What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

In a recent interview, Dr. Garner had this answer:

Cosmetic Dentistry has existed for thousands of years in various forms. In the glory days of Egypt, teeth were sometimes adorned with jewels and gold. Ancient Romans scrubbed their teeth in urine (I know, gross…but it did make enamel whiter), and George Washington wore crude dentures in order to smile in public without the embarrassment of being toothless.

Today, Cosmetic/Aesthetic Dentistry includes anything from a simple contouring or reshaping of a single tooth to changing an entire mouthful of teeth with veneers, crowns, or other restorations to enhance a smile. In the past, many restorations were functional but unattractive. With the advances in present dental technologies, today’s dental work can be not only strong and long lasting, but also beautifully realistic and natural.

There are times when patients desire the supermodel/Hollywood smile, and times when they only want to perfectly match an implant crown to the surrounding natural teeth. Both are now a necessary part of modern dentistry.  It is primarily the God-given ARTISTIC abilities of the dentist that set normal apart from an OUTSTANDING outcome.

One thing is for certain – no one dislikes a gorgeous smile, whereas an unattractive smile may be revolting in some instances. I’ve had grown men break down and cry after seeing their handsome new smile for the first time in their lives after receiving cosmetic dentistry. I’ve had women come up to me and thank me again and again for immediately giving them the confidence they had always lacked. I’ve had seniors tell me that getting their smile enhanced was the best thing they’d ever done with their money because they felt like their teeth had always held them back and they felt before there was no hope for them.

To me, using my talents to improve a patient’s outlook on life is so much more rewarding than performing normal general dentistry to “fix” a cavity or such. What I do can be life changing, and I love that I can help people in that way.