2010 April

These days almost every dentist calls him/herself a “cosmetic dentist”. It’s the glamour job in dentistry. I’ve actually been performing cosmetic procedures since the 70’s. Before I left my practice in Ohio 4 years ago, I was performing cosmetic cases almost exclusively because I had developed a reputation for that type of work there. Since I basically started my practice from scratch in Boulder, my reputation for excellence in cosmetic dentistry is taking a while to develop here.

However, the other day, I was reminded why I love to do that type of work. We had a patient in for a follow up appointment a few weeks after completion of some cosmetic treatment. We’ll call the patient Bill (not his real name). Bill had simply had two old crowns on his two upper front teeth replaced. The originals were done 30-35 years ago and didn’t match and were too bulky looking. They also had dark areas at the gumline. Bill had developed a certain way of smiling that hid the teeth he didn’t like. In addition, his left eye tooth was too small and made his smile too narrow for his face. On my suggestion, we placed a porcelain veneer on the eye tooth to widen his smile. I forgot to mention that Bill also bleached his teeth before we started this treatment.

When Bill came back for his follow up appointment, he told me several times that he was VERY satisfied with the results of his treatment. We did some minor adjustments on his bite and took some after pictures of his smile. My assistant, Jessica, took his after photos. Two days later, out of the blue, she mentioned to me how Bill’s reaction to his new smile had made her feel really good that she had been part of his treatment. Her comment made me realize why I have always enjoyed doing cosmetic cases more than any other type of dentistry, even though the cases are more time consuming and stressful than routine dentistry.

When we viewed the after photos of Bill’s smile compared to the before photos, there was an obvious difference. It’s hard to explain, but you could tell that Bill felt much better about his appearance. He looked more confident and exuberant. His smile was bigger and brighter. Both Jessica and I felt proud that we had helped improve Bill’s quality of life. It was easy to see that a smile comes to his face easier now than it used to.

Over the years, I have always noticed that what I call “smile therapy” can make a huge difference in a patient’s life. If you want to see what I mean, click on the “Before and After” photos on my Home page. Notice how the patient’s face always looks a little strained in the “before” picture but more relaxed in the “after” picture. When someone doesn’t like a certain aspect of their smile, they develop an unnatural way of smiling to cover it up. When I make changes in a patient’s smile that allows them to smile more easily, I feel really good about what my professional skills have given me the ability to do.