it. You don’t swallow it. All you do is swirl it in your mouth and spit.  Okay, so it’s mildly gross, but isn’t everybody entitled to at least one bad habit? After all, it’s chewing tobacco for Pete’s sake. It can’t be as bad as smoking cigarettes, right? Well, if I were you, I’d pick another vice. Because smokeless tobacco (aka chew or dip) is pretty serious stuff. Just ask Babe Ruth.

He may be the most famous baseball player of all time, but did you know that he died at the age of 53 of throat cancer?  And it just so happens that the top two causes of this disease are alcohol and tobacco, both of which Babe Ruth more than indulged. Should have stuck to Big League Chew, Babe.

But, of course, baseball players aren’t the only ones who choose to chew. The CDC reports that 20% of high school boys and 2% of high school girls use smokeless tobacco. The CDC also reports that 30,000 Americans learn they have mouth and throat cancers each year, and nearly 8,000 die. But that’s just worst case scenario. If you’re lucky, you may just have bleeding lips and gums.  Or lose a few teeth.

 

And with modern medicine, you may beat cancer. Have a minor heart attack. Or none of these things may happen to you at all. You may just have chronic bad breath and yellow stains on your teeth.

 

According to research, 70% of spit tobacco users have mouth sores. Not exactly good for your social life. In all seriousness, nobody’s perfect. We’re all entitled to one bad habit. But before you indulge in this bad habit, you should know that one can of snuff gives you as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. And that there are 28 cancer-causing substances found in smokeless tobacco. And last but not least: smokeless tobacco is harder to quit than cigarettes. Like I said, everyone is entitled to one vice. After all, we all work hard. Can’t we just indulge in something? Sure! Why not?  Life is short. Just don’t make it shorter with this vice. Try something different like chocolate (or steak for men??).

 

Caffeine.

 

Or maybe an expensive pair of shoes.

 

Personally, we vote for all three of these.  These vices may add a few pounds, jack up your heart rate, and empty your wallet but these side effects beat out cancer by a long shot.  To each his own!

 

Mike Malone is an accredited cosmetic dentist practicing in Lafayette Louisiana and is the former president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

 

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Is your dentist AACD accredited? More importantly, does it matter?

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How important is an accreditation from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry? Watch Dr. Mike explain and demonstrate the importance of having an accredited dentist in this video strait from the AACD’s YouTube channel: