My cosmetic dentistry case
In many ways, the term “cosmetic dentistry” is a misnomer. Yes, a cosmetic dentist well trained in aesthetics is able to give you a gorgeous smile. But the term “cosmetic” is usually taken to mean something that is a surface cover-up, not extending beyond appearance to function.
Cosmetic dentistry, done properly, is much more - it's about the health and functioning of the entire mouth, including a properly aligned bite. Take dental implants, for instance. Dental implants are often performed as part of a whole mouth reconstruction plan. They are seemingly not “cosmetic” per se, other than replacing a tooth, which is something that can be accomplished with a bridge, but they can be an important adjunct to cosmetic dentistry.
Long before I met Dr. Golpa or starting learning about cosmetic dentistry, I did a little preliminary research on my own case. I had four pre-molars where my permanent teeth never formed. While I was fortunate to hold on to those teeth designed to last for only a few years, much longer than expected, I did lose one in my 20’s, another in my 30’s, and a third in my 40’s. What I learned about the loss of teeth is the importance of the root in the jaw. Without the root, the jaw begins to lose bone, which can help contribute to early facial aging and movement of the remaining teeth. So while a dental implant may culminate in a pretty white tooth where one was missing, what’s going on beneath the gum is even more important. The titanium posts hold the place of the missing root, supporting the jaw’s structure and preventing further bone loss. If you’ve ever seen somebody with dentures, especially with the dentures removed, you have an idea of how the facial structure can “collapse” without a properly aligned bite and healthy jaw to support it. So in many ways, the health of the mouth and jaw are the foundation for the entire face, something the vain among us should seriously contemplate. Back when I lost my second tooth, I read about this bone loss and asked for a dental implant. I was told then that it could not be done - that being an upper tooth, it was too close to the sinus and there could be problems. I took the recommended bridge instead.
When I finally found myself in Dr. Golpa’s chair, looking at my X-rays, the effect of having a bridge on that upper tooth rather than an implant was right before my very eyes. My heart sank. It was clearly noticeable that my left sinus above the missing tooth had dropped considerably lower than the one on the right. My bone structure had literally shifted. Amazingly, Dr. Golpa felt he could remove the bridge and place an implant in that position, despite the fact the sinus was now much closer than it was for that dentist years ago - and so he did, with complete success. I had no complications and I can’t tell you how heartening it is to know that a lovely titanium post is now valiantly warding off further deterioration. Even if you don’t need or can’t have dental implants, but could use a smile makeover with porcelain veneers and/or crowns and bridges, there is another way that “cosmetic” dentistry moves beyond the surface to something more basic.
What I learned during the many interviews of Dr. Golpa’s patients, is that it creates quite a perceptible shift in attitude - both your own and that of others. What patient after patient told me was that they continued to be amazed at how their beautiful new smiles, which they quite often forget they have unless they're looking in the mirror, “brightened up” the world around them. For many, especially those who had serious problems or unattractive smiles, it was quite literally life-transforming. Of course they found themselves smiling a lot more and a lot less carefully. But most, while they thought that it would improve their confidence and their aura of success and friendliness, still found it hard to comprehend just how much it really did. Their healthy bright smiles were something people responded to positively in an unconscious way. I think it was the experience of these patients that did more to change the way I viewed cosmetic dentistry than anything else. Sure, it’s always great to have a dazzling smile, but it seemed the whole experience went a lot further than that and had a lot of unforeseen benefits. And Dr. Golpa’s patients consistently claimed that even the most fearful of them found, with skilled use of sedation dentistry, that the process was much less traumatic and painful than they thought possible.
I was a believer. Dr. Golpa was, in fact, a dentist I would be quite proud to write about professionally. And, he was the cosmetic dentist that I wanted to handle my own case.
Cosmetic dentistry, done properly, is much more - it's about the health and functioning of the entire mouth, including a properly aligned bite. Take dental implants, for instance. Dental implants are often performed as part of a whole mouth reconstruction plan. They are seemingly not “cosmetic” per se, other than replacing a tooth, which is something that can be accomplished with a bridge, but they can be an important adjunct to cosmetic dentistry.
Long before I met Dr. Golpa or starting learning about cosmetic dentistry, I did a little preliminary research on my own case. I had four pre-molars where my permanent teeth never formed. While I was fortunate to hold on to those teeth designed to last for only a few years, much longer than expected, I did lose one in my 20’s, another in my 30’s, and a third in my 40’s. What I learned about the loss of teeth is the importance of the root in the jaw. Without the root, the jaw begins to lose bone, which can help contribute to early facial aging and movement of the remaining teeth. So while a dental implant may culminate in a pretty white tooth where one was missing, what’s going on beneath the gum is even more important. The titanium posts hold the place of the missing root, supporting the jaw’s structure and preventing further bone loss. If you’ve ever seen somebody with dentures, especially with the dentures removed, you have an idea of how the facial structure can “collapse” without a properly aligned bite and healthy jaw to support it. So in many ways, the health of the mouth and jaw are the foundation for the entire face, something the vain among us should seriously contemplate. Back when I lost my second tooth, I read about this bone loss and asked for a dental implant. I was told then that it could not be done - that being an upper tooth, it was too close to the sinus and there could be problems. I took the recommended bridge instead.
When I finally found myself in Dr. Golpa’s chair, looking at my X-rays, the effect of having a bridge on that upper tooth rather than an implant was right before my very eyes. My heart sank. It was clearly noticeable that my left sinus above the missing tooth had dropped considerably lower than the one on the right. My bone structure had literally shifted. Amazingly, Dr. Golpa felt he could remove the bridge and place an implant in that position, despite the fact the sinus was now much closer than it was for that dentist years ago - and so he did, with complete success. I had no complications and I can’t tell you how heartening it is to know that a lovely titanium post is now valiantly warding off further deterioration. Even if you don’t need or can’t have dental implants, but could use a smile makeover with porcelain veneers and/or crowns and bridges, there is another way that “cosmetic” dentistry moves beyond the surface to something more basic.
What I learned during the many interviews of Dr. Golpa’s patients, is that it creates quite a perceptible shift in attitude - both your own and that of others. What patient after patient told me was that they continued to be amazed at how their beautiful new smiles, which they quite often forget they have unless they're looking in the mirror, “brightened up” the world around them. For many, especially those who had serious problems or unattractive smiles, it was quite literally life-transforming. Of course they found themselves smiling a lot more and a lot less carefully. But most, while they thought that it would improve their confidence and their aura of success and friendliness, still found it hard to comprehend just how much it really did. Their healthy bright smiles were something people responded to positively in an unconscious way. I think it was the experience of these patients that did more to change the way I viewed cosmetic dentistry than anything else. Sure, it’s always great to have a dazzling smile, but it seemed the whole experience went a lot further than that and had a lot of unforeseen benefits. And Dr. Golpa’s patients consistently claimed that even the most fearful of them found, with skilled use of sedation dentistry, that the process was much less traumatic and painful than they thought possible.
I was a believer. Dr. Golpa was, in fact, a dentist I would be quite proud to write about professionally. And, he was the cosmetic dentist that I wanted to handle my own case.
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