Cosmetic Dentistry: It's a Man Thing!

WASHINGTON, DC-By Judith Sloan-Regular workouts at the gym, routine visits to the hair salon, and meticulously laundered shirts were always a winning combination for Patrick Smithfield, who was always proud of his appearance. Yet, recently, the tidy, conservative dresser made a move he never thought he would make: He went to see a cosmetic dentist.

"I started to notice that I was looking older in photos, that my teeth looked kind of crooked and brown," said the 48-year-old financial analyst, who never dreamed he would be interested in cosmetics. "I know my smile used to look pretty good, not like this. And I didn't like it, especially since there are a lot of younger guys in my office."

That's all changed now-after a session under a Britesmile bleaching light, four porcelain crowns and four [url=http://www.washdent.com/proc_veneers.html]porcelain veneers[/url]. Smithfield is part of a growing number of men who embrace cosmetic dentistry, as a way to retain a youthful appearance.

"It used to be that we had mostly women coming to our office to make their smiles look younger," says [url=http://www.washdent.com/deutsch.html]Dr. Daniel J. Deutsch[/url], at the Washington Center for Dentistry, in Washington, DC. "But, now, men are just as likely to realize that a bright, young smile will help them appear healthy and strong. And that's a must-look nowadays for men, both in and out of the workplace."

In fact, men in search of improved smiles frequently seek out Deutsch and his colleagues, Dr. Marc D. Doctors and Dr. Sherman H. Telis, for their expert approach-and their exclusive on-site cosmetics lab. A dedicated in-house ceramist customizes each crown and veneer from the finest grade porcelains.

Smithfield says the decision to go ahead with treatment was easy, especially after viewing before-and-after photos of other actual patients who changed their smiles with the doctors at the Washington, DC.