Smile wide and often! From New Image Dentistry

Dr. Blourchian has some good news to report today! People with big, happy smiles may actually out-live those who don’t, according to a March 2010 study conducted at Michigan's Wayne State University.

Dr. Blourchian knew that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers at the university did something quite interesting: they used information from the Baseball Register to look at photos of 230 players who began their baseball careers prior to 1950 and studied their smile intensity (wide smile, no smile or partial smile). The players' smile ratings were then compared with data from deaths that occurred from 2006 through last year.

The researchers then took into account other factors associated with longevity, such as body mass index, or BMI, career length and college attendance. They found that players who weren't smiling died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. Those with big smiles, however, lived on average to be 79.9 years old!

The take-away from the new study? Smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you tried perfecting your smile by visiting Dr. Blourchian and New Image Dentistry lately? If not, give us a call today!

Ask Dr. Blourchian: what's the best advice you ever received?

There are two pieces of advice that have shaped my decision-making in dentistry and life. The first one is "WIDIOM" rule, short for "Would I Do it on Me," which sometimes clarifies sometimes complex treatment decisions in dentistry.

The next one would be the one rule I learned from my all time favorite book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey. It is by far the most helpful book I have ever read. That rule is called "Universal Laws." It simply states that there are invisible, but easy to discover and understand laws that govern our world. They are as real and as inescapable as the laws of gravity. They govern our lives, have been there from the very beginning of time, and will be there until the end of time. We can not break these laws, we can only break ourselves against these laws.

The only sure way to achieve happiness, satisfaction and peace of mind in life is to obey these laws as we obey the law of gravity for example. We all know them: Honesty, Integrity, Fidelity, Hard Work, etc. This book and this particular law have verified and confirmed my previously vague feelings. Steven Covey has been a tremendous influence on my life, my family and my business. I highly recommend his book to everyone.

Your turn! From New Image Dentistry

Week after week, Dr. Blourchian and our staff at New Image Dentistry blog about important topics pertinent to dental care. This week, we thought we’d step back and ask: what’s on your mind? What would you like to know about the field of dentistry? What would you like us to focus on our blog? Let us know by posting here or on our Facebook fan page!

So… take it away and we’ll try to answer any questions you may have!

Five helpful tips to avoid plaque, from Dr. Allen Blourchian

Dr. Blourchian knows Nobody likes getting plaque on their teeth. Here are five other ways you can avoid that dreaded enemy of the teeth, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Let’s start with not brushing regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste is vital to a healthy mouth. Make sure you softly brush all the surfaces of your teeth.

Next on the list is not flossing daily: a simple daily flossing between teeth clears away plaque before it can cause damage and can also clean plaque at the gum line. Plaque is known to reach the spaces between teeth.

Also, evading a trip to visit Dr. Blourchian is probably not a great idea. Let’s say you brush and floss daily. You’re still at risk for plaque. With time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. Consider visiting your dentist at least twice a year, and you have a lower chance of getting cavities or losing your teeth.

You’ll also want to stop avoiding those fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, there are foods out there that play a key role in keeping plaque off our teeth. They include apples, carrots, cucumbers and other raw fruits and vegetables. You can still eat these types of fruits and veggies if you have braces, but be sure to cut them up into bite sized pieces to avoid breaking off brackets.

Finally, before you pick that candy up, remember to not give in to your sweet tooth. Consuming sugary drinks or eating candy or other junk food allows sugar to stick to our teeth. The bacteria, then, becomes plaque, which turns into acid and damages our teeth. Avoiding these five bad habits keeps your plaque in check and your mouth as healthy as can be. If you have any questions, please give Dr. Blourchian and team a call at (615) 591-4490.

At New Image Dentistry, a pursuit of excellence

At New Image Dentistry, Dr. Allen Blourchian and team make every effort to provide you with the best dental treatment possible. For us that means achieving consistently great results. There are many things that help Dr. Blourchian do that. Some of them are:

1. Using the most up to date and proven cosmetic dental technologies available
2. Spending time and resources on continuing education to stay current and relevant
3. Training our entire team on new dental techniques
4. Educating our patients about the pursuit of excellence

If you or a family member has been thinking about cosmetic dental treatment, please give us a call at (615) 591-4490. Dr. Blourchian and team look forward to seeing you.