Have you ever noticed that all newscasters and television personalities seem to be "blessed" with a beautiful smile sporting perfectly shaped white teeth? Researchers have shown that people make snap judgments about a person's social and intellectual abilities just by the appearance of their teeth. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry over 92 percent of adults surveyed believe an attractive smile is an important asset.
With this emphasis on the importance of an attractive youthful smile, it is no wonder that dentistry has come a long way in creating the smile that the public wants. Today a client, no longer called a patient, can come to a dental office and in two visits change both the shape and color of their teeth. "Much of the dental treatment we do today is elective."
According to Dr. Kenneth Hilsen of Ridgewood Dental Associates, "people no longer come to just repair what they were born with, but rather, want to enhance their appearance with cosmetic dentistry." Adjustments to the teeth can make lips look plumper, laugh lines can be erased and the whole bottom portion of the face can take on a more youthful appearance. It is like a facelift from the inside out! Make-up artist Bobbi Brown has been quoted in Oprah Magazine saying "that having you teeth whitened totally lightens up your face and makes you look years younger."
The trend in dentistry today is to make the color of teeth whiter than ever before. Dr. Samani, also of Ridgewood Dental Associates, says he has seen a tremendous change in what shade people choose today from when he started practicing dentistry. Dental laboratories have added whiter teeth to their shade guides to meet today's demands.
The changes in color and shape can be achieved by various methods or combinations of procedures. Clients can opt to have their teeth capped, which allows them the greatest control over shape, size and color. Laminates or veneers are the fastest and least invasive choice whereby color and shape can be altered almost immediately. If a tooth is missing, implants can be placed and a tooth can be given to the patient the same day.
Client, Alice Materasso, the owner of the store Alice Alice Alice in Ridgewood, always wanted a beautiful smile to go with her total image. "Dr. Hilsen helped me achieve what I always wanted," she says. Her greater than life-size smile can be seen in the photo gallery at RDA. Fraser Seitel, a prominent public relations spokesman that is often seen on TV, says, "an attractive smile is a necessity in my industry." More and more business people that speak to groups as well as salespeople are realizing the importance in having a great smile. According to an Oxford University study cited in the Journal of Economic Psychology, "smiling appears to promote trust among strangers in a one-time bargaining interaction." Surely this is an advantage that business executives, as much as any other professionals, can benefit from, particularly when navigating a public speaking engagement and it's aftermath.
Ridgewood Dental Associates has found the use of portraits very helpful in analyzing what changes need to be made to a client's teeth to achieve their dream smile. According to Dr. Masis Yeterian of RDA, we installed our own photography studio because we found it indispensable in showing our patients the dynamic changes that can occur using advanced aesthetic dentistry. We make a gift of a framed "after" photograph to clients of their completed cases. That is when you really get a great smile!"
- Written by Ridgewood Magizine
Dr Kenneth Hilsen, Prosthodontist and Makeover Dentist - Providing services in cosmetic dentistry and dental implants to the areas of Ridgewood and Bergen County.
Bergen County cosmetic dentistry
© copyright 1997 - 2008, Dr. Hilsen - Ridgewood Dental Associates, all rights reserved