Look Who’s Featured in Fit City Magazine!

Taking care of your smile is one part of taking care of your whole self.

We have something fun to share with you!

Dr. Barton and Intentional Smiles were recently featured in Fit City Magazine, and the article gave us a chance to talk about something you have probably heard us talk about many times before: we do not believe your teeth exist in a world of their own.

Your mouth is part of you. You are part of a family, a workplace, a circle of friends, and the Edmond community. In much the same way that all of us are connected to the people around us, the different parts of our bodies are connected too.

It is a big idea, but it influences many of the little decisions we make with you every day.

Beauty and Function Belong Together

When we talk about cosmetic dentistry, it can be easy to think the goal is simply to make a smile look better. We see it differently. A beautiful smile should also be a healthy, comfortable, functional smile.

As Dr. Barton explained in Fit City Magazine, “Cosmetic dentistry is a simple concept. As a cosmetic-focused dentist, I do not choose between providing enhanced beauty versus functional dentistry. Every case is a cosmetic case.”

That philosophy shapes the way we look at your smile as a whole. The appearance of an individual tooth matters, but so do the way your teeth fit together, the health of your gums and supporting structures, and how comfortably your smile functions in everyday life.

Whether we are addressing a specific concern or planning more comprehensive care, we do not believe we should have to choose between function and aesthetics. The goal is to bring the two together, creating results that support your oral health while helping you feel good about the smile you share with the world.

Your Mouth Is Part of Your Whole Health

As you already know from being part of our practice, whole-health dentistry is important to us. Your oral health does not operate separately from everything else happening in your body.

Nutrition, sleep, breathing, stress, medications, habits, inflammation, and changes in your overall health can intersect with your oral health in different ways. That does not mean every dental concern points to a larger health problem. It means we believe the connections are worth paying attention to.

It is one reason our conversations with you sometimes wander well beyond teeth. We want to understand the person behind the smile because that information can help us make more thoughtful decisions about your care.

Preserving What Is Healthy Matters

The Fit City article also gave Dr. Barton an opportunity to explain another part of our philosophy that many of you have experienced firsthand: preserving healthy natural tooth structure whenever possible.

As Dr. Barton shared:

“My focus is on reversing the signs of age, disease, and pain in the mouth and smile. I utilize as many non-invasive, regenerative, and biocompatible restorative options as I possibly can for every case.”

In practical terms, that means we are not interested in changing healthy tooth structure unnecessarily.

Conservative dentistry is not about doing less when more treatment is needed. It is about doing what is appropriate for you while preserving what is already healthy. Sometimes that means repairing a localized problem rather than taking a more extensive approach. Other times, more comprehensive treatment really is the best way forward.

The Bigger Question Is Always About You

When we are considering treatment together, we think beyond fixing a tooth; we consider whether or not we can preserve more of your natural tooth or how a treatment will affect your bite and the way everything functions together. We think about restoring health and comfort and what is likely to give you a strong long-term result. And perhaps most importantly, what makes sense for you? Your health, your goals, your priorities, and your life are all part of that conversation.

Health, Function, and Beauty Are Connected Too

We do not believe a healthy smile, a comfortable smile, and a beautiful smile need to be three separate goals.

Sometimes restoring health and function naturally improves how your smile looks. Sometimes a cosmetic concern leads us into a larger conversation about your bite or tooth structure. And sometimes you simply want to feel more confident when you smile.

Whatever starts the conversation, we want the result to make sense for your whole smile and your whole health.

Come Read the Article!

We loved having the opportunity to share some of these ideas with our wider community, and we would love for you to read the Fit City article too.

You may recognize quite a bit of what Dr. Barton has to say. After all, you have probably heard some of it sitting right here in our chair!

And maybe that is the best example of connection of all. We get to help take care of people we know and value, who then carry their healthier smiles back to their families, workplaces, friendships, and our shared Edmond community.

If it is time for your next appointment, schedule with us at Intentional Smiles in Edmond, OK. We look forward to seeing you, catching up, and continuing to care for the whole person behind your smile.