Cosmetic Dentistry
Archive for the ‘Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS’ Category
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Veneers are great, they change smiles and lives. Over twenty years as a cosmetic dentist in Denver, I have placed MANY veneers. In fact I have fixed veneers from other offices as well.
One of my partnering services SmileVision sent me this nice summary about the current trends with veneers. The following are some advantages & disadvantages of minimal-prep or no-prep veneer cases, which dentists must be ready to deal with:
Advantages:
- Patients like the idea of not prepping making cases are easier
- Temporaries are often unnecessary, lowering the cost of treatment
- Restorations bond strongly to enamel, so these stay put
- Procedures are reversible if the results are not satisfactory
- There is minimal damage to the dental pulp
Disadvantages:
- Esthetic changes are limited
- Limited potential for color changes due to thin material
- Difficulties manufacturing, inserting and bonding the restorations
- Patient complaints about excessive bulk
- Flat esthetics due lack of room to create deep embrasures
These are the challenges each dentist must manage when making decisions about how to proceed with cosmetic cases. Success will never bee 100%, no matter which techniques are selected. Everything works in the right situation and nothing works in the wrong one.
So… the science of cosmetic dentistry really has to do with interpreting which type of veneers will work best for which patients. Some patients just want a simple improvement-these patients CAN be candidates for the no-prep veneers or Lumineers.
But… the longer I practice dentistry in Denver, I have found that largely the patients that come to see me want beautiful, close to perfect smiles, with a really natural look (visit our before and after photo gallery).
Have you ever met someone who just had teeth that were bigger than life? Or some sort of dental work that just jumped right off of their face? I think these cases are mistakes for both the patient and for cosmetic dentistry in general.
So, like a lot of things in life, one size does NOT fit all. If you are considering veneers, then first you need to find the right the right cosmetic dentist that understands the differences, and can give YOU a great explanation for what would work best for you. Contact us today, and let us help you make the right choice and get he smile you’ve been waiting for!
Posted in Denver cosmetic dentist, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, before and after gallery, before and after photos, cosmetic dentist Denver, porcelain veneers, veneers | No Comments »
Monday, April 19th, 2010
I wrote a training module for my staff last week. In summary, the concluding thoughts were: “We are here To Protect and To Serve”. No we don’t carry guns. No we don’t have cool badges. But other than that, the goal is the same for us as for our uniformed respected counterparts. We have your goodwill at the front of all that we do.
We are here to Protect. We are here to keep our patients far away from the ravages of unmanaged
dental problems. We are here to try to keep them away from that jaw-grabbing middle of the night toothache. We are here to keep them away from that broken tooth Monday morning before the meeting with the boss in from out of town.
We are also here to Serve our clients. This means, we constantly keep their best interest and outcomes at the forefront of all that we do. We offer clear communication, we offer a calm manner to how we deliver our care. We make efforts on our part, to deal with and to calm their
dental anxiety.
I have the highest regard for those who live the credo To Protect and to Serve every day. I say it as often as I can-THANKS for your efforts and putting your life on the line for the rest of us. It is a noble calling and noble service.
While my staff and I don’t take our lives in our hands everyday, we too take seriously that credo and want you to know your smile is safe with us!
Posted in Denver cosmetic dentist, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, cosmetic dentist Denver, dental anxiety, dental staff, protect and Serve | No Comments »
Saturday, April 17th, 2010
Simply put: Everyone is not a cosmetic dentist.
I appreciate the opportunity to invade your thoughts for a few moments with
my blogs. After practicing for over twenty years as a
cosmetic dentist in Denver, I find I have a lot of opinions about how
cosmetic dentistry is done.
I think there is a lot to the adage: “If you can’t say something nice about someone, then don’t say anything at all”. I have had some great mentors in
cosmetic dentistry along the way. The GREAT ones, were not only outstanding clinical
dentists, but beyond that they were a class act: in how they spoke, in how they handled “dumb” questions, and in how they taught. Those are the characteristics that I aspire to.
I rarely make negative comments about other dentists. I don’t think that serves the
profession of dentistry very well, and also, it puts patients to the side of the conversation, rather than in the middle where they should be.
to be, many TRY to be, but few actually produce amazing smiles, or perform profound services. I saw a gentlemen for a consultation recently. he had BIG spaces between many of his teeth. When he grew up, some of the teeth moved into the wrong spots. MANY difficult alignment problems. A very difficult plan.
A real
cosmetic dentist has the goal to create a REAL result. A smile that will fit that person’s personality and lifestyle. When the
veneers are done, our patient ought to feel like WOW, that’s amazing. I can’t believe I waited this long to have this done!
For this gentleman, his care starts with the right smile design. It’s my job to listen to him, find out what he REALLY wants, and find the easiest route to deliver it to him. The smile design process has to include: his preferences, comfort options during his care, and clear communication about what the results are predicted to look like (by using a smile simulation).
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentistry, Denver cosmetic dentist, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, Smile gallery, before and after photos, cosmetic dentist Denver, smile makeover | No Comments »
Friday, April 9th, 2010
I am often ranting to my staff, or to my wife, Tracy (who just wrote her first article in Examiner.com- check it out!). I rant from time to time about some of the things I am going to do when I have time.
For instance, when I retire, I want to go to the gym for two hours a day, ride my bike like crazy, try more hot yoga, play racquetball with my boys, travel whenever possible and go to lots of hockey games.
Really what this book will be about is the thought processes behind creating excellence. I decided I am going to call this book “Every #*!%ing Thing Matters” (because it does).
EVERY detail, in every moment of every dental appointment MATTERS. What gets said, how quickly, quietly or loudly you enter a room, how you phrase bad news….it all has a real emotional impact on the person sitting on the other side.
I think the largest element of this philosophy is you MUST be able to shut off your own mind about what’s important or interesting to you, and project yourself into the mind of that
cosmetic dentistry patient and see it all and feel it all they way THEY feel it.
Try it today. Go deep into the minds of your clients and see if it doesn’t change EVERYTHING for you (and more importantly ) for them!
If you are searching for
cosmetic dentistry in
Denver or Lakewood, or even some far off other place in
Colorado (heck- we even have patients who travel from out of state), feel free to contact us. We understand the trepidation in filling out that
contact us form, and wondering if it’s the right decision. We think you’ll find out VERY quickly that YOU matter to us, and we’ll make you feel that every step of the way.
Posted in Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, Examiner.com, cosmetic dentist Denver, porcelain veneers, smile makeover, veneers | No Comments »
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
Why is there SO much average to below-average information about cosmetic dentistry? Why is there such a volume of material out there on Google, Bing, Yahoo, Aol and the rest of the internet, and why is there really so little real helpful information?
The answer lies in the fact that MANY people are trying to place themselves high in the internet searches. There are a LOT of people writing blogs and posting information on the web. I propose to you that very little of it is actually written by
dentists, and most of it is written by companies trying to just help websites move up in the rankings game.
I suggest that much of what is out there on the web, is not
expert advice or expert information. In fact, it seems to me that much of it is taken from one page, run through the re-write blender and then spit out on a new page.
I write my own
blogs. Occasionally, I have a company that writes additional content for me, but I supervise what gets posted.
Our
dental website won a gold MarCom award last year for writing, and also a platinum award for overall
website. I believe it was due in part to the personalization that we built into the site.
That’s how I approach
cosmetic dentistry-personally. What’s right for one person, might not be just what the other person is looking for. Another big key for services like
smile makeovers or
veneers is the communication.
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, Smile gallery, dental website, family dentist, smile makeover | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
I had a patient contact me yesterday about her teenager who managed to knock 3 front teeth out. OUCH! Somehow one of the front teeth is just lost completely. Trampolines are dangerous for teeth, I have already fixed others with major trauma to the front teeth.
Here are my priorities when I am addressing a situation like this:
- Get the patient out of pain as fast as possible!
- Stabilize the injured teeth to give them a chance to heal on their own.
- Get some sort of temporary replacement for the missing front tooth ASAP! Nobody wants to be in pain AND be missing a front tooth.
- Constantly follow up on how things are healing.
- Make a long-term plan, that possibly includes dental implants.
I asked the mom why she was contacting me-it sounds like they had a dentist who helped with some emergency treatment over the weekend (Good job!), she said “that office doesn’t know how to do
implants“.
WOW-people, it’s 2010,
dental implants have been around for almost 50 years. I have been involved with implants since 1989-it’s not really a new thing.
You
deserve to be comfortable and look great, whether it involves an accident, improving old dental work, or it’s just time for a
smile makeover!
Posted in Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, dental crowns, dental implants | No Comments »
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Hey, I want to let you in on a little secret I learned this weekend. There is this thing called the internet and you can find ANYTHING on it! OK, so it’s not new anymore, but I am amazed at the abilities to find cool things, and even more than that, TALK about, visit and see cool things.
My wife Tracy is a writer, she recently launched
her new site (
www.TracyGreenhalgh.com). She’s written for
5280 Magazine and a number of other publications around Denver. She’s got a knack for finding the heart-stories and connecting with people,
stop by her site-you’ll enjoy the stories! This has nothing to do with c
osmetic dentistry, except that she is a great writer and contributed TONS to this website-thanks Tracy!
Wow- this internet thing is going to be HUGE! Thanks for humoring me, I hope you enjoy my blogs, I enjoy writing them.
Contact me if you have something you’d like to hear about. Oh, and you can
visit me on Facebook too!
Posted in 5280 Magazine, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dan Goldstein, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, Google, Groupon, Marcom awards, Mark Cafiero, Page1 Solutions, Picasa, Tracy Greenhalgh, before and after gallery | No Comments »
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
I see new patients almost everyday. I see people that are new to Denver, haven’t been to the dentist for years, or have had a major disappointment with their old Denver dentist. I would say that 80% of these people hope to have one of those “check-up” examinations that last about 5 minutes like when you have your teeth cleaned. What they seem to want is to run in and run out, and largely get the blessing on their teeth, you know, “I don’t have any cavities, right Doc?”
When we see new patients, our examination takes
at least an hour. We commonly see people who have had some sort of an issue that still isn’t resolved, or some problem that no one else could fix (see my other
dental blog about clues,
Cosmetic Dentistry and
Sherlock Holmes).
Here’s part of what is important on that first visit (for more detail see “
what to expect on your first visit“). One, the history of
what has happened to your teeth (and
why it happened) is critical. Why you went or didn’t go to the
dentist before, along with how you feel about going to the dentist now. These impressions and opinions affect how likely you will be to really take care of your teeth well for the future.
Here’s another critical part: your X-rays. One of my pet peeves is when you go for a medical X-ray. No one gives you any information. If you are lucky, maybe they’ll let you look at the image, but it’s like the whole X-ray department is run by the CIA. No one will tell you anything about what it means or what’s on the darn X-ray.
I sit down with our new patients and spend 10 minutes just showing you your X-rays. I know that’s sort of controversial stuff. Actually SHOW you what’s there, TALK about what it means, and discuss anything important in that whole set (another aside, YES, you really do need those periodic X-rays-they show changes and the things that start as small problems before they start to hurt).
After that we start checking the outside of your face and mouth. Yeah, the OUTSIDE. Things like the
TMJ, your facial muscles, and glands. These all are windows to your
overall health and how well your jaw joint works (or sticks) and how prone you are to clench or grind your teeth. And how balanced your bite is.
After that THEN we start to look at teeth. It usually takes FORTY minutes before we even start looking at teeth. That’s how important all of these other things are. FORTY minutes.
So, this is really just the beginning of a great examination. The point is that we study YOU, we talk about YOU and then tailor the recommendations to YOU. So whether you are looking for a
Denver cosmetic dentist or a
family dentist in Denver, it all starts with a great exam.
Contact us today to see the difference for yourself.
Posted in Denver cosmetic dentistry, Denver dentist, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, TMJ, best Denver dentist | No Comments »
Friday, February 12th, 2010
What’s new right now? EVERYTHING! There really is a lot happening in modern dentistry right now. Dental implant technology is exploding and becoming more and more commonplace. Many people have either had dental implants or know someone who has. We will keep seeing advancements that make it easier and easier to have dental implants (see our short dental implant video). Once of the best innovations recently has been the process called “All on four”.
Four implants are used to replace all of the teeth on one jaw. They can be done rapidly and in some circumstances, patients can have their new implant teeth or bridge the same day. In the past it often required six to eight implants, possibly sinus surgery or sinus bone grafting, then wait six to twelve months, then wait another two to three months to make the new teeth.
We can look forward to more and more advancements like this, ones that make lessen the complexity, lessen the amount of surgery necessary and shorten the time that it takes until you receive your final teeth. And now more than ever before, we have great
cosmetic dentistry to connect to those implants, making them not only work well, but look better than ever!
Contact us today to learn more about how implants can fit your lifestyle. we are happy to offer dental implant
dentistry in Denver.
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Denver dentist, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, all on four, dental implant video, dental implants | No Comments »
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
I just finished breakfast with a long-term dentist friend of mine. We’ve had a standing annual breakfast meeting for about 15 years now. Time flies… As I write this I am sitting in a Starbuck’s. Not just ANY Starbuck’s, but one that used to be my old dental office. It’s actually sort of creepy. Who knew then that a little ramshackle dental building would later be converted to a neighborhood coffee hotspot.
Even though, the years are starting to really add up, I still enjoy c
osmetic dentistry more than anything else I do. I appreciate the opportunity to change smiles and change lives. I am looking forward to the next 15 years too (though I’m fairly sure we have enough Starbuck’s now).
So if you are looking for veneers, or maybe to revitalize your smile,
contact me today. I’ll even buy you a cup of Starbuck’s if you mention my old office…
Posted in AACD, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, cosmetic dentist Denver, porcelain veneers, veneers | No Comments »
