Vitality Dentistry Introduces... 3D Cone Beam CT Technology

This latest addition to our complement of state-of the art digital technology allows us to be one of the first practices in Toronto (or anywhere in the world) to be able to offer you the ultimate computer guided implant solution.

We were the first practice in North America to incorporate CEREC technology in 1996. Over the last 17 years this technology has undergone continual refinement and improvement and the latest iteration of it is called the CEREC AC Omnicam.

The combination of CEREC Omnicam and 3D Cone Beam technology, takes the science of digital tooth replacement a quantum leap forward!

A digital image from a 3D cone beam CT. This image can be rotated in any dimension and digitally sliced to see any cross-sectional view that we desire.

Our patients can now go from having a missing tooth to having a computer guided implant, and the corresponding custom designed and fabricated abutment and crown in a single appointment!!

The necessary steps of:

1. Radiographic evaluation of the prospective implant site
2. Transfer of the digital radiographic data into implant planning and design software
3. Designing the ideal crown supported by the optimally placed implant
4. Fabrication of the surgical guide
5. Placement of the implant and abutment
6. And Fabrication of the crown…

Structures such as nerves can be visualized 

and highlighted on the images. Implants and 

the supported crowns can be can be planned 

directly in the images in 3 dimensions!

Can now be accomplished in a SINGLE VISIT
• Without a separate visit to a radiologist
• Without messy impressions
• Without temporaries
• Without a single suture
• Without multiple appointments and associated valuable time lost
        from your busy schedule
• Without multiple anesthetic injections

CEREC AC OMNICAM

After taking a 3D image of your tooth, our CEREC AC Omnicammachine can be used to design and mill a strong, beautiful restoration in about an hour. We'll permanently place the crown during your single visit, and you'll leave our office with a full, healthy smile. This has now been integrated with….

3D CONE BEAM TECHNOLOGY

An advanced type of digital radiography, cone beam technology provides us with a three-dimensional, digital image of structures beneath the surface of the teeth and gums. This unprecedented view includes teeth roots, internal nerve canals, and bone structure. CBCT (Cone-Beam Computed Tomography) scans are similar in detail to traditional medical CTs, but are taken in a fraction of the time, and usea fraction of the radiation exposure of medical CT’s.

CBCT scans can be used to plan root canal or orthodontic treatment, place implants more precisely, pinpoint TMJ disorders, and much more. Since you willnow have access to this cone beam technology in our office, you will no longer need a referral to a radiology facility thus saving you time and money. Your scans, diagnosis, and treatment will be conveniently centralized on site. Any detected abnormalities can be sent for the opinion of a specialist by simply E-Mailing the file to them.

The Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

The Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

There are many benefits with cosmetic dentistry; however the most important benefit is how you are going to feel with a beautiful smile. A great smile is one of the biggest self-esteem boosters there is. With this in mind, it is no wonder that so many people are choosing cosmetic dentistry. With so many benefits and options in cosmetic dentistry, it is easy to find the right procedure for your needs. Here is a list of the benefits of cosmetic dentistry:

1. More self-confidence and a healthy smile bring a boost to anyone’s self-esteem. It is proven that a person appears more self-confident when they smile, especially a healthy, beautiful smile.

2. Long lasting dental treatments such as implants and porcelain veneers or crowns will result in less necessary dental work in the future.

3. Whiter, brighter teeth create a glow of confidence and appeal.

4. Less embarrassing moments from smiles that are less than beautiful. There is nothing more embarrassing than laughing at a funny joke at a business meeting and having people cringing at your teeth due to decay and stains.

5. A beautiful smile is the best and most important benefit. There is nothing like a great smile and a healthy feeling in your mouth.

Cosmetic dentistry includes so much more than whitening your teeth. Here are a few different procedures that are done to create the beautiful smile you are looking for:

• Porcelain Veneers and Crowns: all-porcelain restorations that are customized to the “whiteness”   that you want to achieve. They are used to correct rotations, close spaces and cover imperfections in your enamel
• Dental implants: a permanent tooth replacement solution that looks just like a natural tooth
• Dental Bridges: an all-porcelain bridge is another tooth replacement option when an implant is not possible
• Braces: used to reposition teeth.
• Dental Bonding: tooth coloured resin is applied to the teeth to fill in cavities or close spaces
• Teeth Whitening: uses a bleaching process to whiten teeth for brighter smile

With all the options available in cosmetic dentistry, it is important to look at what the best treatment is to achieve your goal. We offer a complementary cosmetic consultation with one of our Treatment Coordinators to explain the procedures available and help you choose a treatment plan that is most ideal to meet your expectations.

Whatever treatment option you choose, remember that cosmetic dentistry is only the beginning of a healthy smile. It must be maintained with regularly scheduled visits with your hygienist at the interval best recommended to maintain good oral health and a long lasting smile.

The Truth About Candy

Many of us remember growing up being told that candy was the mortal enemy to our teeth. It was something to be avoided if we didn’t want a mouthful of cavities. The truth is, however, that candy may be no worse at causing cavities than many of the other foods we enjoy.

We’ve all heard that candy is bad for our teeth. Parents often provide their children with fruits, health snacks, and other substitutes for candy. Surprisingly, these snacks can be just as bad or worse than the candy they replace.

Cavities are caused by bacteria which work, live, and play within our mouths. These bacteria feast on food left on teeth after meals. The bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their feasting. It is this acid which eats into tooth enamel creating cavities. Surprisingly, bacteria can use other foods just as efficiently as they can use candy to create this cavity causing acid . In fact, any food containing carbohydrates can be utilized by bacteria. This includes foods such as potato chips, crackers, and breads as well as fruits, peanut butter, and pasta.

In fact, many of the snacks which we think are healthy can actually be very damaging to teeth . These include foods which tend to get stuck to teeth where they provide a constant source of carbohydrates for bacteria to use in creating acid. Raisins, for example, tend to get stuck on teeth providing a long term feast for bacteria. Likewise, peanut butter also tends to get stuck on teeth long after we eat also providing a source of carbohydrates for bacteria to feed on.

So if candy is no worse or better at causing cavities than other foods, why the bad rap when it comes to candy ? One reason may be that although candy provides the body with sugar (an energy source), candy does not provide the body with other nutrients vital to the proper growth of young bodies. By constantly eating candy, young children may not be getting enough of the foods that provide them with needed proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

If you chose to let your children have candy, what are some of the things that you can do to ensure that your kids enjoy candy without getting a mouthful of cavities?

The key is moderation and balance. Just as any substance eaten in excess can lead to problems, so can eating too much candy. Make sure your children are in the habit of brushing their teeth after eating candy. Brushing is also necessary after they eat other between-meal snacks. Another excellent way to reduce your children’s craving for candy is to provide other foods as snacks, like fruits, nuts, and yogurt. Remember, however, that kids need to brush after eating these snacks as well in order to prevent cavities. With a little education, a little moderation, and proper brushing after eating, your children can enjoy candy without ruining their teeth.

Top 10 Reasons to Smile

Smiling is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better. Smile to improve your health, your stress level, and your attractiveness.


1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive.
We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood
Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There’s a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.


3. Smiling is Contagious
When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.


4. Smiling Relieves Stress
Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?


7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don’t go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you’ll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful
Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.


10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive
Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It’s hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that “Life is Good!” Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

A Personal Note from Dr. Raj Singh

I started Vitality Dentistry with the purpose of helping people change their lives through the transformation of their smiles. I developed my dental practice around the belief that modern dentistry has the power to change lives for the better. Not only can it improve one's health, but it can also help people become more outgoing and more social. A beautiful smile can improve relationships, increase incomes and even help in landing that new job. Emotional health also improves - people become happier and prouder of their new smiles.

Since obtaining my Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) back in 1985, I've worked very hard at developing my skills and technological capabilities in order to be able to help people improve their dental health in the most efficient and effective manner possible. I was among the first to complete the Mini-Residency in Osseo-Integration at the University of Toronto in order to perform both the surgical and restorative phases of Implant Dentistry. I was one of the first in the world to be trained in performing computer guided dental implants, commonly known as "Teeth in an Hour". I was also the first dentist in North America to implement CEREC technology (used to create porcelain restorations that are available to patients in a single visit).

I attend every major dental conference and seminar on an ongoing basis. I belong to “dental think tanks” that discuss new technologies and procedures and provide feedback on their usefulness and effectiveness. Whenever I see an opportunity in the advancement of modern dentistry, I always investigate the procedure or the technology to see how it might benefit our patients and our practice. If it's beneficial, I adopt it immediately. I've invested more money in dental technologies, procedures and training than any dental practice that I am aware of. I do it willingly - in order to take full advantage of all that is available in modern dentistry. My objective is always to provide my patients with the highest levels of compassionate, uncompromising, state-of-the-art care and service available.

So if you're in Unionville, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Toronto or the greater Toronto area (GTA), I welcome the opportunity to speak to you about what is possible with modern day cosmetic, implant and neuromuscular dentistry. Please contact my office at 905-479-7777 to set-up a no obligation consultation.

It never hurts to get a second opinion. My team and I can give you options that you may not be aware of. After all, the best decision is made when you have all the facts and options available to you.

Annual Smile Makeover – The Jason Jones Story

Transforming Lives One Smile at a Time” (Markham Economist - July 11, 2008)

Can a Smile really transform a Life? Absolutely!!
When Jason Jones met Dr. Raj Singh, Jason had lost most of his teeth to decay. He was unemployable because of his looks and reduced to eating a diet of soft foods. He would roll chicken between his fingers to make it more pliable before swallowing it.

Dr. Singh developed a treatment plan for Jason, which, in its initial stages, included implant-supported dentures. After receiving his new teeth, Jason was able to secure employment, move into a new home and provide for his young family. When you ask him, “Did a new smile transform your life?” he answers emphatically, “Absolutely!!” His dramatic story was featured on the front page of the Toronto Star (June, 07).

Dr. Raj Singh and the team of dental professionals at Unionville Dentistry have been practicing in the Vitality Health Professionals Building for over a decade and have been providing the complete spectrum of dental services to the Markham community for more than 23 yrs. In addition to the complete range of family and preventative dental services, Unionville Dentistry feature a large component of cosmetic, implant and comprehensive reconstructive services.

The Nobel-Guide system of computer-guided, minimally-invasive implant placement surgery is featured here along with the revolutionary techniques of “teeth-in-an-hour”. Immediate implant placement, which sees fractured front teeth replaced immediately after tooth removal, has completely changed the outcome for the patient. Those unfortunate hockey accidents can now be repaired is a single visit resulting in a stable, aesthetic outcome.

“CEREC 3D” single-appointment porcelain crowns and restorations are also an integral part of the treatment options offered.

Cosmetic crowns and veneers exclusively feature Noritake porcelain which Dr Singh feels is the best quality, most natural looking porcelain system available today.

Each patient embarking on cosmetic or reconstructive treatment undergoes an extensive assessment. This comprehensive facial and bite analysis provides Dr. Singh and the patient with insight that helps to design a treatment plan that provides the client with aesthetics and neuro-muscular harmony. Neuro-Muscular Dentistry involves positioning the jaws in their ideal position of muscular balance thereby minimizing or eliminating symptoms resulting from improper jaw positions and muscle spasms. Symptoms such as headaches, neck and backaches and TMJ (Jaw-joint) pain are often alleviated or eliminated when ideal jaw relationships are achieved. Facial aesthetics are enhanced by improving facial profiles and proportions of “upper face height” to “lower face height.”

The team of professionals at Vitality Dentistry is passionate about educating you on all of the possibilities that today’s dentistry offers, helping you achieve a stable bite and a gorgeous smile, and then maintaining this optimal health for a lifetime!

Call today to set up a personalized consultation to see what the advances in modern dentistry can do to help you look and feel great!!

It may or may not be as dramatic as Jason, but it could transform your life!!