I had a car accident 15 years ago and injured my front teeth. One tooth, in particular, was going to be lost. I had a root canal and two dental surgeries to buy some time but, eventually, loss was going to happen.

Well, this year it happened. I lost the tooth. I was terrified of losing my front tooth and the aesthetics of the replacement. I was excited and relieved to be working at Donaldson & Guenther because I knew they were the ones to do the best work.

Dr. Donaldson removed the tooth, did an implant and made me a beautiful temporary. I had little to no pain. My family and close friends have noticed my “happier smile” but don’t know about the procedures. My natural smile has been enhanced. I had worried about this for years. I couldn’t be happier!

Lori

Today’s dentistry can lighten, straighten and enhance smiles so they are healthy and vibrant looking. A bright straight smile is almost expected in our culture. A smile that lacks those qualities becomes a visual distraction that has negative impact. Like cosmetic surgery, the results can be quite natural or “stretched.” Enhancement can blend in or draw attention to itself. The choice is or should be, the patients. Most of my patients seek a vibrant, healthy look that still looks real and doesn’t overly draw attention to itself. The goal is for friends to say, “You look great! What did you do? New hair, working out?” I have a patients that say, “I want super bright” or even ,”fake white.” That’s ok, because enhancement is about making good choices for yourself. We try to help our patients do that, by giving enough information for them to make intelligent choices that suite their life.

When I analyze a smile, the first thing I ask is, “Are there any visual distractors?” Color, shape, proportion, length, alignment, gumlines, and lip frame are all important factors. Most of us can tell the visual distractor if we pay attention to where our eye travels when we look at a smile. That is the key to solving the problem. Some people don’t have a distractor and simply desire enhancement. The possibilities are great.

Bleaching is a way to lighten natural tooth enamel. Home and in-office systems can both be successful. Subtle reshaping of natural teeth can improve and freshen the smile. Bonding can close smaller spaces and improve the shape of teeth. Porcelain can almost magically change a smile. Veneers are a new outer face on the teeth. Crowns wrap all the way around teeth. Often, we take a hybrid approach, resurfacing the front surface, biting edge and even the in-between surfaces without going all the way around the tooth. The more natural tooth we keep the better.

One question we often address is ,”How many teeth should be done?” That is a highly personalized question. My preference is to treat as few teeth as possible. Working on a single front tooth is one of the most challenging things in dentistry. It sometimes takes a couple try-in steps to ensure an excellent result. Doing two, four or six teeth is quite common. If we want a brighter and perhaps wider look to fill the smile, then we add one to three teeth on each side. So, it all varies greatly; again depending on the patients goals and desire.

I am biased. I want my work to be great for my patients now and for a long time to come. I love a beautiful smile. Plastic surgeons, hairdressers, make-up artists all know that a great smile is the most important part of making a person look more attractive and vital. We are able to enhance smiles so they are brighter, more uniform and attractive while still looking real. Last week while out to dinner, I saw one of my patients; a school teacher. She was dressed up, with make up on. Her face just glowed. The smile she flashed was our secret. No one would ever guess you were looking at dental artistry. It was bright and beautiful without being overdone.

Unfortunately, I almost squirm when I see a lot of the Hollywood smiles that almost scream, “FAKE!” Doing big bulky plain white teeth is easy. Lots of high volume production labs produce that stuff. When a dentist doesn’t need to pre-shape the teeth or gums, they are just going to bulk up the teeth like adding cheap false fingernails. The unfortunate consequence is usually a negative impact on the gum health, and difficulty speaking clearly and biting efficiently. How can you bite an apple when the edges of your teeth are two to four times their normal thickness? That is what happens with “instant” veneers and similar highly marketed procedures.

Too often, someone who buys the cheap, quick fix feels dissatisfied later and then looks for a more thoughtful approach. Treating something again is a lot more expensive than doing it well the first time. Quality is almost always the best long term value.

I have a saying; Run to failure, walk to success. Careful planning is essential to achieve consistent excellence. When I am doing important cosmetic, implant and restorative work for someone, I give reserve the time necessary to work on the small details that make that lifelike difference. It takes training, an eye and discipline. Some of the comments I hear patients make is, “ These are MY teeth. That’s how they feel! Not fake at all!” or, “ This is how they used to be! How did you know?”, or , “This is what I have always wanted. “ It’s why we say, “Dentistry As A Fine Art”.