Reinventing the Dental Experience: From Checkups to Longevity Care

KimLoan
February 28, 2026

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.

Reinventing the Dental Experience: From Checkups to Longevity Care

Pearly whites, longer life

KimLoan

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