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Healthspan over lifespan: Reflections from the Wellspring Biohack Summit 2025

Biohacking is a term that’s becoming more common, but it can still sound mysterious. At its core, biohacking is about understanding how to help the body work smarter and stronger, live longer in optimal health, and reflect that vitality from the inside out — both mentally and physically. It’s about recognising how exercise, nutrition, sleep, and mindset influence our health, energy, appearance, and longevity — and then using that knowledge to make deliberate, science-backed improvements. Some people use advanced technology or supplements, but the real goal is simple: to feel and perform at our best, for as long as possible, in the best condition we can achieve. On October 25 and 26 at the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast,...

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Australasian Dentist September-October 2025

If you’re a clinician striving to elevate your aesthetic outcomes or seeking a deeper understanding of the collaborative workflow between technician and dentist, this might interest you. Earlier in 2025, we shared a before-and-after case on the Smile Virtuoso blog that generated a great deal of interest —“The Zirconia Renaissance – Unlocking the Aesthetic Potential with Strength”. It documented not just the technical execution of a multi-unit aesthetic rehabilitation, but also the communication protocols and layered material strategies that helped exceed the patient’s expectations. This 5-page article has been accepted and published in the September–October issue of Australasian Dentist, a well-established clinical journal distributed throughout Australia and the Pacific region. The published version includes detailed case photography, functional insights, and a full...

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Smile Design 2.0: Merging Elite Tech with Clinical Artistry – making invisible visible, one smile at a time

Labline Magazine featured Yugo's article for the 'ACADEMY' section in Winter 2025 (originally published in English and Hungarian).   Smile design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about trust, communication, and predictability. Patients today arrive with higher expectations than ever before. Digital tools have made cosmetic dentistry more accessible, but they’ve also created a new challenge: how do we ensure clarity when clinicians, technicians, and patients all need to be aligned on the same vision? That’s where a structured approach to smile design becomes essential. When patients can see and understand each stage—initial consultation, temporary restorations, and the final review—the result is more than a beautiful smile: it’s confidence, reassurance, and shared decision-making. In my latest feature for Labline Magazine (Autumn 2025), I explore how a technician-led...

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Featured in Men’s Health Australia: Transformation Beyond Aesthetics

Being featured in Men’s Health Australia (May 2025) is more than an external recognition — it is a milestone that reflects an inner philosophy I’ve carried for years. When I first embarked on writing a blog post in what I called my “CEO Body Odyssey” as a personal journey, it was never just about aesthetics. It was about discipline, precision, and the belief that the same structures that shape high performance in business and art can also be applied to the body. The gym, the kitchen, the recovery protocols — they became laboratories of resilience and clarity, no different from the ceramic bench or the studio where I design smiles. In Part 2 of my journey presented in my fitness blog...

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Refractory Veneers – Preserving the Art of Hand-Made Aesthetics

Introduction: While zirconia has rapidly become the leading material for strength, predictability, and CAD/CAM efficiency, refractory feldspathic veneers continue to offer unique advantages in specific situations. They are most valuable in the aesthetic zone, where preserving natural tooth structure and achieving the highest level of colour control are paramount. This technique is particularly suited to cases requiring ultra-thin restorations, minimal preparation, or where stump shade plays a critical role in the final outcome. It is also considered when the treating clinician’s philosophy favours conservative approaches that respect the original tooth anatomy. Unlike modern digital workflows, refractory feldspathic veneers are fabricated entirely by hand. Every layer is carefully built and customised, requiring a high degree of skill and artistry. For this reason, the technique...

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Film Analysis: Ringu (リング) vs The Ring – A Cross-Cultural Horror Comparison

Introduction: Film has always been more than entertainment; it reflects the cultural, historical, and aesthetic frameworks from which it emerges. During my undergraduate - Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney (2014–2018), I studied a wide range of disciplines beyond my foundation in Dentistry — from Art History, Race & Gender, and Cultural Studies to Film Studies, Japanese Media, Literature, and History. Collectively, these fields gave me an interdisciplinary lens through which to view cinema not merely as narrative, but as a cultural text shaped by deep-rooted traditions. One of the most compelling opportunities came in JPNS2672: Japanese Media and Popular Culture, where I undertook a comparative analysis of Hideo Nakata’s Ringu (1998) and its Hollywood remake The Ring (2002)....

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Before and After 2024: The Zirconia Renaissance – Unlocking the Aesthetic Potential with Strength

In the ever-evolving world of metal-free aesthetic dentistry, material selection remains one of the most powerful—yet often under-examined—decisions we make as clinicians and ceramists. Since the inception of my inaugural business in 2008, Smile by Yugo, I’ve witnessed—and contributed to—a profound transformation in the materials we rely on to craft beauty and function alike. Over the years, we’ve transitioned from traditional feldspathic and refractory layering veneer techniques to pressed glass ceramics (e.g., Empress, Ivoclar Vivadent), exploring the potential of staining techniques in monolithic structures, then upgraded to lithium disilicate (e.g., e.max, Ivoclar Vivadent), and now, increasingly, toward the modern versatility of zirconia. That said, without ongoing engagement in continuing education, hands-on experimentation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, it’s easy to default to familiar...

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Before and After 2023: Refining the Fine – Subtle Aesthetic Enhancements with Major Impact

At first glance, Sherelle’s pre-operative condition (the image on the left) appears almost flawless. Her smile is bright, symmetrical, and generally well-aligned—qualities many patients would already consider ideal. And yet, as with many high-performing professionals in the dental field, even minor imperfections can weigh heavily on one’s confidence. Sherelle is no ordinary patient. As the receptionist at Smile Doctor Mona Vale—one of the most respected dental practices in Sydney’s Northern Beaches—she plays a crucial role in patient communication and care. In fact, she often uses her own journey as a live example to help patients understand what’s possible with thoughtful smile design. This case reminds us that aesthetic dentistry isn’t just about fixing the obvious—it’s about listening, understanding subtle dissatisfaction, and finding...

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