One of the best things about dental implants is that they function like your own teeth. But like your natural teeth, they require consistent, basic care – brushing, flossing, regular cleanings and visits to the dentist. There are also a few other things you must keep in mind after you get your implant(s).

A dental implant needs to integrate into the bone to be effective; if this does not happen, inflammation and other complications can occur. To ensure that your dental implant is healthy and long-lasting, there are several other important things you can do:

• Live a healthy lifestyle
• Eat a healthy diet
• Most importantly: don’t smoke! Smoking increases the risk of implant failure because it decreases blood flow to the tissue in your mouth and can increase the risk of infection.

As long as you understand how to care for your implant, it’s quite easy. Your Beverly Hills implant dentist will give you thorough instructions so that you can do your part to ensure that your procedure is a success and keep your beautiful new teeth healthy.

The Australian government recently banned excessively-skinny fashion models (read all about it here). I find it interesting that the Land Down Under points the finger at photo-editing programs like Adobe Photoshop and how they have “retouched” our concepts of beauty.

It’s true that in Photoshop, anything can be added, removed or redone, resulting in bodies that skew our perceptions of “normal.” But are the images to blame, or are we creating these images based on a deeper and more ingrained sense of beauty? Should the images we see in advertising be taken literally?

Responsibilities of Image-Makers

In the U.S., since we don’t have a law like this, it’s still an “anything goes” world when it comes to retouching images in the media. And there’s no doubt that images of “perfect” bodies and “perfect” faces can easily cause anxiety and impact the self esteem of teens and adults alike. Does the media have an obligation to be more “real”? I’ll admit this isn’t my area of expertise, so I’d love to hear from you on this issue.

Responsibilities of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons

I have a little more to say when it comes to how cosmetic and plastic surgeons should be advising their patients in light of some of the unrealistic expectations out there today. Like pretty much all Sacramento plastic surgeons, I encourage patients to seek natural-looking results with cosmetic surgery rather than the type of “perfection” magazines offer.

With just a few clicks of the mouse in Photoshop, eyes become brighter, lips become fuller, and waistlines become slimmer. Such easy and painless revision isn’t possible in the real world. Some imperfection or slight variation is inevitable following a cosmetic surgery procedure, so trying to live up to media portrayals of beauty is a no-win situation. Having a healthy understanding of and respect for what cosmetic surgery can do is the way to go.

Women and men with legitimate cosmetic concerns can benefit greatly from plastic surgery procedures. I see it every day. If there’s something about the way you look that you don’t quite like, I encourage you to think about the reasons why, doing your homework and exploring some “before and after” photos of real patients to see if the results you can achieve are really the result you want.

A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) can be a great way to transform your midsection. It can remove excess fat and skin while tightening muscles of the abdominal wall. Often as part of a tummy tuck, the belly button is relocated or recreated. This part of the procedure is called an umbilicoplasty, and in a few cases, it may be performed even without a tummy tuck.

Umbilicoplasty Fast Facts

• Some people are self-conscious about the appearance of their navel. Whether you have an outie (a belly button that protrudes out) or an innie (one that does not protrude), an umbilicoplasty can help you achieve a more appealing belly button.
• An umbilicoplasty is designed to reshape the navel to create a more desirable appearance. The shape of your belly button is determined from birth, but the shape can change over time due to factors such as pregnancy, weight fluctuations, or a hernia.
• Changing an “outie” to an “innie” is not the only reason for umbilicoplasty. Some patients would like to make a horizontal navel more vertical, or even into a T-shape, where the belly button has a slight overhang of skin.

Would you consider an umbilicoplasty to improve the look of your midsection, even if you didn’t want to have a tummy tuck? I think there are good reasons why this isn’t a popular procedure on its own, but tell me what you think – share your thoughts below.

There are many ways to improve the appearance of teeth, lips, and gums. While many of these procedures are highly effective and may be the best treatment option under certain circumstances, they also can require anesthesia, discomfort, and significant downtime. Not so with veneers – for a specific group of patients, veneers can provide significant cosmetic improvement without some of the drawbacks associated with other dental procedures.

When to Choose Veneers

Veneers improve the appearance of existing teeth. They are a good option for men or women bothered by chipped teeth, irregularly shaped teeth, or gaps between their teeth. If this sounds like you, I encourage you to meet with a cosmetic dentist and find out if veneers can accomplish your goals.

If you have missing teeth, you may want to consider dental bridges or dental implants in Beverly Hills. Even if you need dental implants, you may also be a candidate for veneers on some of your teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist will be able to address a variety of complex dental issues, combining treatment techniques to achieve comprehensive improvement.

Getting Veneers

Getting your veneers is relatively simple, although several office visits are required.

• Your first visit: Outer tooth enamel will be roughened so that it is better suited for bonding. Impressions will be taken of your teeth so that a dental lab can create your veneers.
• Your second visit: When your veneers are ready, you will visit your dentist or periodontist to try them on and make sure they fit properly and are the right size and color.
• Additional visits: You should be happy with your new smile, so it’s important to “get it right” with your veneers. Don’t hesitate to ask for additional shaping of your veneers, even if it means you have to schedule another appointment.

As you can see, veneers are a great option for certain improvements. Beautiful teeth are an essential component of any healthy and vibrant smile.

Abdominoplasty, often referred to as a tummy tuck, is popular among my Columbus, Ohio patients (as well as men and women throughout the United States). Many of my patients choose this procedure because they want a smoother and flatter stomach, one that will be proportional to the rest of their body. A tummy tuck removes excess abdominal fat and skin and tightens abdominal muscles.

Most people understand these basic facts about abdominoplasty; what they may not realize is that, especially when receiving a full tummy tuck, the position of the belly button may need to be changed.

During a full tummy tuck:

1. An incision is made from hip to hip, above the pubic area.
2. Another incision is made to free the navel of surrounding skin.
3. The skin is detached from the abdominal wall, and muscles are restructured.
4. Excess skin and fat are removed.
5. The old belly button stalk is brought out through a new hole.
6. Liposuction may be used to refine specific areas.

It should be noted that this does not need to happen in all cases. A skilled plastic surgeon will personalize the tummy tuck procedure for each patient, so each surgery is slightly different. If you’re considering a tummy tuck, meet with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon to learn more about how the procedure would affect the position of your belly button.

When deciding on an elective plastic surgery procedure, post-operative pain is one of the biggest concerns for my Peoria breast enlargement, face lift, tummy tuck and other patients. It can be hard to decide on improving your appearance when some level of discomfort is going to be involved. Thankfully, less invasive techniques continue to be introduced and recovery methods continue to improve, making cosmetic surgery much more comfortable than it was even a decade ago.

It’s important that following a procedure pain and nausea be kept at an absolute minimum. That’s why more and more cosmetic surgery centers, including my own in Bloomington and Peoria, Illinois cosmetic surgery practice, are offering advanced multimodal therapy for pain management.

Instead of using one method of pain management, we deploy several methods at different times to enhance total patient comfort. For instance, we can coordinate the use of pain pumps with local anesthesia, injections at the time of surgery and a number of oral medications to target different pain centers.

Instead of using one across-the-board method of pain relief which may actually increase recovery time, my practice uses more controlled methods of pain management that more precisely target and minimize discomfort. As a plastic surgeon, my goal has always been to look after the well-being of my patients, and as more doctors develop better pain management techniques, cosmetic surgery will become a better experience for many patients.

I get asked this question many times during surgical consultations. The short answer is “No.” During a routine tummy tuck procedure, the abdominal muscles are tightened, but this is more like mending the muscle rather than strengthening it. You will have a tighter and flatter stomach after the procedure, but the muscles will not be any stronger.

However, many patients find that increasing their abdominal muscle tone and strength is easier following a tummy tuck. The tighter abdominal muscles will respond better to exercises like crunches or sit-ups than they would have before surgery. As a result, if you’re trying to whip yourself into shape, but are left with excess skin and stubborn fatty deposits on your stomach, having a tummy tuck might be a good choice to help you get closer to those strong and well-defined abs.

In general, I recommend that my patients wait a few weeks after I perform their tummy tucks in Sacramento before they can begin doing abdominal exercise. But after this healing period, most patients will be free to do as many crunches and sit-ups as they want.

As a facial plastic surgeon in Washington DC, I often see patients who have concerns about keeping their skin youthful and wrinkle-free. While I offer many methods to reduce wrinkles, surgery can be expensive, and non-surgical rejuvenation methods often require multiple visits. Consistent skin care throughout your lifetime is the simplest way to fight off those early signs of aging and even protect the results of facial surgery. Here, I’m continuing my previous post of tips for preventing wrinkles with sunscreen.

Waterproof Still Needs To Be Reapplied

Waterproof and water-resistant sunscreens can still break down under UV light and need to be reapplied. Generally, water-resistant sunscreen protects for 40 minutes and waterproof protects for up to 80 minutes. But, when in doubt, reapply.

Insect Repellents Reduce Sunscreen’s SPF

Some experts believe that wearing insect repellent actually lowers the SPF of sunscreen, so if you’re out in the sun and there are bugs, it’s a safe bet to wear a higher SPF sunscreen and reapply more often. Also, the combination of the two products can also be more effective if you apply the sunscreen first.

The Right Sunscreen For Your Skin

Sunscreen, and especially sunblock, can be a little messy at times and can make your skin greasy or cause acne. If you’re concerned about the negative effects sunscreen and sunblock might have, try choosing a type of sunscreen that is more suited to your skin type. If you have:

• Dry skin: choose a sunscreen that is a cream or lotion to moisturize your skin.
• Oily skin: choose a sunscreen that is oil free.
• Eczenma or rosacea skin: avoid alcohol-based sunscreen since the alcohol can dry your skin and worsen skin conditions.
• Sensitive Skin: choose a sunblock with only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide which reflect the sun rather than absorb UV, making it gentler on your skin.

Wear it Daily—Sun or No Sun

You may have heard that it’s best to wear sunscreen even if the sun isn’t out—and it’s true. UV rays can still harm your skin even with consistent cloud-cover. The best way to protect your skin and to prevent wrinkles is to wear sunscreen daily – which really isn’t as hard as it sounds.

Many facial moisturizers have at least SPF 15, but remember from my previous post, SPF 15 still blocks out 92% of UV rays—a very significant amount. Additionally, non-greasy, easy-to-apply sunscreen for your body is available from skin care companies like Neutrogena or SkinCeuticals. Meeting with your facial plastic surgeon, dermatologist, or family physician is a great way to find the right sunscreen for you.

By following these simple tips, you not only diminish your chances of having UV-related wrinkles, you also reduce your risk of getting skin cancer, age spots, and other skin conditions. Consistent use can also greatly increase the effectiveness of sunscreen and help keep your skin looking young and healthy.

Once physicians graduate for medical school and their specialty training, and they receive their medical licenses, they are permitted to perform surgery, along with many of the other activities expected of doctors. But don’t for a second think that a doctor fresh out of medical school is ready to deliver a fantastic cosmetic surgery result. There’s a lot more training that any doctor will need on his or her way to becoming a truly great surgeon.

As an experienced surgeon specializing in cosmetic plastic surgery such as liposuction near Salt Lake City, I can tell you that the additional training I received after medical school was invaluable in helping me develop and refine my techniques. In the area of plastic surgery, it is common for doctors to pursue several additional training opportunities before entering private practice:

• Internship: Typically lasting 1 year right after medical school, the internship helps a doctor begin to put the concepts and theories learned in school into practice in the real world.
• Residency: This post-graduate training lasts several years and generally takes place in a “teaching hospital” in which the surgical resident receives guidance from several more senior doctors.
• Fellowship: After completing a residency, a physician may apply for additional focused training in a particular area or sub-specialty of surgery.

Some surgeons receive “on the job” training as well. For instance, you may have heard about the military offering free plastic surgery for soldiers. This program isn’t meant to subsidize the men and women who have joined the armed forces, but instead offers younger physicians additional surgical training to prepare them for the battlefield.

Choosing a highly qualified surgeon is one of the most important things you can do to ensure excellent results, regardless of the type of surgery you will have. Pay attention to a surgeon’s training and feel free to ask questions. Always remember to find out if your surgeon is board certified.

As a Champaign plastic surgeon who performs otoplasty, or ear surgery, I’m often asked about the safety of the procedure, especially as it relates to small children. It’s an important question, because protruding ears can be extremely challenging for children, and this procedure can provide much-needed relief.

Why Otoplasty?

In social settings, children with protruding ears can sometimes be psychologically affected by their peers’ teasing, frequently causing insecurity or a poor self-image that may carry into their later lives. This makes otoplasty an attractive option for children and for the parents who love them and want to spare them unnecessary emotional trauma, but the thought of the risks of surgery may turn some concerned parents away. The good news is that otoplasty can be performed fairly early in a child’s life with very few risks.

When Is It Safe?

Otoplasty is most commonly performed on children who are anywhere from age 4 to 14. A child who is 4 may seem a little young for surgery, but children’s ears are fairly close to their adult size between the ages of 4 and 6, so there is very little risk of the results being compromised by dramatic growth.

With that said, otoplasty is not just safe for children, it is actually preferably completed during childhood. There are the obvious psychological benefits of limiting the years that children will be teased for their protruding ears. It’s also preferable to perform the surgery at a young age because the cartilage in a child’s ears is much more pliable than that of an adult’s, making the procedure easier to perform.

The Procedure

Otoplasty can be safely performed under general anesthesia. Children can return to their daily activities in about a week, but should avoid strenuous exercise and contact sports (essentially any activity that could potentially hurt the ears). Parents need to be vigilant and pay extra attention while their children play in the weeks following surgery.