Step One in Any Extreme Makeover
by Ronald E. Tornwall, DDS
July, 2004
 

After attending a recent dental convention in Las Vegas and listening to the same Extreme Makeover Team that you may have seen on TV last season, I found myself very impressed by what they achieved. Because of the life-changing improvements I saw in the appearance of their patients, I have decided to revisit the subject of cosmetic dentistry.
 

Even though I have already discussed the technical aspects of cosmetic dentistry in a previous column, I think I failed to emphasize the most impressive thing about utilizing cosmetic dentistry.  It struck me quite profoundly after seeing some of the actual people who were fortunate enough to have their lives changed by the gifted cosmetic team, consisting of a dentist and two plastic surgeons in California.
 

In spite of the fact that all the patients also had plastic surgery to improve their physical appearance, they were most impressed with how much their overall appearance improved because of the dentistry procedures they received.  Initially, the producer of the Extreme Makeover television program, Howard Shultz, thought the most important aspect to achieve a dramatic makeover would be plastic surgery.  But once team member, Dr. William Dorfman, began to render his dental esthetic “magic” on the first few candidates, it was realized how important a person’s teeth are to their overall appearance. So much so, that all succeeding candidates were evaluated by the dental team members first, before any plastic surgery was planned. They discovered what most practicing dentists have always known; even with creative plastic surgery, physical beauty is often compromised without a really great smile.
 

It was their realization that a good-looking smile is extremely important to a person’s overall good looks and self esteem.  I guess I’ve always known this and probably decided to practice dentistry because good-looking smiles have always impressed me, even before I attended dental school. What I had possibly forgotten, however, until I attended the dental meeting in Las Vegas was just how proud I am to be a dentist. After all, my chosen profession can help keep all smiles, young and old, both healthy and attractive.
 

Because we now live in the “platinum age” of dentistry, as one lecturer described it, I think it behooves us all to keep our teeth healthy and attractive and to utilize the newest cosmetic techniques available to the dentist. After seeing the impact Dr. Dorfman’s cosmetic dentistry had on all his patients, I have found myself smiling a lot more because of the profound change their new smiles made in their lives.