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Chapter Three: The Power of the Smile | New York, NY

When you meet someone, what is the first thing you notice about them? Is it their eyes? Chances are, you are going to say their smile. Not only is it the most obvious feature of the face, but it is the most universally studied of all the facial expressions. Not only because they are beautiful, but because smile mean so much more than a happy thought. Smiles can tell someone about their health and can even lead to more success than you can imagine. It’s true – your smile is the window to your soul.

Smiles are like snowflakes. You have a smile that is unmatched by any other. It is distinct and is likely the feature that is remembered by others in networking situations. A great smile can boost your confidence and make you seem more intelligent, successful – someone that you want to know.

When you have flaws in your smile, it can affect your overall demeanor and health. As we age, our skin begins to sag and our bones begin to weaken. This will inevitably change the way our smile appears and can make us look sad when we don’t feel that way. This is where cosmetic dentistry comes into play.

Cosmetic dentistry has grown leaps and bounds from your grandparents’ dentistry. Nowadays, your dental experience is less invasive, less time-consuming and even sometime pain-free. Through the use of state-of-the-art technology, Dr. Rosenthal has revolutionized the smile. It is no longer an issue that concerns even the most timid dental patients; cosmetic dentistry can give someone their confidence and zest for life.

To learn more about the power of a smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Two: Myths, Deceptions and Misconceptions | New York, NY

When asked about they’re least favorite thing to do, many adults will say visit the dentist is at the top of the list. The reasons will vary, but it’s enough of an issue that many patients put off regular checkups as a result, making their dental health at risk for future issues. But dental anxiety is a real condition that affects many of our patients. Unfortunately, many of these fears lie within deeply held and unhealthy beliefs about oral health. In the book, Open Wider, Dr. Larry Rosenthal addresses and uproots these issues head on:

Dental visits are unpleasant. Have you been to a dental office lately? Big-screen TVs and aromatherapy are just a couple of the amenities there for you to relax and enjoy your dental experience.

Dental treatment is painful. Materials and bonding techniques are so advanced, patients are less aware that procedures are happening at all.

Teeth aren’t important features. Your teeth are not only responsible for your bite, but support the lower third of your face, affecting your overall appearance. You need to take care of all of your teeth.

Dental restorations last forever. Nothing lasts forever, and the better you care for them, the longer they’ll last.

Dentists aren’t doctors. DDS stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery. They aren’t scary like the movies say – they’re just normal people like you and me.

Dental procedures take a long time. With today’s dental advancements, basic dental procedures can be done as quickly as a pedicure or haircut.

Bad breath is diet-based. There are a few reasons you may have bad breath. If it becomes a common occurrence, it could be a health issue, like acid reflux or medication you are taking.

To learn more about dental myths, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter 20: Competence, Confidence, and Control | New York, NY

When a patient looks for a new dental professional, oftentimes they don’t exactly know what they are looking for. Each has a specific need and requirement but choosing the correct fit can be daunting and overwhelming. They all want to be taken care of properly, but because it is difficult to know if this is possible, they tend to choose the most confident dentist.

As a dental professional, it’s important to realize that we walk a fine line between confidence and cocky, so it is important to be up front and honest about your capabilities. Don’t mislead your patients into thinking you can do a certain procedure if you are unfamiliar. Claiming you are confident in things you haven’t experienced much of will only affect their experiences with you.

It is also important to be able to pivot, as no two patients are alike. There are always basics to follow, but not all smiles can be treated the same. Be able to change treatment options to suit the patient and be confident enough to tell a patient a certain treatment option isn’t the right one for them. If you aren’t the dental professional for them, tell them. Patients need to feel a sense on control in a scary situation, so have the confidence to be able to present what you can confidently provide to your patients. Let them be a part of the process. Tell them what to expect and answer any questions they have with certain facts and calming poise.

In addition, having a confident, capable staff is just as important as how you present yourself. Pick your dream team, make each other the best and give your patients an experience that will keep them coming back.

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Chapter 13: The Aesthetic Dream Team | New York, NY

It’s hard to argue the saying “there’s no I in team”, because behind every success is a team of people. Think about it – in any situation, there will always be a leader, but who are they leading? They need a team and dentistry is no different. To become the best, you must surround yourself with the best, and with that comes gorgeous smiles on happy, thankful patients. In chapter 13, we take a look at eight of Dr. Rosenthal’s “dream team” and how they are an integral part of the team…

Endodontist. An endodontist specializes in the roots of teeth, so all root canal work and diseases affecting the roots of the tooth fall into their lap.

Oral surgeon. When a patient needs a tooth extracted or some type of surgery to the face, it’s time to call in the oral surgeon.

Master ceramist. It is very commonplace for dental offices to send restoration work to a master ceramist in a lab to have cosmetic appliances created according to certain specifications.

Cosmetic or plastic surgeon. A cosmetic surgeon focuses their talents solely on face and neck issues a patient may have; a plastic surgeon who doesn’t have a particular focus.

Dermatologist. At times, a patient feels so downtrodden by their skin’s appearance, they begin to neglect their dental health as well. A dermatologist will improve the skin flaws a patient may have.

TMJ surgeon. Patients with sleeping issues have a whole separate specialist that works wonders with TMJ disorder and breathing issues.

Periodontist. Before any cosmetic work is done, a patient needs healthy gums. This is where a periodontist comes in.

Orthodontist. The orthodontist is called when a patient needs help with their “mouth posture”.

To learn more about Dr. Rosenthal’s personal dream team, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Eleven: The Trial Smile | New York, NY

When you’re in the market to buy something new, having a sample of what you’re buying is always a great way to be sure it’s what you really want. After all, you don’t buy a car without giving it a test drive? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have the same options when it comes to surgery? There is – dental surgery. With today’s technology, you can now test drive your smile before you buy. It’s called a trail smile.

Temporaries, or provisionals, is the template created so a patient can see a preview of their options, and there are plenty. Color, brightness, size, shape and texture can all be realized without a single ounce of pain or inconvenience. It is a great way to show patients that may be leery about a smile makeover, just what to expect. If they don’t like a certain aspect, we change it. We are in the search of designing YOUR perfect smile.

For the first level of the trial smile, we create an intraoral mock-up. Materials are sculpted to create a visual for the patient. Resin is used to visualize the length and color of the teeth and take measurements. The second level is the shaping and sculpting of each tooth. This is where the patient can give their thoughts on the way their teeth look. The third and final level is for those patients with more difficult cases, like flared teeth. It is an easier way to adjust the tooth’s angle without moving the entire root.

A trial smile is a great way for a patient looking for a smile makeover to experience what this transformation feels like in their everyday life.

To learn more about a trial smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Ten: The Smile Lift | New York, NY

We all fear the aging process. No one wants to get older, much less look older. But, sadly, time waits for no man. As we age, our face begins to change. Our teeth begin to discolor and shift, the muscles in our face begin to lose its youthful elasticity. And as our face begins to sag, a phenomenon called facial collapse, oftentimes causing us to feel self-conscious.

When this happens, where is the first place we turn? Yes, the cosmetic surgeon. We want face-lifts and augmentations to various areas of our faces, in the hopes that we miraculously hold onto the last days of our youths. The problem is, when your procedure doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, it’s difficult to repair the damage.

This chapter discusses another option to the cosmetic surgery – a smile lift. It is likely that you’ve never heard of this dental procedure, but it can make a 50-year old person look ten years younger with little invasive techniques or pain. Sound impossible? It’s time to make an appointment with your dental professional.

During this consultation, you will get together and design your smile. Size and color of teeth, the shape, everything is now in your hands. Afterwards you will receive what is called a trial smile as a template. This way you can take a “test drive” with your new smile. When all is perfect, your smile is created and there you have it – the smile you’ve always wanted, all yours for at least the next eight years!

To learn more about a visual guide to the smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Eight: The Artistry of Dentistry | New York, NY

Georg Simmel said it best when he wrote, “There is no other structure like the human face which merges such a great variety of shapes, and surfaces into an absolute unity of meaning.” After all, the anatomy or our beauty is directly linked to science – because we are natural beings. Leonardo da Vinci proves this with his famous drawing Homo ad circulum and carries it forward by creating one of the world’s most famous smiles on the Mona Lisa. That said, aesthetic dentistry seems to be the dental way to enhance a typical face with cosmetic dental procedures.

In Dr. Larry Rosenthal’s eyes, the smile is a stage. And thus, he looks at a patient’s smile in a bigger picture. It isn’t simply the teeth showing, but how the face contours that smile and how each facial feature combines to create a complete “masterpiece”.

In this chapter, we learn how to create a larger canvas of a patient’s face in order to design a more aesthetically pleasing look. He breaks down the various areas, from the horizontal divisions of the face, inter-pupillary line and facial midline. Based on what these lines dictate will help your dental professional figure out the proper treatment program to give you, not only a fixed smile, but the best smile for your face.

To learn more about a visual guide to the smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Seven: Secrets to a Brighter Smile | New York, NY

Because we cannot escape the constant presence of the “selfie”, having a great smile is key to looking your best. Unfortunately, most of us do not have the whitest teeth possible. This is likely due to some type of lifestyle choices we are making, both good or bad. Bad habits like smoking are obviously hurting the shade of your teeth but taking certain prescriptions can also cause some coloration damage. The good news is that we can do something about brightening our smile, from basic dietary changes to a professional treatment session. Simple changes to our lifestyle can not only improve our dental health, but our overall health as well.

In this chapter, Dr. Larry Rosenthal shows us some tips to keeping our smiles as bright as we can. We present “Doctor Larry’s Guide to Whitening”…

  • Use a straw when drinking dark-colored, carbonated, or acidic beverages
  • Eat detergent foods high in roughage that stimulate saliva flow
  • Brush after every meal with a soft toothbrush or electric toothbrush
  • Cut out sugary beverages or limit them to mealtime
  • Floss daily or use an oral irrigator
  • Use toothpastes and mouthwashes with fluoride whitening agents
  • Change your toothbrush every month or two, tops
  • Get your teeth professionally whitened no more than once a year
  • Ask your dentist about using home whitening products between professional sessions
  • Use bleaching agents in moderation

To learn more about a visual guide to the smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Six: Three Levels of Care | New York, NY

As a dental professional we walk a fine line with our patients that know exactly “what they need” and cannot be convinced otherwise, and patients that have no clue what they need because all they know if that it hurts or is ugly and would like it fixed. The former is a much tougher patient because they will insist upon treatment options that may not be the best for them because “someone told them about this particular option”, and their teeth look fantastic. It is our job to figure out a way to convince them that they can trust you enough to know what is best for their smile. And it all comes down to three levels of care – where health equals beauty.

Level one: oral health care and maintenance. Our mouths are the first line of defense for many of the illnesses and infections we encounter in our lives. And in order to keep ourselves healthy, it is important to maintain a proper level of dental hygiene and maintenance in order to keep our bodies running. Proper daily dental hygiene routine and consistent checkups will ensure that this happens.

Level two: restorative care. When it comes to restorations, it is important to discuss five key points: comfort (how the restoration feels), convenience (how long the procedure takes), durability (how long it will last with proper upkeep), affordability (and if it fits within budget) and appearance (how they feel mentally).

Level three: aesthetic care. When discussing dental treatment options, it is also important to give aesthetic options as well. The color, size and shape of the teeth themselves, how much are visible when in use and their improved overall appearance.

To learn more about a visual guide to the smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.

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Chapter Five: The Smile Assessment | New York, NY

In the age of the selfie, it is important to many that their appearance is always on point. We get our nails done and our hair cut on a regular basis, we find the nicest clothes we can afford to always look our best. But more important is our smiles. For most of us, we have plenty of things we would like to change.

What if you could have that smile you always dreamed of? It is important that you take a good look at what exactly you would like done so you can properly discuss an appropriate treatment plan with your dental professional. Before your initial consultation, think about these six questions:

Priorities. What would you like to accomplish? Give a basic but honest idea of what you your goals are at the end of this process.

Health. How is your health? Do you have any toothaches or irritations developing inside your mouth? Your dental health will play a part in what dental procedures are available to you.

Hygiene. How is your hygiene? As a reminder of the previous question, keeping your dental hygiene routines is very important.

Appearance. How do you feel about your appearance? Really take a look at your features, both facial and your smile and express your concerns.

Fear. How do you feel about visiting the dentist? While many have some type of fear of the dentist, today’s technology can relieve any concerns you may have.

Cost and convenience. What are your views of the time and money involved? Dental work can become expensive and time-consuming, depending on your particular case. Take this into consideration as well when deciding on your next step.

To learn more about a visual guide to the smile, get your copy of Open Wider from Amazon.com today!

If you are interested in dental college courses, contact Aesthetic Advantage at 212-794-3552 to register today! Or visit www.aestheticadvantage.com for additional information.

Aesthetic Advantage proudly serves New York, Atlanta, Florida, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Boston, Rhode Island, California, South Carolina, North Carolina and all surrounding areas.