Michael Iott Dental Blog

Dr. Michael Iott’s New York City offices are abuzz with activity. Patients seek treatment for a wide variety of cosmetic and general dental needs, knowing Dr. Iott and his staff combine advanced technology, continuing education and superior patient care to provide patients with the highest quality available in today’s modern dental office.

Dr. Iott is a clinical adjunct professor at the NYU Advanced Program for International Dentists. His students (a combination of specialists and general practitioners from all over the world) have elected to spend an extra year following their graduation from dental school in advanced studies of Esthetics, Lasers and Computer Dentistry.

Your first impression of Dr. Iott’s office is warm, friendly and inviting, like being a guest in your friend’s living room. Hot coffee, newspapers, books, and your favorite magazines beckon you to sit down in the comfortable chairs and just relax. Down the hall, a 14 room complex resembles a true urban medical center, staffed by men and women dentists who, in addition to teaching responsibilities and hospital careers, provide a full range of dental services in this private and modern setting.

Dr. Iott and his team offer all dental services except orthodontics. Most of our doctors are professors at NYU Dental Center or the Columbia University School of Dentistry and are on staff at NYC hospitals. There is no other dental treatment facility or dental school in New York City that can compare with the array of modern equipment available at Dr. Iott’s offices. State-of-the-art computerization allows an array of pre-reconstruction photos, analyzed by our Director of Laboratory Services and our dental team, who create the final image of your new smile for your inspection right before your eyes.

If you notice that our office design is unlike any other you've seen, it’s of the expertise of our design consultant, who works with an international firm to create warm, inviting spaces you enjoy visiting. In fact, you may have seen an article about Dr. Iott's life and work on the front page of December 10, 2001 New York Times Home section. Our office has also been featured in Health Magazine, American Express Departures Magazine, The New York Times, The Irish Times (Dublin), and Tennis Magazine and has been chosen for a segment on Discovery Channel's Medical Breakthroughs! Dr. Iott and his practice have also been featured on NBC with Tom Brokaw and ABC with Peter Jennings.

Dr. Iott’s staff makes it easy and convenient to plan your dental visits around your busy schedule. We offer extended appointment times during the morning from 6am to 8am, and during evenings from 7pm to 9pm to accommodate those who work during the day. We also offer 24-hour emergency care to our patients, and limited care for our disabled patients who are homebound.

Why not click here to contact Dr. Iott’s office and schedule your consultation? We look forward to meeting you!

If your cosmetic dentist has told you your teeth are in need of restoration, you’ll be happy to know there is a revolutionary new method available that has done away with the long waits and other old-fashioned hassles of restoring your teeth. It’s called CEREC (Chairside, Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic), a new technology that allows dentists like Dr. Michael Iott to create natural looking, durable restorations in as little as one visit. In fact, Dr. Iott was responsible for bringing the very first CEREC machine to the United States, as part of his continuing goal of optimum patient care. Best of all, studies show CEREC restorations are as durable as gold, a substance that has long been held as the industry’s quality standard.

How does CEREC work? Dr. Iott will examine your teeth and discuss the best course of treatment with you. If CEREC restoration is appropriate, Dr. Iott will begin to prepare your tooth or teeth for the restoration. First, he creates a high-resolution optical impression of the tooth and, from that, a ceramic restoration. The CEREC milling machine then sculpts your ceramic restoration from a porcelain block. 15 minutes later, Dr. Iott will test your CEREC restoration for fit and bond the restoration to your tooth permanently. It’s as easy as that.

If you need inlays, onlays, crowns or veneers, CEREC technology may be the fast, convenient answer you’ve been looking for. Schedule a free consultation with Dr. Iott today get started tomorrow on restoring your smile!

Today, everyone can have a brighter smile, thanks to whitening systems like BriteSmile, and whitening toothpastes by Rembrandt, as well as Crest whitening strips, paint on gels, and a host of other products on the market. But should you choose professional whitening or do-it-yourself home whitening?

Many in office bleaching systems have been vastly improved, and work because light activated bleaching agents and carbamide or hydrogen peroxide act together to oxidize stains and give you the pearly whites you desire. In office whitening procedures can be inconvenient, requiring an initial trip to the dentist’s office, and touch ups every four to six months. As well, professional whitening is certainly far more expensive than over the counter systems, but because your dentist has access to stronger peroxide solutions than are available over the counter, professional tooth whitening systems tend to offer greater whitening power in about an hour for under $500.00. Your dentist is permitted to administer a whitening product that contains as much as 38% peroxide, levels not available over the counter due to safety regulations.

With home whitening systems, the level of peroxide is no higher than 12%. However, you can perform the procedure at your convenience in the privacy of your home, and repeat the procedure as you wish, a big plus for many. The lower cost for over the counter products is also appealing.

Chemically whitened teeth will always remain lighter than before whitening. However, some may experience hypersensitivity to teeth whitening procedures. Using Sensodyne when brushing can help to alleviate this problem.

Whether you choose the more expensive but longer-lasting professional whitening, or the do-it-yourself system, the number of options available today means that anyone can have a beautiful smile with very little effort.

These photos were taken after we completed some recent cosmetic dentistry treatments for a patient. Not only do we specialize in this type of dentistry, we absolutely love doing it and giving our patients smiles they never thought possible.
Thanks for the opportunity to offer these types of results!
Dr. Spieler

This is an example of a maxillary porcelain veneer patient. It shows the facial change that can come from having restorative dentistry treatments at our office. Come in and see what we can do for you and see more of our before and after results.

Dr. Eric Spieler

Porcelain veneers have become one of our most popular options to improve our clients' smile and bite. Today, many busy consumers want the results without having to go through multiple visits and long hours in the chair. With Cerec technology, we offer one-visit porcelain veneers. This is a patient that just had them done in our office. As about it when you call our office.

Dr. Eric Spieler

A recent article in the NY Times indicates that the number of Americans with untreated cavities is on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention most recent data (2004) show that 27 percent of children and 29 percent of adults had untreated cavities, which is the highest level since the late 1980s. It is also significantly higher than recent survey results from 1999 to 2002.

Most middle and upper class income Americans, continue to perceive straight, white, healthy teeth as a birthright and the majority of US consumers have high quality care. Lack of adequate care is primarily in the lower income demographics, where higher dental fees and lack of dental insurance has caused a higher rate of dental problems.

Click to view the complete article.

Dr. Eric Spieler

Smile Makeovers are a real art form and we even offer this type of dentistry, depending on your case, in just one weekend! This is a recent before and after patient's results over the course of one weekend. We look forward to improving your smile too!

Dr. Michael Iott

The following is an article I found in USA today that I thought you would enjoy.
Dr. Eric Spieler


Patients smile at getting long in the tooth
By OLIVIA BARKER
Published: January 18, 2006

Those whose smiles are more Mister Ed than Miss America have a new hope: the gum lift.

Dentists are raising or whittling away at tissue and/or bone to lengthen teeth and beautify gummy or horsy grins.

Also called crown-lengthening, the procedure has been around for decades to treat gum disease; it's only in the past three to five years that dentists have added it to their aesthetics-enhancing arsenal.

The number of gum lifts has increased as "the sophistication of a patient's discriminating eye has increased," says Nicholas Davis, president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. "Now people want it all perfect," a smile that's straight, bright and white with a minimum of pink. It's no wonder then that the vast majority (80%-90%) of gum lifts are done in conjunction with porcelain veneers.

"By evening up the gum line, everything looks so much more in harmony, so much more pleasing," Manhattan dentist Elisa Mello says. She and her husband, Ramin Tabib, are elevating or trimming the gums along one tooth or more for 15-20 patients a month. Four or five years ago, they did "probably 15 in a year," Tabib says. They charge about $300 for one tooth up to $4,000 for a full arch (up to 16 teeth).

"You can whiten and brighten and straighten your teeth, but if your gum line is up and down, it's almost like wasting your money because you still don't have the result that you want," says Pat DiGiacomo, a veneer and gum-lift patient at Tabib and Mello's practice.
DiGiacomo, a boomer who works in information technology, always had been "self-conscious" about her teeth. Now, "I can laugh out loud without trying to duck behind a hand."

And dentists say it only sounds like a medieval medical practice. "This is a one- or two-Advil treatment," Davis says. Recovery ranges from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how invasive the surgery is; tissue can be lasered away, but a scalpel and/or drill is needed to extract bone.

Some aren't candidates for crown-lengthening. "If you have big teeth, then your teeth will look even bigger," Davis says. Also, those whose roots are skinny, tapered or short could, through too much root exposure, compromise the strength of their teeth.

But for adults whose gums never completely receded after childhood, the technique can significantly improve a smile, dentists say.

"It's kind of a scary thing for people when you tell them that they (should) have their gums cut," says Joseph Harmon, a Salisbury, Md., dentist who has seen a 60% increase in the number of gum lifts performed over the past five years. Patients pay $700-$1,400 for the procedure.

Diane College, who works the front desk at Harmon's office, spent about an hour in the chair last May getting the gums lifted above four of her top front teeth. "All of a sudden (Harmon's dental) assistant said, 'Wow,' " recalls College, 50.

These days, she readily flashes a "big, cheesy" smile. "I love it."

Thought we would share some before and after photos of a recent cosmetic dentistry patient. This patient had some anterior crowns redone.

The following is some result from a recent surgery of Brits on self treatment:

The Associated Press
Oct 17, 2007

LONDON – A shortage of National Health Service dentists in England has led some people to pull out their own teeth – or used glue to stick crowns back on, a study says.

Many dentists abandoned Britain’s publicly funded health care system after reforms backfired, and their reimbursements fell, leaving a growing number of people without access to cheap care.

The survey of 5,212 patients and 750 dentists in England found 6% of patients resorted to self-treatment, including one person who extracted 14 of his teeth with pliers. Other patients reported using glue on crowns after they popped off.

The survey found nearly 20% of patients have gone without treatment because of the cost.

The National Health Service provided care to the vast majority of Britain’s people, often for free.

Celebrated chef Grant Achatz tries a new therapy for tongue cancer to save his taste buds – and his life.

By Steven Gray

The flurry o raves was almost embarrassing. In 2006, Gourmet magazine crowned his innovative 17-month-old Chicago restaurant, Alinea, the country's very best. “A pitch-perfect palate,” declared the New York Times. Besides awarding Alinea four stars, the Chicago Tribune dubbed its 33-year-old chef an “Haute Cuisine Hottie.”

“It was an avalanche of attention,” says chef Grant Achatz today. And it has not let up. Alinea’s reservation calendar remains solidly booked for months with the names of guests happy to pay $195 for a 24-course menu, which has included such out0there creations as a whimsical take on PB&J (one perfect peeled grape encased in peanut butter and brioche) or a vichyssoise so deconstructed, it comes with eating instructions from the waiter.

Equal parts scientist, sculptor, and food magician, Achatz (pronounced AK-itz) is not a celeb chef seen more routinely on TV than in the kitchen, where he puts in 17-hour days. Adding to the challenge: in July he was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer.

“‘Young, successful chef has tongue cancer.’ The irony of the situation is tragic to people,” says Achatz, plainly uninterested in being a tragic figure. “People do not realize that 90 percent of what I do is up here,” he says, tapping his head, with its chemo-induced buzz cut. “Anyone determined is not going to let this get them down.”

Determined his is. From early on, “I wanted to be on the cutting edge of gastronomy,” says Achatz, who showed predilections as a teen working in his parents’ St. Clair, Mich., diner where he would slip curry sauce on the meatloaf or adorn omelets with herb bouquets.

After graduating from culinary school, Achatz worked at the Northern California foodie mecca French Laundry for chef Thomas Keller, who became his mentor (and for whom he named his son Keller, 3; brother Kaden is 6). He later became the executive chef at Trio in suburban Chicago, and soon felt ready to open his own place.

During the fall 2004 planning stages of Alinea, Achatz was bothered by a small white spot on the left side of his tongue; it hurt when he ate spicy food. A biopsy came back negative, and Achatz tried to ignore the spot. “He would tell me, ‘I am too busy to be sick,” Alinea co-owner Nick Kokonas. For over two years, the pain came and went and Achatz saw a string of doctors, none of whom lit upon the right diagnosis.

When the pain was at its worst, staffers would rush out to fetch him Orajel or Achatz would wedge chewing gum between his teeth and tongue. He kept cooking, but sometimes couldn’t chew or talk. In July, a biopsy of his tongue brought a new diagnosis: Stage 4 cancer, meaning a large area of his tongue was affected and the cancer had spread to lymph nodes in his neck.

“Devastating,” says Thomas Keller, among the first to hear the news. “A sick joke on someone so talented and so in need of his taste buds.”

Young, fit, and never a smoker, Achatz hardly matched the profile of the 9,800 Americans diagnosed annually with this rare form of cancer. Doctors were stunned and suggested the most common rough of treatment: removing two-thirds of his tongue, plus radiation and chemotherapy.

“Their focus is ‘Save this life,’ not my passion or my soul,” Achatz, who also faced losing the ability to speak and swallow, quality-of-life issues for anyone with the disease. He sought other opinions until Dr. Everett Vokes, a University of Chicago oncologist, told him that, with a new drug protocol (see box), he might be able to avoid surgery. “He thinks the way I think about food,” says Achatz, “Innovative.”

Inset Box:

HIS TREATMENT:

Tongue cancer “has no early warning signs other than an unhealing lesion that might be ignored,” says oncologist Dr. Everett Vokes. Most patients have surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation. But Vokes’ clinic has studied the effect of using only chemo and radiation on advanced cases that haven’t metastasized. “We have data that shows overall survival rates for patients with head and neck cancer between 6-0-70 percent, and recent national studies show the survival rates of 50 percent and higher are realistic goals in Stage 4 cases.” These figures, says Vokes, are comparable to cure rates with the traditional treatment. “We’re giving Grant what we think should be the first line for the typical patient. We don’t change that because a famous chef comes here.”

So far Achatz has completed eight weeks of chemotherapy, which helped shrink the tumor. Now he is in phase 2, seven weeks of radiation and more chemo. The treatment has caused some nausea but, remarkably, has had no effect on his taste buds. (On a recent morning he popped open the first of his many daily Diet Cokes to find the flavor odd. “I though, ‘Damn, the radiation’s affecting my taste.’ Then I realized that it was a Dr. Pepper.”)

Hi illness grabbed headlines a brought in crates of get-well notes, but Achatz says he thinks of it only in the hospital. At home, the divorced dad focuses on his boys, who like to cook (homemade mayonnaise is a recent hit) and “love watching Gordon Ramsay.”

At work, his creativity is undimmed. Fall brought thoughts of autumn leaves and pumpkins. That inspiration became a tempura pumpkin pie, smoked over burning oak leaved and served on a single branch, that delivers “not just a bite of comfort food, but a smell from a particular season.”

He looks forward to how winter will shape his menu; to putting out a cookbook next summer; to opening future restaurants in New York and San Francisco, plus one in Chicago with a lower-priced a la carte menu.

But now, his priority is the 1,400 plates he and his 48-member staff will send out during tonight’s dinner service. “I am a chef,” Achatz says. “My cooking, my art, has kept me going. Take that out of me, and there’s nothing left.”

Click here to schedule a consultation with a highly trained and qualified cosmetic dentist, Dr. Michael Iott, serving NYC, Queens and Manhattan.

People’s reasons for choosing cosmetic dentistry are as varied as the people who make the choices. Repairing a malformed bite, fixing crooked teeth, treating an injury, or simply creating a more beautiful smile are just a few of the reasons. Some of the most common cosmetic dental procedures correct misshaped, discolored, chipped or missing teeth as well. Cosmetic dentistry has seen an increase in popularity over the past five years, making it a vital component of the dental profession.

But what are the top 3 reasons someone might choose cosmetic dentistry? In first place is bridges or dental partials. A dental bridge is a custom made false tooth or teeth placed permanently between two healthy teeth. In second place is tooth whitening, particularly by BriteSmile. For less than $500 and one hour of your time, your stained, yellowed, discolored smile can be Hollywood-ready. In third place, we have what’s called composite resin bonding, which uses a long lasting and durable tooth-colored resin to achieve a natural restoration of stained or decayed teeth. Costing about $350 and taking only 45 minutes to one our to complete, this is another very popular procedure that produces great results.

And, in case you’re curious, fourth and fifth places are respectively held by crowns and bridges and dental crowns. What’s the difference? Crowns and bridges are more suited to those who have large cavities, root canal therapy or a fractured tooth. Dental crowns placed on their own without the bridge are also suitable for fractured teeth or large cavities. With both procedures the cost is over $900 and the procedure can become a bit lengthy depending on the exact plan of treatment.

With all the cosmetic dentistry procedures taking place, your cosmetic dentist is probably quite busy. Here are a few other procedures he or she is highly trained and educated to perform:
· Cosmetic fillings -Alternative, natural-looking materials replace silver fillings
· Whitening/Bleaching -reverse effects of aging, food stains, tobacco stains, medications
· Veneers - thin laminates cover stains, correct discolored, cracked, or chipped teeth, and close gaps
· Bonding -A tooth-colored material improves natural tooth color, closes gaps
· Specialty dentures – Lightweight dentures look and feel like natural teeth
· Implants -- Synthetic structures are an excellent alternative to partial dentures

Click here to schedule a consultation with a highly trained and qualified cosmetic dentist, Dr. Michael Iott, serving NYC, Queens and Manhattan.