Dr Johnson's Blog

Christmas and Chanukah share a similar spiritual message: that it is possible to bring light and hope into the world. These two holidays occur together this year, which makes this an even more special holiday season.

This is a season to reflect upon how fortunate we are to have you as our customers: our friends and neighbors. During these holidays, we wish you, your family, and your friends a safe, joy-filled, and relaxing season.

Warm wishes for a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, and a most Happy New Year! With peace, joy, and love this holiday season and beyond!

Thanksgiving Day is the perfect time to remind one another of the many reasons there are to be grateful. We gather on this day to be thankful for what we have, for the family we love, the friends we cherish, the success we have had, and for the blessings that will come.

Thanksgiving is more than the festivities, it gives us time to ponder the lessons that we have learned and how we can spread happiness around, to look back at all the great memories and good people who came into our lives. We appreciate you, our customers and clients, so much.

At this time of year our thoughts turn gratefully to you with warm appreciation. Our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Have you wanted a new job, a new love, a new image? If so, dental veneers should be on your "list of things to do". Dental veneers will change your appearance, giving you a youthful and more attractive smile. The inherent self-confidence that comes with a more appealing appearance and smile can catapult you to a new level of self-confidence which can help you reach your other goals. Dr. Ryne Johnson, prosthodontist and director of Newton Wellesley Dental Partners, who is regarded as a "Boston's Best Prosthodontist" has been improving smiles on some of Boston's most demanding patients since 1986.

As we age, our smile begins to show the years. Dental implants can mask the effect that time has on your teeth. Fix crooked, chipped, spaced, worn or stained teeth and make your smile the best it has been in years, if not ever.

Every middle-aged adult longs for a more youthful appearance; this can be achieved by changing your smile. One way to do this is with dental veneers. Aging teeth become more opaque, worn and stained

Porcelain veneers can lengthen your teeth and bring back the natural looking appearance and shine, hiding defects or discolorations. Dental veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that adhere to the front of your teeth and change the color and shape of aging teeth.

Veneers last for a long time. But more importantly, they give you a smile that will give you the confidence to reach your goals.

For more information on a youthful smile, contact Newton Wellesely Dental Partners.

If you are missing one or more teeth you certainly need to know your options for filling the gaps in your teeth. Gaps in your teeth cause more than dental health issues, they can also cause low self-esteem. , prosthodontist and director of Newton Wellesley Dental Partners , who is regarded as a pioneer in the synergistic use of computers in implant dentistry has been on the forefront of implant dentistry since 1989.

Dental implants are frequently the best option for replacing missing teeth and restoring smiles. Dental implants use an artificial ‘tooth root’ made from titanium, that is placed into the jaw to hold the replacement tooth. Most dentists feel that dental implants are better than traditional bridges because they don’t need the surrounding teeth for support.

Dental implants are the cosmetic restoration of choice for both aesthetics and functionality. In fact, dental implants, with proper care, will last a lifetime, giving you a natural seeming replacement for missing teeth.

Because your dental implant will look and feel like a natural tooth, you will have the self-confidence in social situation to smile naturally and generously. Your smile has a direct effect on your self-esteem. Take care of missing or gapped teeth with dental implants and restore your smile and your self-confidence. Dental implants help to maintain your teeth so that you no longer need to be ashamed of your smile.

Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements. Dental implants do not slip or make embarrassing noises like dentures. Additionally, dental implants do not decay.

For more information on dental implants contact Newton Wellesley Dental Partners.

Teeth are meant to last a lifetime. Years ago, diseased or injured teeth were usually pulled. But today, a tooth can often be saved through treatment.

Newton Wellesely Dental Partners can treat diseases or injuries to the teeth or dental pulp. This often results in root canal treatment. If the dental pulp is injured:

The pulp is the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. When the pulp becomes inflamed or infected, treatment is needed. The most common causes of pulp inflammation or infection are a cracked or chipped tooth, a deep cavity or filling, or other serious injury to the tooth. All of these can allow bacteria to enter the pulp.

If damaged or infected pulp is not removed, the tissues around the root of the tooth can become infected. Pain and swelling often result. Even if there is no pain, bacteria can damage the bone that holds the tooth in place in the jaw. Without treatment, the tooth may have to be removed.

This often leads to root canal treatment. When a tooth is removed and not replaced, the teeth around it may shift. This can make biting and chewing difficult and may make it harder to clean your teeth.

Root canal treatment can prevent these problems by saving your natural tooth. Also, root canal treatment usually is less expensive than a replacement tooth.

For more information on root canal treatment, contact Newton Wellesely Dental Partners.

I first contacted Dr. Johnson’s office after a freak accident on a Saturday evening and reached him at a private event. Not only did he take my call, but spent 30 minutes on the phone accessing my injury. Given it was an urgent issue, he not only arranged to come into the office on the Sunday morning, he also arranged to have his staff and Dr. Shamardi join him for a 3 hour reconstruction of my front teeth which I desperately needed for my job. After I was through the initial repair work we proceeded to compete 2 implants and two crowns over the next few months. All procedures were explained thoroughly by Dr. Johnson and Dr. Shamardi before and during the procedures, including follow-up calls by the doctors. The staff were all very professional and a pleasure to deal with. The end result was a perfect smile and look better than my original teeth. If you are looking for the best dental expertise in the Boston area, I would highly recommend NWDP given my experience. The care they gave me was clearly above and beyond what I expected. Thank you Dr. Johnson, Dr. Shamardi, Peg and Diane!

- Mal Cullen

Several years ago I started on the path of implants. After having one bone graft I was told I would need more and there was no guarantee after having this additional work that implants would be successful; so I gave up. I then contacted Dr. Johnson for an implant consult because I would hear his name in ads on talk radio and would see write ups about him in magazines. Having learned that Dr. Johnson worked with celebrities and other high profile clients and how satisfied they were with his work; I felt confident he could help me. I went on to the Newton Wellesley Dental Partners website and submitted my request for a consultation.

Immediately after I hit the send request, my cell phone rang and it was Dr. Johnson himself. I was in his office within a week to begin my transformation. I was not sure of what to expect when I met him. After all he has worked on celebrities and here I was just a regular person seeking his expertise. I was pleasantly surprised at how down to earth he was as he developed the treatment plan. He wasn’t choosing an easy path but one he knew would be successful and would make us both happy. He explained every step of the process and was confident he would be able to deliver excellent results… and he did! I finished my transformation a week ago and words can’t express how happy I am now that I’m no longer self-conscious about my smile.

Dr. Johnson and his team are top notch! Knowledgeable, professional, courteous and personable. Thank you Dr. Johnson, Diane and Peg. You guys are the best!

- K. Townshend

I have been a patient of Dr. Johnson's for many years. He has done multiple fillings and crowns for me over this time. He does beautiful work: you cannot tell his crowns from natural teeth. His work also lasts: I have been chewing on one of his crowns for over twenty years. This past winter, I had a swelling in my neck that my primary care physician was not taking seriously. I saw Dr. Johnson about it, to figure out if I was having a dental issue. He recognized that I had a serious medical problem, and strongly urged that I pursue diagnosis and treatment immediately. This advice helped save my life. Additionally, he provided support and medical advice throughout my diagnosis and treatment. I cannot speak more highly about Dr. Johnson and the care he gives his patients.

Susan A.

You’re wearing an ornate white gown, your hair is in a fancy updo and you’re holding a bouquet of roses fit for a queen as you stare into your beloved’s eyes. Or or a beautifully fit tuxedo with perfectly polished shoes. It’s exactly how you both have always imagined your wedding day to be.

Then the photographer says “smile.” You panic. Your smile should not forever mar the photos of what should be the happiest day of your life – your wedding day. Dr. Ryne Johnson, prosthodontist and director of Newton Wellesley Dental Partners has been selected as Boston's "Go-To Dentist" for pre-wedding dental work. He has helped countless people (including the parents of the happy couple) achieve a naturally-radiant smile that will withstand the scrutiny of wedding photos that will be viewed for years.

From new whitening techniques to porcelain veneers and other restorative dental work, the smile of your dreams is within your reach come your wedding day.

If you think your smile will mar pictures or make you self conscious, then your wedding is the right reason to have a smile makeover.

Consider getting an initial consultation with a cosmetic dentist when you get engaged. You really want to start cosmetic dental procedures with as much time as possible to make sure it’s done right, and to give yourself time to enjoy your new smile and get used to it.

Many factors can impact the optimal outcome, including how straight the teeth are, what the condition is of the gums and whether there are existing crowns or fillings, so it’s definitely best to be evaluated well before the big event.

Regardless of what is wrong with your smile, there is likely something a cosmetic dentist can do to improve it by your wedding day, including:

White Wedding, Whiter Smile

People always want a brighter smile, so tooth whitening is popular before weddings. There are many tiers of tooth whitening available today. The darker your teeth, the more help they need. If you have significant discoloration, or discoloration on the sides of the teeth, these strips likely will not be sufficient.

The next step is usually take-home whitening trays or laser whitening. Both have advantages and disadvantages. It’s a personal preference. If your teeth are really dark and you want to whiten them quickly, laser whitening may be your best option. Laser whitening is often the choice for people who don’t like the idea of wearing mouth trays.

Take home trays are more expensive than laser whitening and take more time (but) you may get deeper whitening because you are bathing your teeth in whitening gel for a longer time.

Restorative Dental Work Before the Wedding

Like options for whitening teeth, there are also several routes a person can take to restore broken, chipped, cracked or stained teeth.

Dental Bonding is typically the first line. Bonding can improve the appearance of teeth that are chipped, broken, cracked, stained or have spaces between them. With bonding, tooth-colored materials are applied, or bonded, to the tooth surface. The small spaces are usually filled with cosmetic white bonding. This can close space and it is a simple, non-invasive and conservative procedure.

Dental Veneers are another popular choice for brides and grooms. These thin, custom-made shells cover the front side of teeth, and can be used to treat spaces between teeth and teeth that are chipped or worn, permanently stained, poorly shaped or slightly crooked.

Crowns may be needed if porcelain veneers won’t do the trick. A crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth. Crowns can restore a tooth’s shape, size and strength and/or improve its appearance. Crowns cover the visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

Cosmetic Tooth Contouring Before the Wedding

Cosmetic dentists can correct minor defects in the shape and appearance of a tooth through a process referred to as tooth contouring or tooth reshaping.

This is sort of like filing your nails. If one tooth is longer or pointed or has a chip that needs to be smoothed out, then with a little cosmetic contouring teeth can look pretty, without the need for full braces or a crown. It’s not painful either. It’s pretty much like when you are doing your fingernails, you know something is being done, but it doesn’t hurt.

Regardless of what procedure you choose, make sure your dentist is skilled in cosmetic dentistry.

Continuing education assures that the chosen dentist is up-to-date on the latest techniques and materials in cosmetic dentistry. Questions to ask include does the dentist attend continuing education courses regularly. Also ask if the dentist passed a credentialing examination to become accredited by a group such as the AACD.

For more information on getting the perfect wedding smile, contact Newton Wellesley Dental Partners.

Source: yourdentistryguide.com

Now that summer is here, you want to look your best. Summer weddings, Graduations, and get-togethers are incentives to find a way to improve our appearance and our confidence. Teeth whitening is a fast, easy and effective way to improve your smile and take years off your appearance. Dr. Ryne Johnson, prosthodontist and director of Newton Wellesley Dental Partners was an early pioneer in dental whitening and has lectured throughout the country on techniques to enhance a smile.

Many people choose over the counter teeth whiteners because they think that this is easier than in-office teeth whitening. With all the whitening products available over-the-counter, such as toothpastes, mouthwashes, and related products it can be confusing. But, all have similar complaints: from blisters, to skin peeling inside the mouth, and permanent taste-bud damage. Store-bought whiteners do not use custom trays which leaves the chemicals in the products to irritate your mouth and gums.

Not everyone is a candidate for teeth whitening, which means that over-the-counter whitening products can leave your teeth looking worse. Fillings and dental reconstructions can stain, but can’t be whitened or brightened which means you may end up with teeth that are darker than the rest.

In-office teeth whiteners are convenient, fast and the procedure is performed by a dental professional in a safe environment for better, longer-lasting results. In-office teeth whitening procedures have the best, longest lasting results and can whiten teeth up to 9 shades.

Newton Wellesley Dental Partners gives you a bright, natural looking, white smile just in time for summer events. Find out if teeth whitening is the right option for you by consulting us first. To schedule a consultation, contact us today.