Dr. Jonathan B. Levine is the first to admit that expectations aren’t particularly high when people visit the dentist.
“This profession not only needs reinvention, it needs rebranding,” he told The Post. “I say to you, ‘a dentist’ — what do you think about? Needles, pain? Not great experiences.”
The problem is, regular dental visits aren’t just about making your pearly whites look their whitest. Robust research links poor oral and gum health to everything from heart disease to diabetes to Alzheimer’s — meaning taking good care of your teeth is critical to living a long, healthy life.
So here comes that rebranding: Dr. Levine’s Smile House bills itself not as just a dentist’s office but a dental longevity clinic — and they’re making sure patients come back by providing amenities like weighted blankets, streaming services and complimentary head and jaw massages.
Pearly whites, longer life
“When you listen to the longevity experts,” Levine said, “they talk about these pillars of longevity: sleep, nutrition, fitness, mindfulness. And I talk about a fifth pillar, which is oral health.”
That’s because oral health has been repeatedly connected to health in other parts of the body. If you’ve got gum disease — which is caused by plaque buildup from poor oral hygiene — your chances of having heart disease, a stroke, diabetes, dementia, pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis, preterm birth and even some cancers all go up.
“Guess what? The bacteria that causes inflammation in the mouth … ends up in all these areas in the body that cause these diseases,” Levine explained.
P gingivalis — which he calls “the number one bad boy in the mouth for chronic inflammation” — doesn’t just stay in your mouth. “It ends up in interstitial cells of leaky gut, in the amyloid plaque of Alzheimer’s, in the carotid artery of cardiovascular patients, on and on and on,” he said.
The threat is actually deadly: A 2021 study found that COVID-19 patients with gum disease were 3.5 times more likely to need the ICU — and 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator.
There are plenty of problems linked to your dental health in even more immediate ways, too. Grind your teeth at night? It may be causing your headaches and tinnitus. Have problems with your airway? It could be to blame for your bad sleep.
The lesson is that skipping dental care could be having painful and dangerous ripple effects — a sobering reality for the two-thirds of Americans who don’t floss and the 100 million that skip their annual checkup.
So while biohackers like Bryan Johnson turn to hundreds of pills and shockwave therapy, the real key to living to 100 might just be a better dental checkup.
A mouthful of valuable info
To that end, one of the things that really sets Smile House apart is its “Mouth Mapping” package, which they describe as a “blueprint” of your oral health. At $1,195, it includes 3D imaging, a CBCT bite and jaw analysis, a saliva test and an aesthetic analysis — in addition to a traditional cleaning.
The 3D imaging gives a super closeup look at your teeth and gums, detecting issues like enamel wear, bone loss and signs of clenching.
The CBCT lets the docs identify problems your airway and bone structure — including TMJ, bite misalignment and issues with palatal tissue, which is related to snoring.
Results from the saliva test show your mouth microbiome, including levels of bacteria that raise your risk for tooth decay, bad breath and even gut issues.
Finally, the aesthetic analysis can help you decide on services like whitening, aligners and veneers — less about living longer, more about looking good while doing it.
After all of the tests, your results are broken down so you don’t just know what you need to do, but actually understand why you need to do it.
“Our goal is to help really illuminate what’s going on in your mouth, so patients leave with clarity, with an understanding and like a clear path forward,” explained Cody Levine, the dentist’s son and a co-founder of Smile House.
But while knowledge is power, it’s the pampering that seals the deal. Their Smile Bar includes services like TMJ Botox, red light therapy to calm inflammation and support gum health, and even massages to ease tension and TMJ pain.
“I want people to feel like, ‘This is the greatest experience I’ve ever had. I look forward to my next appointment,” he said.
The bougiest dentist
My first appointment at Smile House was for my second cleaning of 2025. (Yes, I’m very responsible — I’m The Post’s Wellness Editor, after all. Never had a cavity, baby!)
I was smiling even before I got there. The online intake form asks you to check off preferred amenities, including several different drinks, the use of a massage chair or weighted blanked, guided breathwork, and entertainment options like Netflix, Hulu and augmented reality glasses.
After a few minutes in the waiting area — which has a homey feel and very Instagrammy light-up mirror — I was treated to a head and jaw massage. Patients can book a more intensive 30-minute one for $150, but a mini rub is on the house.
I went through the whole Mouth Mapping process, which was easy peasy for four tests. The CBCT took a couple of minutes, and the 3D imaging was similar to getting fitted for my Invisalign.
Then came the dreaded part of the check-up: my cleaning. But from the moment I satin the chair — massage button on — I was legitimately impressed at how different this was from what I’m used to.
I was draped with a weighted blanket, given a pair of sunglasses to block out the light being shined in my face, and treated to a generous swab of lip balm around my mouth to stop my lips from drying out.
The moment that nearly made my eyes bulge out of my head? The dental assistant asked me if my gums were sensitive — and when I said yes, she applied a numbing gel. It never occurred to me that that was an option — and it’s an understatement to say I’ve never felt so pampered at the dentist.
After the cleaning, I also got a rundown of what all my scans showed. I’ll admit, despite my team at The Post running multiple stories about the importance of flossing for lowering stroke risk, preventing cancer and warding off dementia, I’m… an inconsistent flosser.
But for the first time, someone really broke down for me — with visuals — what that’s been doing to my mouth.
Brushing twice a day cleans the surface of my teeth, but ends up pushing junk down into my gums. That’s caused a bit of inflammation along my gum line — which is very slowly eating away at the base of my teeth. In big, enlarged scans on a TV in front of me, I could see the difference.
And if that’s what I can see — what could it be doing in the rest of my body that I can’t see?
It’s been two months since my appointment, and I feeling a bit smug to say I’ve flossed every single night since then. I hope they notice at my follow-up.
