Cosmetic dentists do more than transform smiles; in many cases, they transform lives. Dr. David Blaustein, a NYC cosmetic dentist, says that the individual stories of every patient who walks through the door of Chelsea Dental Aesthetics are what make his job so rewarding.
“Some people are born with imperfections that have been a source of embarrassment throughout their lives. Others have recently lost teeth due to an accident, sports injury, or tooth decay,” Dr. Blaustein explains. “Sometimes patients have had work done elsewhere that didn’t meet their expectations or needs, and it always feels good to fix that for them.”
While positive reviews can be found online, Dr. Blaustein doesn’t share confidential stories from his patients. However, many people choose to share their inspiring cosmetic dentistry success stories online, illustrating the profound impact dental work can have on a patient’s life.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry told the story of “Cynthia,” a woman who had been verbally and physically abused for five years before she gathered the courage to leave her abuser. While the violence had dissipated from her life, she was left with missing and damaged teeth that prevented her from truly moving on.
“I am a public speaker. I try to use my experience to help other people,” she said. However, she feared that her bad diction due to the gap-toothed smile was taking away from the message she meant to convey. Furthermore, her damaged smile was impacting her everyday life. She recalled, “I did not feel like myself anymore. People treated me differently. My self-esteem was at an all-time low. It is amazing how a smile or lack of smile can change your life so dramatically.”
Now that her smile has been restored, she says she experienced “a renewed sense of hope and joy, strength and purpose.” Cynthia is now enrolled in college and pursuing a Master’s Degree in social work to help others affected by domestic violence.
Many individuals face increased scrutiny in working with the public. People can be so cruel, as “Belinda,” a nurse from Alaska, can attest. She had always been self-conscious about her smile, but matters were made worse when a patient referred to her as “Extreme Makeover Ugly” – a moniker that stuck. Shortly thereafter, she applied to ABC’s Extreme Makeover twice, but was rejected. She transferred to north Florida for work when the opportunity arose and sought help from a cosmetic dentist in Boca Raton to start a new life.
Her new smile required multiple advanced procedures, including anterior crown lengthening of her lateral incisors and upper bicuspid rotation. She was to receive 14 custom DaVinci porcelain veneers, porcelain onlays, four Lava (3M) ceramic crowns to correct spacing issues and two porcelain-fused high noble metal crowns on her upper molars. She later emailed the office to say that she now can’t stop looking at her new teeth.
At 47, she said she felt as though her life has begun anew. She thanked the doctor for having “the vision and then the artistry and expertise to see beyond that face and those UGLY teeth” to find the real Belinda.
The American Academy of Implant Dentistry tells Jan Plessner’s story. She was a former Kawasaki PR manager featured on the cover of Lady Moto Magazine online in summer of 2012. Yet, she was embarrassed of her smile. Jan was born missing 12 upper and lower teeth in the back of her mouth, which forced her to chew crookedly to conquer crunchy foods like carrots. Over time, her teeth wore down rapidly. “My teeth were getting shorter. They were fading away,” she said. She chose dental implants after cracking a tooth snowboarding.
Three specialists from California gave Jan a sinus graft to support the new teeth and placed four dental implants, in addition to eight upper crowns and 12 lower crowns. She had to wear braces for a year and a half in preparation for her total mouth reconstruction – which was the hardest part – but now she’s enjoying every kind of chewy and crunchy food and enjoying life to the fullest.
With IV sedation, she said the process was “no big deal,” despite describing herself as a person with low pain tolerance. “I’m a happy person and my new smile matches who I am inside,” she said.
Contact NYC Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Blaustein at 347-774-4015 to write your own smile success story!
