Kristie CerutiBy Kelsi Matylewicz/Benco Dental Social Media Intern
Whether eliminating physical pain from your daily life, conquering a “reluctant” smile, or even “selling beauty,” it’s difficult to put a price on a better tomorrow.
A New York Times report on noninvasive cosmetic surgery, such as veneers, explains how they have helped three people feel more confident about their look.
Philip Fear, 49, a radiologist, has helped build a physicians’ group in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to over 20 doctors. And his successful practice means that he is often asked to give lectures to medical groups.
But he shared with nytimes.com that though he is “a happy person,” he had been reluctant to smile because his teeth were badly stained from a combination of genetic factors and an antibiotic he took as a child.
So last fall, Dr. Fear spent $60,000 to have porcelain veneers put on his teeth. “I feel more confident,” he said. “I feel a lot better about my teeth.”
He is among a growing number of people who believe that a little work will make a big difference in their careers and their overall well being.
Read more about Allie Wu, 31, who resolved several oral health issues (her speech was better, her lisp was gone, she could eat normally, and the veneers corrected her teeth color and functionality) by having her teeth lengthened by Dr. Michael Apa (pictured above), and Julien Farel, a French-born hairstylist who said that at age 45 he felt that he had to have something done to continue to look young at:
When you charge $1,000 for a haircut, as Farel does, paying $3,000 a tooth may not seem such a stretch. His haircuts last six months; his new teeth could last 20 years, noted the Times.
Says Manhattan-based cosmetic dentist Dr. Apa: “The best advice I can give people is to really utilize the consultation as much as possible and get a real understanding of what they’re in for,” he said. “It’s hard to say what the teeth are going to look like. The best way is to see countless before-and-after photos. You should ask for cases similar to yours.”
He continues: “There is no such thing as a white tooth,” said Dr. Apa, who worked on Dr. Fear’s and Ms. Wu’s teeth. “Teeth are yellow-white when you’re young and gray-white when you’re older.”
