Word Of Mouth – A Dental Blog

This week I presented a lecture to the Oral Surgery and General Practice Residents at New York-Presbyterian Hospital where I am on staff as a voluntary attending dentist.  I was asked to speak about implants and aesthetic dentistry- certainly an interesting topic. 

I had an opportunity to speak to them about the changes I’ve seen in implant dentistry over a 25 year time frame as the result of scientific frontiers that have been continually pushed outward.  But just as importantly, I had the opportunity to speak to them about what I call, “The Psychology of Beauty”.

We live in a society where more of us than ever before want to look good and feel good.  And for many, feeling good about themselves is tied in to feeling good about the way they look. We live in a society where baby boomers want to look better than their parents did at a similar age and where, right or wrong, it takes but 15 seconds for an observer to make decisions about who we are based on visual images (note the Susan Boyle phenomenon).  I tried to educate the residents about the psyche of the patients they are treating; about their expectations based on what they see on TV and in the media, and how their self esteem can be affected by our results.

 We spoke about the origins of plastic surgery and the first documented procedures in 600BC; the evolution of plastic surgery from an art and science dedicated to making disfigured patients fit into their society to one trying to make patients look better than others in society.  I spoke about the phenomenon of TV shows like “Extreme Makeover” and how programs showing significant improvement in body image impact on the self-image of the individual.  And I discussed with them how this evolution, indeed revolution, in technique and social thinking impacts on their successful delivery of aesthetic implant procedures. 

Studies by  Ellen Berscheid, at the University of Minnesota, and books such as “Survival of the Prettiest”  by Nancy Etcoff, PhD  cite the importance our society places on “good looks” and the “raison d’être” of the beauty industry.  After all, the eyes and smile are the first two features someone looks at when they meet you for the first time.  And many have come to realize the importance of a pleasing smile in both their personal and professional lives.

Of course I also addressed dental technique and process, and aesthetic and diagnostic criteria so essential to being successful.  But I think the idea of presenting information on “the psychology of beauty” and how this affects our patient’s expectations is another important consideration in the learning experience.

As always, thanks for listening.

RMS

We’re all excited to be posting the first entry on our new blog!

We’ve spent close to 12 months revamping our web site, trying to make it more contemporary, user friendly and relevant to our patients. We hope to make this blog another educational tool for our patients to use. Our hope is to use these pages to bring you information that will be viewed as relevant to your dental experiences.

I have strong beliefs that some in dentistry place too great an emphasis on aesthetics, neglecting the health, comfort and functional aspects of care. For me personally, there is nothing more rewarding than creating a beautiful smile for a patient. Often times the greatest change isn’t on the outside, it’s on the inside; increased self confidence and self assurance, and a better self image is a wonderful thing to observe, knowing that you played a role in changing someone’s life. But to create a more attractive smile while neglecting the health and comfort of the rest of the mouth is simply not acceptable to me.

Many patients presenting for cosmetic care assume that good health, proper function and comfort come along automatically with the beauty. Far too often this is an incorrect and mistaken assumption. We have been trained as biologists, scientists and clinicians. Patients should ask for and expect a comprehensive, integrated approach to their dental health care. It’s our obligation as dentists to fulfill those expectations.

My hope is that we will use this blog to support our beliefs about dental health, comfort and beauty.

Ms. Trish Rubin will be blogging about her experiences in our office as she undergoes ongoing dental treatment. She has graciously accepted my invitation to discuss her goals, fears, expectations and experiences as she undergoes a complex care plan that addresses her concerns and realizes her goals of achieving not only a beautiful smile but also one that is healthy and comfortable.

We anticipate posting articles relevant to both dental and general health and hope, at times, to post articles written by authorities in other health related areas. We will also try to post articles and comments about facial aesthetics, and beauty in general.

We invite your participation and your comments about how you feel, what’s important and relevant to you!

As always, Thanks for listening