“Breasts or teeth?”

On a warm October day, Sarah Kennedy posed the question of dueling self-improvement options to a girlfriend. “I realized that it was time to feel good about myself again,” recalls the recently divorced mother of two. “I figured, if I’m going to start dating, I’d much rather have a man that was attracted to my beautiful smile than to how well I filled out my top.”

Later that month, Kennedy became one of the tens of thousands of men and women who choose full-mouth reconstruction every year. After two visits to her dentist, Dr. Mike Gopla of New Age Smile – Cosmetic and Implantology, Kennedy is now sporting a bright new smile.

To even the most detail-oriented observer, Kennedy’s Hollywood-glam grin looks enviously natural. The thin porcelain veneers that were permanently bonded to her teeth serve several purposes. “I had a gap between my two front teeth, a couple that were chipped, and I never liked how my teeth seemed to be shaped differently. Plus, they were stained from smoking. The veneers completely changed my smile for the better,” she discloses.

Besides giving Kennedy a much-coveted new smile, Dr. Gopla also gave her piece of mind. According to the USC-trained doctor (he’s also performed Extreme Smile Makeovers for ABC), the incredibly strong layers of porcelain won’t stain or wear like natural teeth, meaning that Kennedy’s smile will be as brilliant a decade from now as they are today.

Helping newly-single folk with their self-image is only one aspect of full-mouth reconstruction. In addition to veneers, dental implants and natural-looking crowns are also available – improving both the appearance and health of patients nation-wide.

“I was a dentist’s nightmare,” declares James Nolan. Years of neglect and hard living had caught up with him. At the age of 54, Nolan had several severely cracked and missing teeth. “I refused to get dentures – that would have been too hard on my ego. Who wants to feel like the guy in a Fixadent commercial – excited that his teeth didn’t pop out when he bit into an apple?,” reflects the still-handsome ex-drummer.

A friend referred Nolan to Dr. Gopla, who immediately put his mind at ease. “Technological breakthroughs and skill can create amazingly natural results when it comes to dental implants,” says the doctor. The alternative to bridges and dentures, dental implants are permanent, provide a better fit and more attractive result. Skilled dentists can match both the color and shape of existing teeth, leading to an imperceptible change that can mean everything to a patient.

Nolan’s dental implants changed the way he goes about life. “Everything’s different. I can order anything off a menu, and not worry about whether I’ll be able to chew it. I laugh more, and not with my hand in front of my mouth. My family wonders why I smile so much, and I think it’s because I’m catching up on lost time. I don’t think I truly smiled for 15 years.”

Nolan doesn’t even need to flash his pearly whites to appear healthier and younger. Because the implants were located on the side and front of his mouth, his cheeks and lips now lay more symmetrically, improving his appearance. Of course, you’d never guess that Nolan was a dental implant patient.
“What I like best is that my smile looks entirely natural. The procedure was worth every penny,” confesses the grinning Nolan.

Patients can also benefit from new porcelain crown technology

“I had the trifecta of dental treatments,” gloats Clarence Haase. After two dental implants, four porcelain crowns and an upper set of veneers, Haase may be the poster boy of full-mouth reconstruction.
It wasn’t a lack of resources that prevented Haase from bunkering down in the treatment chair before he finally admitted defeat early last year. Instead, a hearty fear of everything dentist is what made this CEO sidestep doctors better than a Country music line dancer.

“I was petrified that the kind of work I needed would be painful, time consuming and a disappointment,” the now upbeat Haase admits.

His glass became half-full after his first procedure by Dr. Gopla: porcelain crowns. “I had old metal crowns that, for lack of a better word, were ugly. With the new porcelain crowns, you couldn’t even tell that I’d had work done,” he says. After consulting with Dr. Golpa regarding sedation dentistry (more on that later), Haase’s damaged teeth were crowned with porcelain. The natural translucency and shading of the new crowns, along with the ease of the visit to the dentist, encouraged Haase to continue on his often-diverted quest for oral health. Dental implants on two back teeth followed four months later, only to be outdone by veneers before the calendar changed.

“I have so much more confidence, both personally and professionally, since my full-mouth restoration. My only regret is that I didn’t do it 10 years ago,” says the recently married businessman.

The potential for pain seems to be a common disincentive for individuals who could benefit from a full-mouth reconstruction. Nolan, Kennedy, and Haase all cited the concern to Dr. Golpa at their initial consultation.
“Sedation dentistry has changed the field for the better,” says Dr. Golpa. With the assistance of medicines like Halcion, conscious sedation is now possible.

“I don’t even remember receiving the shot that numbed me, let alone any of the discomfort that may have occurred during the procedure,” says Nolan of his experience with conscious sedation. “After the medicine wore off, I felt like I had awoke from a nice nap. I wasn’t groggy, and I never even needed to use any of the pain medicine the doctor gave me as a precaution,” he continues.

“One of the reasons I selected Dr. Golpa was his skill and experience with needle-less sedation dentistry,” says Kennedy. In the best dental offices across the country, sedation dentistry can be accomplished by simply swallowing a small pill about an hour before the scheduled procedure.

Instead of feeling like you’ve consumed one too many Cosmos, folks that have undergone sedation dentistry liken it to deep relaxation. Accompanied by more traditional numbing techniques, the result is a painless, and forgettable, procedure.

Conscious sedation, which renders clients largely unaware but responsive, is advantageous for both “dental chickens” and people that require extensive work. In many cases, years of damage can be corrected in one multiple-hour session. Because more can be accomplished in one appointment, clients are able to enjoy the results of their full-mouth restoration sooner than they may expect.

A tiny pill isn’t the only prevention against nervousness and pain

In offices like New Age Smile, patients are further relaxed by the addition of a warm, quiet room and cozy blanket. Long gone are the days of uncomfortable, hypothermia-inducing treatment rooms featuring retina-searing lights and chairs straight out of a Frankenstein movie. Today’s dental environments boast home-theater-quality dental chairs, classy artwork and doctors that are as much artisans as medical practitioners.

The matter of safety is always an issue when it comes to dental treatments, particularly those that involve conscious sedation. “There is always a professional, most often myself, at the patient’s side, monitoring their reactions and vital signs,” says Dr. Golpa. “Sedation dentistry is incredibly safe, but that doesn’t mean that we become careless. Even though the possibility of a negative reaction is miniscule, as with any medical procedure, good doctors make sure that every precaution is taken to ensure the best results for our clients,” he states.

For some, the cost of full-mouth reconstruction can initially seem more prohibitive than the possibility of pain.
When considering veneers, porcelain crowns or dental implants, cost becomes an issue for most potential patients. “My insurance wouldn’t cover the veneers,” says Kennedy, “but when I thought about how much money I spend on silly things like fancy coffee and new shoes, I couldn’t justify not investing in my smile. It’s with me every day, and will last so much longer than a new Prada bag.”

Both Haase’s and Nolan’s insurance companies at least partially covered the cost of dental implants and crowns due to the increased health benefits of both procedures.

Many dental offices now offer both low- and no-interest financing for more costly oral treatments, as well.
In the end, regardless of who pays for what, patients who undergo full-mouth reconstruction agree that the price of the treatment is more than worth it. “I’m a different man,” states Haase. “I walk taller. I make more eye contact. I speak with more authority. It’s amazing what a new smile can do for a person,” he concludes.

In Kennedy’s case, a new smile meant a new boyfriend. “He said that he was drawn to me by my smile, and even after three months of dating, he says that my smile can still take his breath away. What more could a woman want?”

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