Your Dentist the Artist? You Better Believe It!

nk">with. He might place one tooth at a slightly
Washington, DC—Dentists designing “smiledifferent angle, or on a slightly different plane. He
makeovers” are in demand for more than theirmight create a slight overlap here, a brighter
technical skill in placing crowns, veneers andshade there—to give a new smile that authentic,
implants. Today’s sophisticated consumerslived-in look.
are aiming for natural-looking teeth. They want aDr. Deutsch credits a focus on physical features
dentist with good taste as well as good hands.as a key ingredient in performing hundreds of
Enter the dentist as artist.successful smile makeovers.
Dentists achieving acclaim for being at the“Patients with a longer face look better with
forefront of providing wonderful smiles get itteeth that are wider, not long and narrow, and
when it comes to making people—not justopen edges between teeth create a more
smiles—more beautiful.youthful look,” says Dr. Deutsch. “Patients
“It should look like you were born with thoseshould seek out dentists who are aware of these
teeth,” says Dr. Daniel J. Deutsch, at theesthetic components of smiles—to get the best
Washington Center for Dentistry, in Washington,possible result.”
DC. “Creating a new smile that is right forSo, how do dental consumers find the dentist
every patient means that you look at thewho possesses artistic skill as well as technical
person’s age, the shape of the face andability? One way, is to find a dentist with photos
lips, the color of the skin, even the body type.”of his or her original work. The photos of actual
And since everyone’s natural teeth are notpatients can provide a feel for how well a
perfect, he adds small “features” in hisdentist’s taste agrees with a
smiles that normally show up in teeth we grow uppatient’s preferences.