My Blog

INVISALIGN DAY 2012

04/23/2012 11:24:00

INVISLAIGN DAY 2012

ONE DAY ONLY special pricing

$3500*

JUNE 21st 2012 space is limited

call today for free consult 813-854-1933

Financing available!!!!

* does not include retainers, extraction or classIII patients

Westchase Patch Blog!!

07/20/2011 10:20:00

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to let you all know I've started blogging for westchase.patch.com it is a super cool website for everything westchase, this is copy of my first post. Enjoy!!

Hi Westchase! My name is Dr. Nicholas P. Bell DDS, I am a general dentist and owner of Westchase Smiles here in Westchase. Welcome to my Westchase Patch Dental Blog, consisting mainly of dental related information for the everyday ham & egg-er. I'll be talking about everything from Xylitol gum, to how straight teeth can help fight heart disease. I know I've been in a dental pinch before, maybe out of toothpaste or in a strange place where the comforts of home are not readily available, and I'll be giving some words of wisdom on how to get through those sticky situations. A little background on me... I've lived in Florida nearly my whole life. I grew in Palm Harbor and attended Palm Harbor University High School where i was in the medical magnet program. Upon graduation, I was one of 20 students selected to attend the University of Missouri, Kansas City's six year combined BA/DDS program where I received a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Doctor of Dental Surgery. I currently live here in Westchase with my wife, baby girl (14 months!) and step-son. We are avid members of the community and founders of the 5013c Charity Dentists for Autism Awareness. I hope to see you around the neighborhood and that you learn something new about dental health or just life in general from my Patch blog. Nicholas P. Bell DDS, PA www.westchasesmiles.com

One day only Invisalign Special Event

06/09/2011 15:07:00

June 23rd

One day only Invisalign special event

All Qualifying Invisalign cases started on this day will be $3000

*Does not include retainers at completion of treatment

Financing available

Dental Implants

03/14/2011 12:20:00

Dental Implants: Replacement Teeth That Look and Feel Like Your Own

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that a periodontist or oral surgeon places into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.

While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.

Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth.You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures don't feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence, there is good news!

Dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions, such as placement by a periodontist and diligent patient maintenance, implants can last a lifetime. Long-term studies continue to show improving success rates for implants.

What Dental Implants Can Do?

Replace one or more teeth without affecting bordering teeth.
Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.
Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable.

Types of Implants in Use Today

Endosteal (in the bone): This is the most commonly used type of implant. The various types include screws, cylinders or blades surgically placed into the jawbone. Each implant holds one or more prosthetic teeth. This type of implant is generally used as an alternative for patients with bridges or removable dentures.
Subperiosteal (on the bone): These are placed on top of the jaw with the metal framework's posts protruding through the gum to hold the prosthesis. These types of implants are used for patients who are unable to wear conventional dentures and who have minimal bone height.

Before dental implant

After dental implant

Advantages of Dental Implants Over Dentures

Every way you look at it, dental implants are a better solution to the problem of missing teeth.

Esthetic Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth! Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and dentures. No one will ever know that you have a replacement tooth.
Tooth-saving Dental implants don't sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched, a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!
Confidence Dental implants will allow you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They are secure and offer freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They'll allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.
Reliable The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. They are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement.

Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?

The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease.

Dental implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying bone in the mouth. Since periodontists are the dental experts who specialize in precisely these areas, they are ideal members of your dental implant team. Not only do periodontists have experience working with other dental professionals, they also have the special knowledge, training and facilities that you need to have teeth that look and feel just like your own. Your dentist and periodontist will work together to make your dreams come true.

What Is Treatment Like?

This procedure is a team effort between you, your dentist and your periodontist. Your periodontist and dentist will consult with you to determine where and how your implant should be placed. Depending on your specific condition and the type of implant chosen, your periodontist will create a treatment plan tailored to meet your needs. Click for more information about the treatment options described below.

Replacing a Single Tooth If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.
Replacing Several Teeth If you are missing several teeth, implant-supported bridges can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.
Replacing All of Your Teeth If you are missing all of your teeth, an implant-supported full bridge or full denture can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.
Sinus Augmentation A key to implant success is the quantity and quality of the bone where the implant is to be placed. The upper back jaw has traditionally been one of the most difficult areas to successfully place dental implants due to insufficient bone quantity and quality and the close proximity to the sinus. Sinus augmentation can help correct this problem by raising the sinus floor and developing bone for the placement of dental implants.
Ridge Modification Deformities in the upper or lower jaw can leave you with inadequate bone in which to place dental implants. To correct the problem, the gum is lifted away from the ridge to expose the bony defect. The defect is then filled with bone or bone substitute to build up the ridge. Ridge modification has been shown to greatly improve appearance and increase your chances for successful implants that can last for years to come.

What Can I Expect After Treatment?

As you know, your own teeth require conscientious at-home oral care and regular dental visits. Dental implants are like your own teeth and will require the same care. In order to keep your implant clean and plaque-free, brushing and flossing still apply!

After treatment, your periodontist will work closely with you and your dentist to develop the best care plan for you. Periodic follow-up visits will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy.

*From www.Perio.org and the AAP

Under Armour Performance mouthguards

02/02/2011 11:29:00

UNDER ARMOUR’S JAW-DROPPING TECHNOLOGY NOW AVAILABLE

TO TAMPA ATHLETES

Visiting the dentist’s office has long been proven to improve a person’s overall health and prevent future dental issues. With the introduction of Under Armour Performance Mouthwear™, visitingWestchase Smiles and Dr. Nicholas Bell DDS

, can improve an athlete’s strength, endurance and reaction time and reduce athletic stress.

As an authorized provider of Under Armour Performance Mouthwear™,Westchase Smiles and Dr. Nicholas Bell DDS

have begun fitting Tampa area athletes with Under Armour’s innovative new line of custom mouthpieces and mouthguards designed to improve athletic performance.

, patented mouthwear technology developed by Bite Tech, Inc., Under Armour Performance Mouthwear™ relieves pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and prevents the excessive production of performance-sapping hormones.

As an authorized dental provider,Westchase Smiles and Dr. Nicholas Bell DDS

are able to equip Tampa area athletes with the same technology used by hundreds of professional, Olympic and collegiate athletes. The easy and completely painless custom-fitting process typically takes less than 20 minutes.Westchase Smiles and Dr. Nicholas Bell DDS

will offer both the UA Performance Mouthpiece for non-contact sports, such as baseball, golf, tennis, cycling and running and the UA Performance Mouthguard, which provides superior protection and comfort for contact sports, such as football, hockey, lacrosse, martial arts and wrestling. A premium alloy version of the mouthpiece will be added to the UA Performance Mouthwear product line up in the near future.

For more info check out our under armour website atwww.underarmourdental.com

Dental Benefits of Xylitol

01/05/2011 10:16:00

The Xylitol difference for teeth

Tooth decay happens when bacteria in your mouth consume the sugars we eat. When you eat food containing ordinary sugar (sucrose), it gives bacteria on your teeth energy, allowing them to multiply and start making acids that can eat away the enamel on the teeth. This "acid attack" causes tooth decay and cavities to begin to form.

Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from the fibrous parts of plants. It does not break down like sugar and can help keep a neutral pH level in the mouth. Xylitol also prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth. This is how it protects the teeth from tooth decay. With Xylitol, the acid attack that would otherwise last for over half an hour is stopped. Most people are not aware of this benefit because such a claim makes xylitol into a drug, crossing a boundary not allowed by the Food and Drug Administration.

Less bacteria, less acid – healthier teeth!

Because the bacteria in the mouth that are causing cavities are unable to digest xylitol, their growth is greatly reduced. The number of acid-producing bacteria may fall as much as 90%. No acid is formed because the pH of saliva and plaque does not fall. After taking xylitol, the bacteria do not stick well on the surface of the teeth and as a result, the amount of plaque decreases.

Repairing damaged enamel Research has shown that the use of xylitol also helps repair damage to the enamel. Saliva in itself protects the mouth and teeth. Stimulated saliva in particular contains all the components needed to repair early cavities. If sugar is only taken a couple of times a day, the saliva can do the job alone. But most people take sugar so often that the mouth's own defensive tools are not enough. Saliva that has xylitol is more alkaline than saliva stimulated by other sugar products. After taking xylitol products, the concentration of basic amino acids and ammonia in saliva and plaque may rise, and plaque pH rises as well. When pH is above 7, calcium and phosphate salts in saliva start to move into those parts of enamel that are weak. Therefore, soft, calcium-deficient enamel sites begin to harden again.

While reversing a rising trend of negative health and high health-care costs won't happen overnight, improving your own health can begin sooner than later, and xylitol can have a significant influence on that trend.

information from www.xylitol.org

Dental lasers and You

12/01/2010 09:51:00

Dr. Bell has a class 1 laser certification to use dental soft tissue lasers in his westchase florida office. Dr. Bell has chosen the AMD lasers picasso as his laser of choice. It has won many awards including Dental product Shopper "Best Product" 2010 and many more.

Why Dental lasers are a benefit to you:

Laser Dentistry has rapidly emerged with a new level of quality care for patients. Features like the ability to perform more procedures in less time without sacrificing patient care and comfort are an added advantage. A wide range of dental practice specialties and their patients benefit from laser treatment. For instance, lasers can be used around metal crowns, on patients with pacemakers and braces, on teeth with metal amalgams, and in procedures involving bone structure all with few negative effects. Patients report that laser treatments are much gentler than those administered with an electrosurge and result in little or no recession, swelling, less necrosis, and a quicker post-op healing process. Additionally, laser surgery is substantially less invasive therefore generates less bleeding during the procedure. Lasers are predictable, precise and produce a reduction in the need for suturing.

Procedures a dental laser can be used for:

INDICATIONS OF USE

Laser Periodontal

Laser soft tissue curettage
Laser removal of diseased, infected, inflamed, and necrosed soft tissue within the periodontal pocket
Removal of highly inflamed edematous tissue affected by bacteria penetration of the pocket lining and junctional epithelium
Sulcular debridement (removal of diseased or inflamed soft tissue in the periodontal pocket to improve clinical indices including: gingival index, gingival bleeding index, probe depth, attachment loss and tooth mobility)

Laser Aesthetics & Surgery

Exposure of unerupted teeth
Fibroma removal
Frenectomy and frenotomy
Gingival troughing for crown impressions
Gingivectomy & Gingivoplasty
Gingival incision and excision
Hemostasis and coagulation
Implant recovery
Incision and drainage of abscess
Leukoplakia
Operculectomy
Oral papillectomies
Reduction of gingival hypertrophy
Soft Tissue crown lengthening
Treatment of canker sores, herpetic and aphthous ulcers of the oral mucosa
Vestibuloplasty

Laser Teeth Whitening

Laser associated whitening of teeth
Light activation for bleaching materials for teeth whitening

Gum disease linked to heart disease

11/17/2010 14:27:00

Study Confirms Periodontal Disease Linked to Heart Disease

Data Reveals Diseased Gums Pump High Levels of Harmful Bacterial Components Into Bloodstream

CHICAGO – February 7, 2002 – A study in the Journal of Periodontology confirms findings that people with are at a greater risk of systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Researchers found diseased gums released significantly higher levels of bacterial pro-inflammatory components, such as endotoxins, into the bloodstream in patients with severe periodontal disease compared to healthy patients. As a result, these harmful bacterial components in the blood could travel to other organs in the body, such as the heart, and cause harm.

The study is in line with recent findings by the University of Buffalo where researchers suggest periodontal disease may cause oral bacterial components to enter the bloodstream and trigger the liver to make C-reactive proteins, which are a predictor for increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

"We found the mouth can be a major source of chronic or permanent release of toxic bacterial components in the bloodstream during normal oral functions," said Dr. E.H. Rompen, director of the study. "This could be the missing link explaining the abnormally high blood levels of some inflammatory markers or endotoxemia observed in patients with periodontal disease."

Researchers studied 67 patients of whom 42 were diagnosed with moderate to severe periodontitis and the remaining were healthy individuals who had never received periodontal treatment. Blood samples were taken before and after patients lightly chewed chewing gum on each side of their jaw. Researchers found the number of patients with endotoxemia rose from six percent before chewing to after chewing. Additionally, those with severe periodontal disease had approximately four times more harmful bacterial products in their blood than those with moderate or no periodontal disease.

"While this clinical study supports earlier findings, there is still much research to be done to understand the link between periodontal disease and systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular, and difficult-to-control diabetes," said president of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). "This data clearly stresses the importance of regular dental checkups to ensure a healthy, diseased-free mouth."

Periodontal diseases are serious bacterial infections that destroy the attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold your teeth in your mouth. When this happens, gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets that fill with plaque and even more infection. As the disease progresses, these pockets deepen even further, more gum tissue and bone are destroyed and the teeth eventually become loose. Approximately of adults between old and of adults have the disease.

* EDITOR'S NOTE: Representatives of the media may contact the AAP Public Affairs Department to receive a copy of the study Systemic Release of Endotoxins Induced by Gentle Mastication: Association with Periodontitis Severity. Abstracts of Journal of Periodontology articles are available to the public online. Full-text of studies may be accessed by AAP members and Journal subscribers or purchased online.

Free 8G i-pod touch

11/03/2010 10:59:00

Free 8GB I-pod touch with Invisalign!

New this week get a free 8Gb ipod touch with invisalign*

Get the smile you deserve and the confidence you lack, all while getting a sweet gift for you or friends and family.

stop by or call 813-854-1933 for a Free consultation

No Interest Financing available!!

Dr. Bell is a certified Invisalign preferred Provider.

*some restrictions may apply

Straight Teeth = Healthy Mouth

10/27/2010 11:14:00

Did you know that 80% of americans have some form of periodontal (gum) disease!

periodontal disease has been linked to many other diseases as a contributing factor including:

Diabetes

Heart Disease

Low birth weight babies

Stroke

and many more. Crowded teeth can lead to difficulty cleaning teeth which then leads a risk of increased plaque and bacteria build-up. This build up can lead to Periodontal Issues and Heart disease which can lead to Gum tissue recession. This loss of healthy gum tissue increases the potential of bone loss & tooth mobility or even loss of teeth which all equal an unhealthy mouth.

Invisalign can help!!

Stop by or call today to make an appt. for a free consultation to discuss your dental desires and concerns!!

813-854-1933

Dr. Bell