Snap-On Smile has been a welcome addition to the dentists bag of cosmetic tools. The name says it all – it’s a smile that simply snaps on. Before one considers a Snap-On Smile, they must understand the indications and limitations. Snap-On Smile is not meant to cover cavities or hopelessly loose teeth. All cavities must be filled ahead of time. Also teeth that have too much bone loss that makes them to shaky to withstand the snapping forces must be removed. Snap-On Smile is not meant to be a permanent solution to a cosmetic dental problem. It is not meant to replace lost function from chewing forces due to lost teeth. What Snap-On Smile is is a lower cost alternative to what can be expensive cosmetic dental procedures. It can cover discolored teeth. It can cover mismatched spacing between the front teeth. It cannot be used where the teeth are too far forward already such as “buck” teeth since a thin layer of plastic will be snapped on over the front teeth. Snap-On Smile allows people to go out in public and feel confident with a big, wide smile and showing off their pearly whites.
Monthly Archives: March 2015
A Child’s First Trip to the Dentist
A good experience at a child’s first trip to the dentist is vitally important in shaping their future behavior at dental visits. When a child’s first time at a dental office is to relieve the pain of a toothache, that can greatly affect their future perceptions of the dentist and produce fear and behavior management issues. Therefore, it is important to make the first appointment for a cleaning and checkup around the child’s third birthday. 
The days leading up to the first visit should be filled with stories about the fun, exciting trip to the dentist that is coming up. If a parent has a fear of the dentist, they should be careful to not project that fear on to the child. Kids are more perceptive than you think. The parents need to make sure that big brother doesn’t fill the patient with needless horror stories. And they shouldn’t ever say things like “If you don’t behave, I’m going to take you to the dentist.” At our office, we try to make every trip to the dentist a fun adventure with cartoons playing on TV’s in the ceiling, good tasting toothpastes and fluorides, and trips to the treasure chest afterwards. Having a pleasant experience at the first dental will help alleviate apprehension at future dental appointments.