Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Dr. Lana Rozenberg believes that the brilliantly white smiles that dental patients see on the big screen and on their TVs alter the reality of what a smile should look like.
On this National Smile Day, Dr. Rozenberg, the founder of Rozenberg Dental NYC, has a message for her dental colleagues, which is to beware of the patients who want their smiles to be as white as the ones in Hollywood, sometimes referred to as the "whiter than white" trend.
"When it comes to Hollywood and social media, it's doing so much advertising for white teeth, veneers, cosmetic dentistry, and cosmetic surgery," Dr. Rozenberg said. "Everyone wants their teeth white, straight, and perfect, and they want it yesterday."
Dr. Rozenberg believes that the availability of at-home bleaching and whitening options fuels the obsession with the perfect smile, but she is concerned about patients having so many options outside of the dental practice.
"People overbleach. Many Americans go far beyond the recommendations for the over-the-counter whitening products they may buy," Dr. Rozenberg said. "They think their teeth aren't white enough, so instead of whitening for two hours, they will whiten for 10 hours. Since there's no real control over it, people will buy as many whitening strips as they want and go to it."
Dr. Rozenberg reminds her colleagues about the belief that teeth that are whiter than the whites of a patient's eyes are too white. She believes it is a good reminder for not only dental professionals in the practice, but it also brings up a talking point for patients.
Another talking point for dentists? Rozenberg believes that more should be discussed openly about the cost and value of cosmetic dentistry in a dental practice versus a veneer tech or some of the dental pop-ups that are often seen on social media that are offered for lower prices. And, yes, a healthy smile is better than a perfect smile.
However, above all, dentists should ensure that what patients see in the movies isn't reality, Dr. Rozenberg said.
"Everything has to be within reason, just like diets or anything else we do to improve our image," she offered. "It has to be natural and it has to look like it's a part of us rather than blinding people with too much whiteness."
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