Joseph J. Henry, DDS

Choosing a Cosmetic Dentist

2009-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

What is important when choosing a dentist to do your smile makeover? First, do your research. Family and friends who have actually had cosmetic dentistry done are a great source of information. The internet is another wonderful source. A dentist's web site should outline the specific additional training that most cosmetic dentists have, like at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI). The web site should have numerous photographs of cosmetic procedures that he/she has actually performed (not stock photography). When you choose an office to visit, it should be neat, clean, and modern looking. Talk with your dentist and his team members and let them know what it is you would like your smile to look like. He or she needs to listen to your concerns regarding your smile and give you options and benefits of various treatments such as porcelain veneers, bonding, or all ceramic crowns. Your dentist ought to be able to show you photos of his/her dentistry that he has actually done. It finally comes down to trust. Your smile is too important and deserves the finest in materials and expertise!

Nicole's Enthusiastic New Smile!

2009-02-23T14:07:00.001-08:00

Before veneers................................After veneers

Nicole came to us with a couple of concerns about the appearance of her smile. She wasn't sure a smile makeover would correct her problems. She had a crown done on her front tooth when she was a teenager and it had started to turn black around her gums. She also felt her teeth were a little small and could be whiter. Nicole decided to replace her front crown with a modern all ceramic metal free crown and to have 9 porcelain veneers placed on her other upper teeth. She chose a whiter color for her new crown and veneers as well as picking a size she felt better fit her face. Her satisfaction with the result is apparent in the photos taken after the procedure was done. The darkness is gone around the old crown and her smile is larger and much whiter than before. Her attractive smile now matches her exuberant personality!

A Smile Makeover for Dennis

2009-01-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

Before veneers.............................After veneers

I had the privledge of treating Dennis recently. As you can see by the photographs, Dennis had severely ground down and chipped his front teeth. He was also not happy with the color of his teeth. Dennis was concerned that his teeeth were chipping away and he wanted a whiter smile. He was in fact in need of a smile makeover. I completed the smile makeover using 10 porcelain veneers. Once the smile makeover procedure was completed he actually looks more relaxed and years younger. The following is Dennis' testimonial:

"For some time, I had been increasingly concerned with the appearance and other problems with my upper fron teeth. After some internet research, I thought veneers might be a good solution for my situation. I selected Dr. Henry for a thorough consultation because of his extensive training and experience with cosmetic dentistry. During my consultation, he discussed alternatives and answered all my questions without rushing. I was impressed with his knowledge, professionalism, and personable manner. Throughout the entire procedure, he kept me informed of what he was doing and I felt confident in his skills. It was clear he wanted to make sure I was completely satisfied. Dr. Henry has a wonderful staff who were at all times highly professional and personable. I am very happy with the outcome and glad I selected Dr. Henry for my dentistry needs".

Happy Holidays 2008!

2009-01-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

December 2008

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Christmas is almost upon us as well as the beginning of another year. This year, our annual office Christmas picture was taken in front of the Christmas tree in the Orange Plaza. 2008 has been another good year for all of us here in the office and we hope it continues for the upcoming year.

Janet & I keep busy with our family and all their activities. My oldest son, Joseph, is in his second year studying economics at U.C. Irvine, and my second son, Jeffrey is a senior at Servite High School. He is almost done with the last of his college applications. He will find out in the spring where he will be attending. He is hoping to land a spot at one of the U.C. campuses. My oldest daughter, Joanna, is a sophomore at Rosary High School and my youngest daughter, Jenna, is in seventh grade at Holy Family School. Joanna played on the varsity golf team at Rosary this season. I have enjoyed playing golf more with her…it has been some great father-daughter time. We had a wonderful family vacation in August taking a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. We enjoyed the ship and visiting Oahu, Maui, Kona, & Kauai. The cruise gave us a nice taste of each island. In July, I went to a dental conference in Orlando and also took a little time to drive up into Georgia to visit some cousins that I haven’t seen in many years. It was good to see them. I continued to instruct other dentists in the latest cosmetic techniques, advanced restorative procedures, and TMJ treatment at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) several times last year. I am looking forward to continuing the same in 2009. I was also able to give a few lectures locally and look forward to doing more next year.

Orieen, her husband David, and her sister managed to fit in a cruise in the Western Caribbean this year as well. They had a wonderful time relaxing in the sun and seeing the different ports. Debbie and her husband Cal enjoyed trips to Park City Utah to visit Debbie’s sister, as well as, local trips on their Harley motorcycle. They try to go riding each weekend. Marla became a grandma for the third time with the birth of her first granddaughter Madison. She and her husband Paul managed some time away in Santa Barbara as well. Our hygienist Lizz keeps busy with her two young children, the first of which started preschool this year. She was still able to travel some, making a trip to a resort in Costa Rica for rest and relaxation. Anh, our other hygienist, is very busy with her son and her family. He is almost two years old now. She enjoys cooking and baking in her spare time.

All of us at the office want to thank you for your kind referrals of family, friends, and colleagues to our practice. We appreciate the trust you place in us.

We hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season and many continued blessings for 2009!

Dr. Henry

A Big Smile on her Wedding Day!

2008-11-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Grace came to us a couple of months before her wedding day. She wanted a prettier smile for her big day. A person's wedding day is likely to be the most photographed day of a man or woman's life. Grace didn't like the way her smile looked and wanted to know what the latest cosmetic dentistry techniques could offer her. Old fillings in her front teeth had discolored and she had an old fashioned porcelain and metal crown that was too bright for the color of her other teeth. We were able to give her the smile she's always wanted by replacing her crown with a new metal free all ceramic crown and just 3 porcelain veneers. Grace wrote to us after her wedding.....

"I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your staff for an amazing job on my teeth. I hated my smile and I wanted the perfect smile for my wedding day, and you made it happen. I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am. My wedding day was amazing thanks to you! Thank you and God Bless!"

Before .....................................................After

Grace's thank you to us reminds us how powerful a smile can be and how it can impact a person's life. Thank you, Grace, for giving us the opportunity to share in your beautiful day.

A New Smile for a College Grad!

2008-10-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

After new veneers

Before new veneers

We recently completed this porcelain veneer case on Jennifer. Jennifer wrote the following testimonial that speaks for itself on the benefits she received from having a new smile. Cosmetic dentistry can positively impact lives younger people right out of college as well as men and women of any age. Thank you Jennifer for the kind words you said about all of us.

"At the time of my consultation with Dr. Henry, I already had two veneers on my front teeth. I was always self-conscious about the fact that they were a little oversized and slightly darker than the rest of my teeth. To fix the problem, Dr. Henry recommended placing four veneers on my top teeth.

Since I recently graduated from college, I was hesitant to spend so much money on my smile, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made! The results are absolutely amazing and I have received so many compliments on my new smile. I feel so much more confident and find myself smiling much more than I ever did before!

Dr. Henry and his team are warm, competent, and caring. They were happy to walk me through each and every step of the process and cared just as much as I did about the end result! I would recommend Dr. Henry to anyone who is hoping to improve their smile!"

MANNY IS NOT MANNY WITHOUT HIS PURE POWER MOUTHGUARD

2008-09-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog about Manny Ramirez using the Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM). He was fitted for one during spring training this past March and has been using it all season. I was in Orlando at a dental meeting and the Angels were playing Boston. The game was on ESPN and Manny hit a home run in the 9th inning against Frankie Rodriquez. As Manny was rounding third, the tv camera zoomed in on Manny's face and you could clearly see his Pure Power Mouthguard in his mouth. Manny's statistics are up for the year over last year as well. Fortunately, today the Dodgers are the benefactors of Manny and his PPM as they make the final push towards the playoffs and World Series. Manny has been quoted "The improvement in my balance and range of motion is amazing! I LOVE The Pure Power Mouthguard for my game. This is MORE than a mouthguard. I am not Manny without my PPM".

Another high profile athlete using the PPM is Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys. Last week against the Eagles, Owens caught his 131st career touchdown reception placing him second on the all time career touchdown reception list. He did it while wearing his PPM!

Isn't it time you found out the details that hundreds of professional and elite athletes already know? A PPM mouthguard can improve the club head speed of most weekend golfers, times for swimmers, runners, cyclists and so much more. The PPM mouthguard is another example of how Neuromuscular Dentistry can benefit peoples lives!

Pure Power Mouthguard Enhances Performance

2008-05-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM) is an offshoot of the Neuromuscular Dentistry principles that I have been using for patients TMJ treatments for years now. We are discovering the exciting benefits that patients are experiencing when we apply these principles to athletics. By aligning a persons bite with the mouthguard it affects how the muscles of the jaw, head and neck position an athletes head upon his or her spine. A more advantageous head postion improves airway patency, and frees up the energy the body uses holding an athletes head in a less than ideal position. This energy in turn is used to improve muscle efficiency and function of the entire body, allowing an athlete to perform at a higher level. Athletes in many sports such in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA are using the PPM Mouthguard with great success.

You don't need to be an elite athlete to reap the benefits of a Pure Power Mouthguard. Weekend athletes can benefit as well. If your sport is golf, running, swimming, lifting weights, or cycling, a PPM Mouthguard can give you better balance, a longer golf drive, improve your endurance and cut seconds off your times. Just read the following testimonial from my patient Bret below.

"My name is Bret McCarroll and I have been training in Jiu-Jitsu for 4 years and competing for 3 years. With the nature of the sport, its necessary to wear a mouthgard to prevent any damage to my teeth. Before using the Pure Power Mouthgard that Dr. Henry made for me I used mouthgards that I purchased from sporting goods stores. They were never very comfortable, you couldn't really talk because it would fall out of place, and it seemed like I would get more fatigued when I wore it. Dr. Henry told me about a mouthgard he could make that was comfortable, stayed in place, and not only would it not restrict my breathing, but it would put my jaw in a position that would help my performance by increasing my endurance and strength. I thought this sounded like voodoo, but decided that if it worked it could give me a definitive edge when I compete so I thought I would give it a try. After wearing my new Pure Power Mouthgard I noticed a difference instantly. For one it was comfortable since it was fitted by a dentist rather than by me boiling a piece of plastic in hot water. And two it snapped into place, so you could speak without the mouthpiece falling out of place. But most importantly, I felt stronger and it did increase my endurance. Previously, when I trained I would usually do about 30 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes of drills, and 30 minutes of new techniques, followed by about 3 or 4 seven minute sparring sessions with another opponent. The reason I trained for 3 or 4 sessions is because that is all I was capable to do physically. After using the PPM mouthgard from Dr. Henry, I could go for 5 sessions and feel like I only trained for 3 sessions. When I train now the only reason I stop at 5 matches is because there is nobody left to spar with and my wife would like it if I came home before 9:00 pm. Another thing this mouthgard helped me do was win my first Jiu-Jitsu competition. I've entered five tournaments previously and my best placing was 3rd place. I believe that the extra 10% to 20% strength and endurance I feel from using the Pure Power Mouthgard gave me an edge over all my opponents. Thank you Dr. Henry!"

Hollywood Makeup Artist has Smile Makeover

2008-04-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Our patient, Susie, has a fun story. She is a make up artist in Hollywood who has worked on many full length feature and TV show sets. During the recent writers strike we were fortunate to have hired her to do our patient's makeup for two days while we were photographing our patients for the most recent edition of the magazine "Spotlight on Smiles."

Susie said that during the two day photo shoot she noticed "how everyone was just glowing and their smiles looked amazing". "My old veneers had changed color and I was self conscious about the side of my smile. I felt people staring at the side of my smile. Professionally I was aware of my models and movie star smiles and it made me want to do something about my smile even more. In my industry, I am a reflection of my own work, and my smile now completes my look. When I go to a set to work, people think I am the actress instead of the make up artist! My teeth look so natural, no one knows I have veneers." We did 10 porcelain veneers on Susie as well as taking out the grey silver mercury fillings that had darkened her side teeth. Everyone was thrilled with the result.

Susie's story is a powerful example of how a smile makeover with porcelain veneers can have such a positive impact on a person's professional life. An attractive smile is so important in making a good first impression, not only professionally but socially as well. Susie said "Dr. Henry is an artist with his craft and his team always makes you laugh! They have great chemistry and the teamwork shows in my smile and that of his patients. I am so greatful"!

Non Surgical Dental Face Lift

2008-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

This is a pt I recently finished a full mouth rejuvenation on. The veneers on the patients front teeth alone make a huge difference in his smile. A more subtle difference is noticeable in the lower third of his face, however. Before starting the reconstruction, the patients upper teeth almost completely obscured his lower teeth. By restoring not only his front teeth, but his back teeth as well, we were able to restore his teeth back to their original height and size after years of grinding and wear. The years of wear and grinding had the effect of allowing the edge of his chin to drift closer to his nose when he bit down resulting in the collapse of the lower third of his face. This procedure is also coined the "non surgical dental face lift" because it makes our patients look younger by improving the appearance of the lower third of their face. By lengthening the lower third of a persons face it will appear slightly thinner as well. If you look closely at the before and after photographs you can see the facial differences. I used sophisticated equipment to evaluate and establish how much tooth to rebuild and to establish an ideal bite relationship using the principles of neuromuscular dentistry. This procedure is not done haphazardly and not by estimating or "eye balling" the new bite position.

The benefits of the "non surgical dental face lift" or smile rejuvenation to the patient are numerous. The appearance of his smile is dramatically improved. He states he can't believe he went around so long with his smile looking the way it did. He says that since the procedure, he looks more like his siblings in the face whose teeth are not worn away as drastically as his were. The improvement to his facial appearance while not unexpected is an added benefit to his smile rejuvenation/smile makeover!

Sweeden & Norway ban mercury silver fillings

2008-02-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

The American Dental Society has announced that beginning the first of the year both Sweeden and Norway have banned the use of mercury-silver (amalgam) fillings. Throughout Europe the use of mercury-silver fillings has been in decline for the last decade for both environmental and health reasons. Sweeden cited health reasons for the ban and Norway for environmental reasons.

Here in the United States, the use of mercury in silver fillings is still considered safe by the American Dental Society and our government. It has been used for over 100 years for restoring tooth decay, however amalgam is approximately 50% mercury. A paradox exists however in the use of mercury-silver amalgam for restoring a tooth with decay. After placing the amalgam into a patients tooth our dental assistants are required to treat the remaining unused portion of the amalgam as hazardous waste taking special handling precautions and waste disposal.

My question is why is a patients mouth the only safe place to keep mercury amalgam filling material?

Fortunately, today we have several proven alternatives to mercury silver fillings. Today metal free dentistry is a reality for restoring decayed, broken down teeth. These alternatives are all tooth colored resins, composites, and porcelains that are not only beautiful but strengthen teeth as well. They can be used directly as fillings or indirectly as inlays, onlays, or even crowns.

If you have any questions concerning mercury silver fillings please don't hesitate to give our office a call.

All Porcelain Crowns

2008-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Happy New Year! An attractive smile will surely be as important towards success in 2008 as it was in 2007, perhaps more! The first post of 2008 discusses the advantages of all porcelain crowns near the front of the mouth. Crowns are required to restore teeth when a large portion of the tooth has been lost to decay, or fracture. Some of these teeth have had root canals and possibly posts. In the past these teeth were restored with porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns. The crown would get its strength from a metal substructure and porcelain would be baked on top of it. In year's past there was no good alternative to crowns with metal, but by today's standard they have many disadvantages. I'm sure you know someone who has some of these in the front of their mouth. They usually leave a blue grey line along the gum, or actually turn the gum a little bluish at its edge. In order to try to hide this grey metal edge of the crown a dentist is forced to place the edge of the crown under the gum line. Crowns placed under the gum can irritate the gum causing it to bleed promoting periodontal disease. Oftentimes PFM crowns are very opaque and lifeless looking since the metal underneath blocks out any light from passing through and lighting up the tooth. Modern cosmetic dentistry offers a solution to this dilemma using all ceramic metal free crowns. Because there is no metal inside these crowns they are very life like looking. Light passes through the crown illuminating it like a natural tooth. Because there is no metal edge to hide, the edge of the crown does not need to be placed under the gum leading to a healthier situation for your tissue. All ceramic crowns are very strong and durable as well. Pictured above is a recent case where a woman came into our office wanting to replace the four crowns on her front teeth. I ended up replacing the four crowns as well as placing porcelain veneers on the teeth behind the crowns. Needless to say she is thrilled with the outcome.

Holiday Greetings!

2007-12-17T11:56:00.001-08:00

December 2007

Dear Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. As seems to be the case every December, the past year seemed to go by even quicker than the year before! This years Christmas picture was taken at Black Gold golf course in Yorba Linda. We included our spouses in the picture so that when we talked about them in the office you can put a face to their names. In the picture, I’m holding a flagstick with the number ‘50’ on it that Orieen, Marla, and Debbie made for me to remind me that I turned 50 this past November. I didn’t really need their reminder!

My family had an action packed 2007. My oldest son graduated from high school and started college this fall at U.C. Irvine. He is living in the dorms and seems to be enjoying his time away from his 3 other siblings. I also have a son that’s a junior at Servite High School, a daughter that’s a freshman at Rosary High School, and my youngest daughter is in the 6th grade at Holy Family School. We took a wonderful family houseboat vacation on Lake Powell in July. The kids enjoy the wakeboarding, and jet skis. I really enjoy the quiet beauty of the lake. In July, my wife, two daughters, and I spent five days in Chicago. They enjoyed the shopping and sightseeing while I attended a dental meeting. We all managed to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field though. I also made 5 or 6 trips to the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) to instruct other doctors in cosmetic dental procedures as well as TMJ conditions. I also gave lectures to dentists in Woodland Hills, Monterey, and Bakersfield.

Orieen and her husband David enjoyed a wonderful vacation in New York City with her sister and nieces. They were celebrating their niece Stephanie’s graduation from Chapman University. In October, the two of them got away to David’s favorite golf spot, Kauai. In November, Orieen’s whole family got together again in Las Vegas for her sister’s birthday.

Debbie and her husband Cal had a quiet year. Her daughter and her two grandsons were living with Debbie for a few months while her son in law was working in Texas. She enjoyed the time with them. Debbie and Cal enjoy riding Cal’s Harley motorcycle on most weekends with their friends. Debbie also enjoyed a trip to visit her sister in Park City, Utah.

Marla and her husband Paul traveled to the east coast for a historical tour this past spring. Paul retired this year from the Anaheim Police Department after 30 years of service. After 2 months off, he took a part time position as a Park Ranger and is enjoying a more stress free job. They enjoy keeping up with their grandson’s, 4 years old and 15 months old.

Our hygienist Anh is balancing motherhood with practicing hygiene. Her son is 10 months old now and doing very well. They are looking forward to baby’s first Christmas. Our other hygienist, Lizz is also doing the balancing act between motherhood and hygiene. Her two children are 2 and 3 years old now. Besides being a wonderful hygienist, Lizz is a talented artist and has just taken up her childhood dream of learning the accordion!

This should bring you all up to date on everything that’s going on at the office. We all want to thank you for the trust you place in us to take care of your dental health. I also appreciate your continued referral of family, friends, and colleagues to our practice.

We all hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season, and many blessings for 2008,

Dr. Henry, Orieen, Debbie, Marla, Anh, and Lizz

Is the Time Right for a Smile Makeover?

2007-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Is the time right to treat yourself to a smile makeover? Do you ever look at your smile in the mirror with a bit of disappointment when you put on your lipstick or adjust your your necktie? Are you the one in all the photographs with a tight lipped smile? In Orange County and Los Angeles your smile can be one of your greatest assets and can reveal a great deal about your personality. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry 3 out of 4 people feel that an unattractive smile can hinder a person's career success. 90% of Americans believe that a smile is an important social asset. Many of our patients here at the Orange Center for Cosmetic Dentistry have felt the same way and they have chosen to do something about it!

With today's advanced procedures worn, chipped, teeth can be repaired with porcelain veneers, crooked overlapping teeth can be straightened, ugly metal fillings can be replaced with natural tooth colored fillings, and missing teeth can be replaced. In order to give you the smile that you've always wanted, careful attention is paid to many details. Details such as size, length, color, and shape of your new porcelain veneers will customize your new, vital smile exactly the way your want it.

So, if you think your smile is holding you back in your profession, or socially, or if you believe your smile is keeping you from achieving your dreams, then it's time to treat yourself to a smile makeover!

LVI Regional Event Monterey

2007-11-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last week, Dr. Marty Abelar and I presented a two day lecture to 70 dentists, hygienists, assistants, and dental lab technicians at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey, CA. The participants were very energetic as we presented the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) Regional Event that included such topics as designing smiles, porcelain veneer preparation guidelines, and rapid cementation techniques for porcelain veneers. The first day ended with a discussion of how dentistry today can improve people's lives by improving the appearance of their smile, and by helping them to feel better by eliminating headache, neck pain, facial pain, ear congestion, and vertigo commonly associated with TMJ dysfunction.

The second day began with a discussion of neuromuscular dentistry and how TMJ symptoms can be resolved. This lecture reviewed the science behind Neuromuscular Dentistry and the sophisticated equipment that it employs, such as computerized jaw tracking analysis, recording of jaw muscle EMG's, sonography of the jaw joint, and how the TENS unit is used to relax facial muscles that are involved with TMJ dysfunction. We then demonstrated the use of a TENS unit on five members of the audience who had various degrees of signs and symptoms of TMJ Dysfunction. It was rewarding to see how excited everyone in the room was after the demonstration. The two days ended with lectures on 5 star customer service, marketing, and some specifics of Marty's and my journey of how we practice dentistry. We were thrilled by the large number of doctors who signed up to take a course at LVI.

Marty and I appreciate our many sponsors of the event, Williams Dental Lab, Aurum Dental Ceramics, I Enhance internet services, and Microdental Dental Lab. Marty and I were extremely thankful of I Enhance for flying us up to Monterey in their company plane. It was an awesome flight up to Monterey and back in their Piper Meridian.

Dr. Henry and American Idol Finalist LaKisha Jones

2007-11-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

When American Idol Finalist LaKisha Jones was looking to enhance her smile to match her most recent Hollywood success she chose Dr. Joseph Henry because of his experience and personal commitment to each and every one of his patients.

Today LaKisha couldn't be happier with her Hollywood Smile created at the hands of Dr. Henry. Since her appearance on American Idol, LaKisha is now set to join the Broadway cast of The Color Purple.

If you're interested in a Hollywood Smile please contact Dr. Henry through email or by phone at the links provided.

Welcome

2007-10-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dr. Joseph Henry's blog. This forum will be updated with the latest news not only here at the Orange Center for Cosmetic Dentistry but with relevant topics across the country.

For more information about the Orange Center for Cosmetic Dentistry please view the following pages:

Stay tuned for weekly updates.