Pistachio green, colorful tights, quilted clothing and full-mouth restoration. What do these things all have in common? They’re all hallmarks of this fall season. But while fashion trends come and go, some things are designed to last a lot longer. That’s where full-mouth restoration comes in to play. Full-mouth restoration is the perfect way to have a beautiful smile that outlasts all the trends and still looks great when those trends are in vogue again. Better still, fall is a great time to start your full-mouth restoration makeover! With the kids heading back to school and the holiday photo season approaching, why not get your smile back in style with these timeless smile makeover techniques? Dental Implants, Bridges and Dentures One of the most effective ways to create a healthy, more youthful-looking appearance is to replace missing teeth with dentures, bridges and implants. These solutions can be either removable or more permanent, but all three close any unsightly gaps in the mouth and help fill out the face in the process. They can also stop further bone degeneration that may cause more lost teeth and difficulty chewing. In fact, the sooner you replace lost teeth, the better the chance solutions like dental implants will work. Orthodontics Whether they be traditional wire-and-bracket braces, clear aligners or neuromuscular orthodontics, taking steps to better align your bite not only creates a beautiful aesthetic, but can also align your bite and eliminate any excessive wear on your teeth from a bad bite. They can also alleviate pain from conditions like temporomandibular joint dysfunction. You may not have a perfect smile by the time the winter holidays roll around, but you’ll be well on your way! Veneers Porcelain veneers cover all kinds of flaws on the teeth. They can cover minor chips, lengthen the teeth, create a more streamlined even look to the teeth and even change the color of the teeth. Best of all, they are stain resistant, so you can still indulge in all those pumpkin spice lattes this fall without the worry of discoloring them. Veneers are made of thin porcelain sheets that are custom formed to fit your individual teeth, and then permanently adhered to the outward face of each tooth. The process takes just a few weeks and can get you the bright white smile you’ve always dreamed of. To learn more about your full-mouth restoration cosmetic dentistry options from Dr. George, please give the office a call at 724-220-2347.

Spring. It’s a time of renewal and hope. The snow melts, the flowers bloom and the summer birds return to their nests. We humans celebrate by swapping our dark, heavy coats for pastels and jackets, and if we’re really motivated, we deep clean the house. But why should our homes get all the love? What about our smiles? That’s right – spring is the perfect time to spring clean our smiles, too. Here are some great ways to make your smile beautiful this spring! Try Something New With the recent introduction of toothpaste tablets, designer flavored dental flosses and toothpastes, and xylitol gum, now is the perfect time to try a new oral health product to add some excitement to your care routine. Get (a) CleaningThe fastest and easiest way to get a spring-clean mouth is to schedule your regular oral health exam and cleaning. There’s no better feeling than a truly clean mouth with two rows of sparkly-clean teeth, to boot. Your exam is also your opportunity to diagnose any oral health issues and "clean house" in your mouth. Show Your Colors With winter darks being packed away and spring brights coming back out of hibernation, why not pick a few colors that will help make your smile bright? Blue or blue undertones help neutralize yellow and make your teeth look whiter. That goes for shirts, decorative scarves and, yes, even lipstick. Tackle Your Issues Suffering from jaw pain or temporomandibular joint disorder? Spring is the perfect time to get in control of your oral health and begin treating these ailments before the official kickoff of vacation season this summer. Imagine enjoying your favorite foods again this summer instead of missing out another season due to the pain. Start a Construction Program Spring is the perfect time to begin your full-mouth reconstruction journey. Tax refunds are here, the holidays are over, and the kids are finishing up with school. Now is the time to focus on yourself and make the improvements to your health and appearance you’ve been putting off while helping everybody else. Carve out a little you time and speak to Dr. George about getting new dental implants, partials, bridges, bonding or veneers and spring forward to a more beautiful smile. To schedule an oral health spring cleaning, give Dr. George’s office a call at 724-220-2347.

Do you have a "gummy" smile? Do your gums cover your teeth unevenly? Do you feel like your teeth are too small or your gums cover too much of your teeth? Are your gums receding? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may not have realized there is a treatment option that can correct all of these problems. Yes, that’s right - the same procedure can correct both receding gums and too much gum tissue. It’s called gum reshaping or gum contouring, and it can change where your gums sit on your teeth and transform your entire smile. What Is Gum Reshaping? Gum reshaping and contouring is an in-office medical procedure that either reduces or reshapes the gum line either for medical or aesthetic reasons. Gum reshaping is done with lasers that cut away the overage of gum tissue that sits on the teeth, creating a more streamlined gum line. Thanks to the nature of the laser, it can actually cut the gums in such a way that they sit evenly on your teeth and frame them perfectly. The laser then seals the gums, stopping them from bleeding and, in the case of patients using the treatment for periodontitis, seal any newly cleaned gum pockets and prevent bacteria from reentering them. After the Procedure Gum recontouring sounds painful, and before lasers, it used to be. But today's procedures are more comfortable than ever, thanks to the laser itself. Laser cutting allows for less bleeding, as does sealing off the wound with the laser. This also causes less inflammation, which in turn enables a faster healing time and an easier time practicing excellent oral hygiene, which includes brushing and flossing. While it may not seem like a good idea to floss newly recontoured gums, it is imperative to take good care of the teeth and gums during the recovery period to prevent infection. Pain following the procedure is generally well tolerated and can usually be managed by over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen, which is also an anti-inflammatory. We also recommend soft foods for the first week following your gum-contouring procedure. To speak to Dr. George about gum recontouring or any other cosmetic dental procedure, please call 724-220-2347.

A recent article on the lifestyle blog Refinery29 featured a young woman who delayed her impending nuptials to undergo an extensive (and expensive) smile makeover. But the woman didn’t do it just for fun - she did it to look better in her wedding photos. The makeover ultimately cost the young bride $25,000 and stretched her engagement out to two and a half years, following the completion of the full-mouth reconstruction she underwent. So, what does a $25,000 full-mouth reconstruction include exactly? In the case of the story’s author, it included braces, dental implants, teeth whitening and a temporary bridge. With the average wedding now costing $25,714, this young bride spent enough on her teeth to get married twice! "I think the full-mouth reconstruction is absolutely a better investment," says Dr. Alexandra George, a cosmetic dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. That’s because, according to George, investing in your smile is investing in something that not only lasts, but also gives you confidence and makes you look and feel better. And with the average marriage only lasting 15 to 18 years, a beautiful smile may just last longer. "For patients with dental implants or orthodontics like the bride in the story, those should last a long time." According to George, orthodontic treatment should last a lifetime if well maintained. The average dental implant can last an average of 15 years, but with excellent maintenance can last much longer. So, what’s empowering this new generation of brides to take the appearance of their smile so seriously all of a sudden. Believe it or not, it may be something a lot less serious (and maybe more fun) than you think. "Brides are turning to social media for inspiration and getting motivated to perfect their appearances by seeing selfies of other brides and celebrities," George says. But why social media? After all, television and magazines have been around for ages, and both are known to showcase swarms of celebrities with perfectly aligned business-card-white teeth. George, for her part, thinks it could be due to a few things. First, the lack of airbrushing creates a sense of realness when looking at others’ photos. Second, these are "real" people with really great smiles "So it gives you that feeling of ‘I can have this too'," says George. And don’t underestimate those trendy filters, either. "Sometimes seeing a photo of yourself through a filter can show you what your potential is," George says. "If you see how good your own smile could look with some adjustments, that could be enough to encourage someone to finally take action." https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/11/217081/bride-teeth-whitening-wedding-smile

Augmented reality. It’s one of those futuristic, high-tech-sounding terms we’ve all heard once or twice but have no idea what it really means. Well, augmented reality is a little bit like virtual reality, except it changes what is already there - in other words, it allows you to see a projected image of something over an already existing thing or image. This fascinating technology is already being used in everything from video games to car repair and civil engineering – and it soon may have a new use: at your dentist’s office! You read that right - augmented reality could be coming soon to a dental clinic near you. Here’s why. Imagine you are preparing to invest in something you’ve wanted for a long time: a healthy, beautiful smile. But in order to do so, you need to invest in a full-mouth reconstruction – a deluxe smile makeover, if you will. The problem is, for the amount you’re investing, how can you be sure you’ll get the results you want? That’s where augmented reality (or AR) steps in. A new startup in Switzerland is developing software that uses augmented reality to superimpose an image of a made-over smile onto the faces of patients seeking to undergo cosmetic dentistry procedures, and it could change the whole industry. "Being able to show patients what kind of results they can expect will be a game changer," says Dr. Alexandra George of Wexford, Pennsylvania. "For some patients it's hard to imagine what that might look like." George performs everything from teeth whitening to full-mouth reconstruction in her Pennsylvania practice. She says the new software will be a useful tool for dentists. "The software doesn’t just superimpose an image – you can actually adjust that image," says George. "So if the patient doesn’t like what they see, they can make changes." And that’s very good news for both patients and dentists. "We want patients to be satisfied with their smile," George says. "If they’re able to get a better idea of what they can expect, that will eliminate any surprises in the end. And if they see something they don’t like, it empowers the dentist to be able to correct the treatment plan before the treatment even begins." That can save valuable time, money and frustration. "Bottom line, it’s your smile, and it's your money," George says. "We want you to be satisfied with our work, and if this software can create realistic expectations of what your final outcome looks like, everyone wins."

Women are requesting teeth fit for a princess. Beauty trends come and go, but at least one of them isn’t going anywhere anytime soon: the quest for whiter, brighter teeth and a healthy, beautiful smile. Each year, Americans spend billions of dollars on elective cosmetic dentistry procedures – everything from teeth whitening to braces to porcelain veneers. But while whitening is among the most common and affordable cosmetic procedure, sometimes it's not enough to simply whiten the teeth. Some patients want a little something more to create a healthy beautiful smile like their favorite celebrity. Media outlets are reporting that right now the biggest trend in cosmetic dentistry is, not surprisingly, new princess Meghan Markle’s stunning smile. The American actress-turned-royalty has women around the globe rushing to their dentist’s office to capture that signature glow for themselves. So, what’s so great about that "Markle Sparkle" that everyone wants their own version of it? Trend spotters and dentists agree, it's not just the natural whiteness of Markle’s smile, but the spacing, tooth size and even her tooth-to-lip and -gum ratio that makes her smile so beautiful. But Markle isn’t the first or only celebrity to spark an oral-health trend. Julia Roberts’ iconic smile is still a popular request, as is Gabrielle Union, and even Markle’s own sister-in-law, fashion icon Kate Middleton. So, what can you do if you want some of that signature Markle Sparkle for yourself? Whitening: A professional whitening treatment from Dr. George may be all your smile needs to capture that "fit for a princess" glow. These in-office treatments can reduce stains and discoloration by several shades, giving you that celebrity gleam you deserve. Veneers: Veneers are a great way to correct cosmetic issues with the teeth. Thin layers of porcelain are custom fit to each tooth, improving shape, size and color. Veneers can hide chips, cracks and discoloration and create a gorgeous grin in about two weeks. Orthodontics: Orthodontics changes the positioning and alignment of the teeth. It can also improve the tooth-to-cheek and tooth-to-gum ratio, widening the jaw to create your very own megawatt smile just like the one celebrities such as Markle and Roberts are famous for. As for Markle, we have a feeling she’ll be an inspiration for more than just her smile for years to come. Between a Hollywood career, dazzling teeth and a fairytale love story, what’s not to smile about? To get that Markle Sparkle for your own teeth, call Dr. George’s office at 724-220-2347.

Surviving a cancer diagnosis and completing a successful chemotherapy treatment is cause for celebration. But after the celebration ends and life begins to return to its new normal, many chemotherapy patients are left feeling - and looking - very different than they used to.

Whether you have just completed your full-mouth reconstruction or are still in the middle of the process, the final outcome will be well worth the investment. But what will you do to celebrate once your treatment is complete? Here are some fun suggestions!

Quitting smoking is a big deal, and something to be commended for. But too often these days we hear about people switching from smoking to vaping, thinking they are doing something better for their bodies.

This month, as you’re celebrating all things love, don’t forget to treat your mouth to some extra TLC, too. One of the hardest-working parts of your body, your mouth does a lot for you - doesn’t it deserve some love, too?

Are your teeth discolored, chipped or showing uneven wear? Are you tired of hiding your smile, or wishing there were some way to correct these issues without resorting to dentures or dental implants? Well, if this sounds like you, there’s an option you may not have considered: veneers. Veneers are thin sheets of porcelain that are custom fit over the teeth to correct their shape, color and overall appearance. To see if you are a good candidate for veneers, schedule a consultation with Dr. George. If you’d like to know more about how veneers are attached to your teeth, keep reading.

For many people, their smile is a big source of pride - something they hope people notice when speaking to them. But for many others, their smile can be a source of shame and embarrassment, even if they’re actively trying to improve their smile. This can be especially true for adults and even teens who wear braces.

Having crooked teeth can make even the most confident person insecure about his or her smile. In fact, a recent study found that 81 percent of American adults are insecure about their smile - and about 28 percent of them won’t even smile in pictures! But poor self-esteem isn’t the only problem caused by crooked teeth. Believe it or not, having a bad bite can contribute to many other ailments you may have never considered.

With Black Friday sales practically a national holiday and entire television shows dedicated to using coupons and getting good deals on everything from flea market finds to vintage vehicles, you could say saving money is a big deal. But in life there are just some things you should never scrimp on – even if that means you pay a little more up front. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for – and in the case of these five purchases, you definitely want to pay for something good.

Believe it or not, 2019 is just around the corner - yes, really! - which means it's time to tie up loose ends from 2018. For some, this means using up the remaining money in their flexible spending account before that money is gone on January 1, 2019. But what do you spend it on?

Porcelain veneers are thin sheets of porcelain that are custom shaped to fit onto the tooth for the purpose of changing its color, shape or size. Veneers can help hide chips, discoloration, cracks, breaks or uneven shape, transforming an imperfect smile into a masterpiece. Though durable, due to their material and the fact that veneers are not your natural teeth, you must treat them a bit differently than you would a natural tooth.

Smiling. For some of us, it comes as naturally as breathing, and believe it or not, it has almost as many benefits, too! For example, studies have shown that being smiled at by a stranger can improve your mood - and make you want to smile back. Smiling has even been found to boost the immune system, and people who smile often live an average of seven years longer than people who don’t. With all that’s known about the benefits of a simple smile, it’s a wonder more of us aren’t grinning ear-to-ear all the time.