Vamping it up this Halloween? Dr. Burgess has tips for choosing safe, stylish vampire teeth for your costume.

Vampires have always been a favorite fun Halloween costume choice. But the immense box office success of the Twilight film series and the True Blood TV series have made vampires downright sexy. If you’re planning to flash a fanged smile this Halloween, Jacksonville cosmetic dentist Dr. Eric Burgess has a few safety tips for you.

Just because a product is manufactured, packaged up and stocked on the shelves of your local store, don’t assume that they’re of high quality. A perfectly legal product isn’t necessarily a perfectly safe product – a big consideration when you’re talking about a costume piece worn in your mouth (either as a single piece that slips in front of your gum or separate pieces that each slip over your canine teeth). But there are ways to make sure the vampire teeth you’re buying as part of your costume are both stylish and safe.

• Know the numbers game: Different types of plastics are labeled by different numbers, according to the type of petroleum-based plastic resin used in manufacturing. Environmentally conscious consumers are familiar with these numbers, because they determine whether and where a product can be recycled. When buying fake vampire teeth, look for the numbers 4 and 5, which are generally considered food safe.

• Toss the toxins: You might think that painted products meant for the mouth are non-toxic. In many cases, you’d be wrong. Purchase only teeth that come in their own separate, sealed package with a list of materials used to make the teeth. If the package doesn’t specify that non-toxic paint is used, toss them back in the bin and shop elsewhere.

• Take a bite test: Fake vampire teeth should be flexible enough that they won’t cut into your gum, or in to your friend’s skin should you get a little carried away for the role playing for that Facebook photo. Gently rub your fingers over the tips of the teeth. If they’re too rigid, choose another set. Be sure to file down any too-sharp points or edges with an emery board.

• Give them a good cleaning: Before wearing you vampire teeth, clean them with soap and water. Then, run hydrogen peroxide over them, rinse and repeat until the peroxide no longer forms bubbles when on the teeth.

Of course, enjoy a few sweet treats, but don’t overdo it on the Halloween candy and make sure to brush and floss extra well. From all of us here at the Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, happy haunting!

Get your celebrity smile makeover with Jacksonville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Eric Burgess of the Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry.

We suspected it all along – celebrities aren’t perfect. Their careers and their looks need a lot of managing. And a few of them could use a great cosmetic dentist. Jacksonville‘s Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists have a few thoughts on the subject.

A recent survey by the AACD revealed cosmetic dentists’ top picks for the best celebrity smiles. Choices were among this year’s Oscar nominees and the winners were:

1. Natalie Portman
2. James Franco
3. Nicole Kidman
4. Annette Bening
5. Colin Firth
6. Christian Bale

Perennial favorite Angelina Jolie won votes for the most kissable pout with Portman coming in second and Halle Berry and Julia Roberts in a third-place tie. The men’s category saw Jake Gyllenhaal beat longtime favorites like Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Denzel Washington.

But not all celebrity grins are golden. Among those needing a cosmetic dentist, AACD members say, are actor Tom Cruise, television news anchor Katie Couric, actress Jennifer Garner, performer Miley Cyrus and singer/songwriter Jewel. Dentists surveyed said they’d love to see Cruise get a total mouth makeover including veneers. They’d also like to fix retired New York Giants defensive end and NFL commentator Michael Strahan’s diastema (front tooth gap) and give former President George W. Bush splint therapy (bite correction), bonding and veneers.

As for the women, cosmetic dentists want to give Couric a gum lift and lengthen her front teeth; Cyrus a crown lengthening; Garner veneers and Jewel orthodontics and teeth whitening.

Want to give your own smile a celebrity makeover? If you’re looking for a top-notch cosmetic dentist, Jacksonville’s Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry offers an array of services using advanced technologies. Browse our website to see why we’re different, then contact us 904-273-3001 or via our online Request and Appointment feature.