cosmetic dentistry - beauty & science

30 I I opinion _ un-cosmetic dentistry cosmeticdentistry 3_2012 _While there are some occasional references to concern about the overuse of porcelain, many articlesindentaltradepublicationsshowoffbefore and after dental makeovers that from my perspec- tive were quite satisfactory prior to expensive in- tervention.Iwillnotarguethattherearepeoplewho truly have displeasing smiles and they can benefit greatly from cosmetic dentistry, but all too often peoplewithbody-imageissuesrelatedtoadistorted perception of their teeth seem to be easy victims. “Smilorexia” is the fanciful term I coined for this disorder, which appears to affect attractive young women more than others. If you open the pages of any journal published by the American Association ofCosmeticDentistry,youwillnodoubtfindatleast oneortwoofthesepatientshavingextensiveveneer treatment that could easily have been avoided with unbiased professional advice. The problem is that toomanydentistshavededicatedtheirlivestopure cosmetic dentistry, which is often based on using porcelain as a cure-all. Sadly, many of the cosmetic dentists recognised as the top tier appear to use their standing as a li- cencetodrill.Itistimetoadoptasignificantchange in philosophy if the dental profession wishes to maintain any level of integrity. Lip service to con- servativecosmeticdentistrymeansnothing.Totru- ly practise “un-cosmetic dentistry”, a dentist must back away from ceramics and make use of com- posite to restore worn edges in combination with orthodontics to correct alignment. This style of treatment does not have to be un- profitable. It does not have to be only for the sim- plest of cases either; actually, very complex cases canbetreatedtoahighstandardwhenmultipledis- ciplines are employed together. The collaboration ofspecialistscanbeonealternative,butforpatients on a budget or in areas with lower access, a general dentist trained in advanced therapies can offer comparable results for a fraction of the fee. _Biggest bang for the buck— The STO combo Let’s cut to the chase: if you are a general dentist andwanttoknockyourpracticeoutoftheparkwith new opportunities, look at venturing into the realm of advanced shorter-term braces. I specifically say “shorter” because your goal needs to be always try- ingtobefasterbecausepeoplehatebeinginbraces, and aligners are often too slow or they do not give the dentist enough control of tooth movement. ThereareanumberofdentistswhopromoteSTO, but I developed my own system before I had heard ofanyotherssoIhavesomedifferentideas.Frankly, levelling and aligning simple orthodontic cases is easyandcanbelearnedthroughjustashortcourse, “It is time to adopt a significant change in philosophy...” Un-cosmetic dentistry Are you ready to reduce your dependence on porcelain restorations? Author_Dr Michael Zuk, Canada