Dr. Allen Blackmon took a room filled with women into the Cosmetic Zone on Wednesday.

The Troy doctor of dental medicine was the feature speaker at the January meeting of the Female Factor at The Studio. He identified the Cosmetic Zone simply as, “When you smile, you see it.”

In today’s world, Blackmon said there are several procedures that will give patients something to really smile about.

“Teeth whitening is becoming more and more popular,” Blackmon said. “There are whitening strips on the market but the best system for whitening teeth is Zoom whitening. Within an hour you can have whiter teeth.”

Blackmon said the procedure is rather simple and can be done in four 15-minute sessions. “Your eating and drinking habits will determine the degree to which the whitening lasts,” he said. “Those who eat and drink things that stain will not have the same longlasting results as those who don’t but your teeth will always be whiter than they were.”

There are touch-up ways to freshen the whiteness that work really well, Blackmon said. “Usually, when you go in for a cleaning, you will also get a whitening touch-up.”

Tooth-colored fillings are also very popular. Although the composite fillings are not a strong as metal fillings, they are cosmetically preferred.

“Composite fillings have come a long way and are strong and long lasting,” Blackmon said. “The drawback to the white fillings is that insurance only covers the cost of the metal fillings. The value is cosmetic.”

Crowns or caps are used when teeth are decayed and fillings will not work.

Blackmon said a crown is used to cover the tooth and restore its shape, size and strength and to improve its appearance.

“Today, all ceramic crowns are extremely strong and they blend well with the other teeth,” Blackmon said. “The gold crowns are the best crowns ever made but most people prefer the ceramic crowns. The gold crowns also cost about two the three times as much.”

Porcelain veneers are used to change tooth shape, size and color and make a positive different in the Cosmetic Zone.

Botox and Juverderm are injectable gels that make fine wrinkles disappear.

Blackmon said many dentists are now offering Botox and Juverderm and there is a growing clientele for those who want to get back their old look without the old. However, the effects are not long-lasting and must be repeated every four months or so.

As always at the Female Factor, door prizes were awarded, with the big prize being a free whitening offered by Dr. Blackmon.

Donna Driggers was the happy winner.