In Hollywood, image is everything, which is why cosmetic corrections are so common among celebrities.
And sometimes the work is so good, you don’t even notice it. More famous folks than you realize have been transformed through the miracle of modern dentistry. Just ask any dentist near Manahawkin.
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman at the Oxford Union, Oxford, Britain – 11 Nov 2014
(Rex Features via AP Images)
From household names to cult favorites, mega stars to up and comers, these are some of the famous faces who have benefited from cosmetic dental work:
- Morgan Freeman – Morgan Freeman is one of the best known voices in Hollywood, but at one time this now legendary actor may have been hindered by his crooked teeth. He had extensive work done earlier in his career to fix those issues, resulting in the winning smile he has today.
- Miley Cyrus – This popular singer and former actress didn’t get extensive work done on her teeth, but the work she did get done had a dramatic effect on her appearance. All she had was a simple straightening and teeth whitening, but that alone transformed her from an awkward teen to the provocative star she is today.
- Gary Busey – One of the quirkiest guys in Hollywood, Busey was in a motorcycle accident in 1988. The crash left his already unique teeth a wreck. Busey was able to recover from the accident and retain his distinctive look thanks to the hard work of his talented cosmetic surgeon.
- Tom Cruise – One of the most famous names in movies history became a screen icon in part thanks to cosmetic dental work. Cruise’s teeth were in bad shape in his early career – just look at The Outsiders! Since then, he has undergone several procedures, including re-alignment, teeth whitening, and maybe dental implants. That’s what has given him the billion dollar smile he has today.
- Ed Helms – You may recognize him as the toothless guy from The Hangover, but Helms’ missing tooth was not special effects or makeup. In reality, he has had dental implants for over 20 years. For the film, he had his implant temporarily removed in order to appear toothless!
- James Cosmo – You’ve seen his gritty face in blockbusters like Braveheart and The Chronicles of Narnia, though these days he’s best known as Jeor Mormont from Game of Thrones. James Cosmo once wore dentures thanks to damage stemming from an auto accident, but he later opted to switch to dental implants after finding out about their benefits. They have made a world of difference, too.
None of this is or should be a source of shame for these famed performers. Quite the opposite, actually. We are fans of these actors in no small part because of how they look on screen. Regular, non-famous people seek out dental implants and cosmetic procedures for the same reasons the famous do – for the confidence, pride and self-esteem that comes with looking and feeling your best.
As dentists in Southern Ocean County, we see teeth of all shapes and sizes and configurations. The stuff we deal with, however, is pretty tame compared to the wild world of animal teeth. Consider these amazing facts:
Elephants – Elephants get a new set of teeth every 10 years so, with up to six to ten sets coming in over the course of their lifetime. Losing their teeth can be an Earth-shaking experience, too, because elephant molars can weigh up to ten pounds each! No wonder elephants don’t chew their food, they grind it. If you count their tusks, elephants also have the longest teeth in the world. They can weigh up to 400 pounds!
Snails – Snails are small and gross, but from a teeth perspective they are pretty amazing. They can have upwards of 25,000 teeth – and they’re located on their tongue!
Dogs – Your dog may chew on anything and everything put in front of her, but chances are she’ll get less cavities than you do. Dogs are much less prone to cavities than humans are because their saliva has an extremely high pH level.
Sharks – Sharks lose their teeth on a regular basis, often on a weekly basis, but they are replaced quickly by row after row of fearsome teeth that are constantly growing in behind the main set.
Crocodiles – Just like sharks, crocs lose their teeth often, but when any of their 60 teeth come out, another quickly grows in its place. Over the course of their lifetime a crocodile may end up having thousands of teeth. Another fun fact: crocs keep a clean mouth thanks to the help of small birds called Crocodile Birds that fly in and clean their teeth for then. We’re glad the birds do it, because no sane New Jersey dentist would stick their head in a crocodile’s mouth!
Dolphins – Dolphins may not resemble trees, but they do in one weird way: you can tell a dolphin’s age by counting the rings on its teeth.
Armadillos – These funny looking little creatures have 104 teeth – quite a lot for little guys. Not so funny is that armadillos are known to carry leprosy, the only animal other than humans known to be able to carry it.
Hippos – It may look like they only have four teeth when they open their mouth, but in fact hippos have about 40 teeth. You don’t see them because most of them are located well to the back of their mouth. (It’s also worth noting that they may look cute and docile, but hippos are actually highly dangerous, killing more people in Africa each year than any other animal.)
Rats – If you’ve ever had a pet rat, you know they like to gnaw on things. It’s not just a habit for them, either. They need to gnaw. Rat teeth never stop growing, so gnawing helps keep their teeth at a reasonable size. The same holds true for hamsters, gophers, beavers and mice.
Blue Whales – They are the largest creatures ever to have lived, having reached upwards of 110 feet long and the largest recorded weighing an astounding 190 tons. But they don’t have any teeth.
Giraffes – They’re much taller than you are, but their mouths are similar to yours in one way: giraffes have 32 teeth, just like you do. Still, we don’t think any Ocean County dentists are tall enough to treat a giraffe!
Can you think of any others? If so, feel free to comment on our Facebook. Maybe we can use them in a future column!
Look, we get it. A lot of people just don’t like to floss. In fact, up to half of all Americans don’t floss as often as they should.
But since flossing helps protect you from oral infections, bad breath, gum disease and more, this is really not a good thing!
Take a look at these 10 things you may not know about flossing and perhaps you’ll change your mind about this all-important hygiene habit.
- Some dentists in Southern Ocean County recommend flossing before you brush, not after, to help the fluoride from your toothpaste get between your teeth. However, this advice is not universal. There remains debate over whether or not this actually has any impact. Most dentists agree, though, that the most important thing is that you floss in the first place.
- If your gums bleed when you floss, you may be flossing improperly or at irregular intervals. Flossing on a regular basis with a good technique is essential.
- If you are not using clean floss for each tooth, you risk transferring bacteria around your mouth!
- Floss comes in flavors. You can find all the expected stuff – mint flavors, fruit flavors – and even bacon!
- If you have bridgework or wider spaces between your teeth, it may be best to use wide floss, also known as dental tape. This will give better coverage and ensure they remain cleaner and healthier.
- If you have closely spaced teeth, consider using waxed floss. This can be easier to slide between your teeth.
- Listen for the squeaking sound. You can hear when unwaxed floss is moving against clean teeth. This tells you that plaque has been removed.
- According to the American Dental Association, only about 50% of Americans floss daily, and 18% don’t floss at ALL.
- 27 percent of people LIE about how often they floss!
- If using floss feels weird to you, ask your Barnegat dental hygienist about other options. There are products that can provide the same sort of cleaning, including rubber-tips cleaners, pre-threaded flossers, tiny brushes, and more.
If you want to learn more about the importance of flossing, good flossing techniques, and how we can help, reach out to us at 609-698-1155 to set up an appointment with our hygienist, or contact us on Facebook.
To our patients:
Our community has been through a lot over the last year, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice as you have seen during your prior visits to our office. Our infection control protocol was designed so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to inform you about the procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows the recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the recommendations of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.
We are grateful that many of our patients and staff have received one or both Covid vaccines. While we understand that your risk for infection is very low, CDC guidelines still recommend commitment to safety protocols. This includes social distancing, facial coverings and our pre-visit questionnaire. Although rare, vaccinated persons can still transmit the virus and even become infected with Covid.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
- In order to best serve you, we must personally speak with you 24-48 hours prior to your appointment. Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you arrive at the office.
- Please wear a mask to our office. We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed. Please refrain from bringing companions if possible.
- You may see that our reception area will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. Please call our front desk at 609-698-1155 as soon as you arrive in our parking lotand we will let you know when to proceed to our front door, this will help us minimize your contact with other patients.
- We appreciate your cooperation in helping us protect you and our staff as we go through this global emergency together.
We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to seeing you again. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we are taking to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice.
Sincerely,
Doctors Wright, Ohman, Patterson, Stangl and the staff at Bayside Dentistry