Community Magazine October 2003

16 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s ” xc D id you ever notice that some people have the habit of hiding their smile? They probably aren’t even aware that they do it. It usually starts because they are self- conscious about a dark tooth or a missing tooth. Whatever the reason… they hate to smile especially for photos. “Please, don’t take my picture!!!” If it’s a wedding or bar mitzvah or other happy occasion – you will notice that they keep their lips closed like George Washington or Mona Lisa. I have a friend that covers his mouth when- ever he speaks to anyone. He always looks like he is telling the person he is speaking to a secret. If you didn’t know this was his habit - you might get very paranoid think- ing he is telling secrets all the time. Barry Cohen, career counselor, advises those that are going for a job interview to smile and nod your head. This will give the one who is interviewing you a sense that you are pleasant and easy to get along with. On the other hand, people who cover their mouth when they speak or smile are sending a different king of message, “I’m hiding something” or “I’m not sincere”. Your smile is so powerful that any good receptionist will tell you, “People can see you smile through the telephone.” If smil- ing is important when you are on the tele- phone – how much more so in person. Very often the “solution” for our cam- era-shy friend is not as complicated as he or she thought it would be. The critical point is to make sure that the “solution” really solves whatever it is that makes them self-conscious. A young woman recently came into our office frustrated with her smile. “My teeth are so short – When I smile or speak - it looks like I have NO TEETH!!!” It took two visits to give her a smile that she was proud to share. A man with beautiful white teeth came in to see us because he was self-conscious about the spaces between his front teeth. “I look like a farmer.” It took one short visit and a little cosmetic bonding. “It’s like, ‘instant orthodontics’ – my spaces are closed.” Another woman came in because one of her two front teeth was dark. Twenty years ago she had banged her tooth in a bicycle accident. Over the years it became darker and darker. By “bleaching” the tooth from the inside - she was able to feel comfort- able about her smile after all these years. Improving your smile is not only for peo- ple with problem teeth. One young woman felt uncomfortable with her “gummy smile” We used a laser to trim away the overgrown gums around her teeth with NO BLEEDING. Now instead of tiny little teeth she has a beautiful smile in less than an hour. Years ago if you fell and broke your front tooth we would have needed to shave it down and “cap” the tooth. Recently, a young man came in with two front teeth broken into the nerve. Because his mother thought quickly – he came right over. He wasn’t sure if we needed the pieces of the broken teeth – but he brought them along anyway. He made a good decision. We were able to use the pieces to rebuild the teeth to exactly the shape and contour they were before the accident. As for the nerve – we were able to use the Denstat™ to dis- infect the nerve and avoid a root canal. A WIN-WIN situation His smile looks great and he was able to avoid the expense and aggravation of a root canal. Dr. Doueck has practiced restorative dentistry in the community for over 25 years and has taken over 1000 hours of advanced training. He is a clinical con- sultant to the Dental Advisor, a monthly publication. He is certified by the Academy of Laser Dentistry. His Associate Dr. Alan Azrak is a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry. His associate Dr. Jack Kassab has advanced training in Family Dentistry. B Y : D R . J A C Q U E S D O U E C K D D S Do you cover your mouth when you smile? CM