Folks often wonder what it’s like to transform their smile, but they stumble on what questions to ask or where to begin. I believe my patients paint the clearest picture of the experience. Here, I’ll share stories from three of my patients who said it best. I have abbreviated their names to protect their privacy.
Patient #1: A Conservative Approach
Patient #1 had this to say about her smile transformation: “Dr. Wolfe fixed my teeth and was very perfectionistic about it, which I appreciate. It’s my smile! He is also conservative in his approach which I greatly appreciate. Highly recommend this practice.”
In A.’s case, we began conservatively, completing several interior cosmetic composites. This allowed us to have a starting point. If she wants to do more at any point, she is all set for veneers or cosmetic treatment. If she wants to eventually do a full smile design, veneers or crowns are options for her. In the case that she proceeded in that direction, we would do a digital wax-up to show her what it looks like virtually before diving into the actual procedure.
We just saw A. a few weeks ago, and she’s really happy with the outcome of her smile transformation even without taking any additional steps. As long as she’s happy, we’re happy. The approach she’s taking is great for anyone who doesn’t want to do anything irreversible.
Patient #2: A Full-Mouth Transformation
Another patient, T., shared: “Dr. Wolfe recently performed a dental implant for me. He has deep concern for his patients. His entire team is customer-oriented with high regard to patients. I recommend them to anyone seeking implants.”
T.’s was an interesting case, as he needed a lot of his lower teeth removed on the front. Lower-teeth cosmetic cases are not very common. We didn’t do an implant because he didn’t have enough bone due to infection, so we did a bridge. It turned out well, and he was really happy. There were a lot of steps involved. We took out his teeth, made a digital copy of his existing teeth and made a temporary bridge using the Cerec machine, which is known for “crowns in a day.” He had a nice smile for the six to eight weeks before we placed the permanent teeth. Once he healed, we placed the permanent bridge.
Patient #3: Quelling Nerves for Great Outcomes
Even this week, someone chipped a tooth and called me a “miracle worker” when I fixed his smile in under five minutes.
I had another patient, R., who was nervous to the point of crying. The dental team and I talked with her and listened. Once we placed the temporary implants, she calmed down and got excited. It’s a process, but our patients are worth it.
R.’s was a cosmetic case with root-canal-treated teeth plus malocclusion. We did a combination of veneers and crowns to enhance the appearance of her smile. We did root canals on her two front teeth then prepared her anterior teeth for four veneers and two crowns across two appointments: one to prepare the teeth, the other to place them. She was really pleased with the result.
From the smallest to the largest cases, I feel good about outcomes when the patient is really happy.