Dr. Pia has been heralded as the “Model Dentist”, the “Tooth Fairy”, and “The Smile Boutique in the Dentist’s Office” by many prominent media outlets. Dr. Pia’s work has appeared on the covers of national magazines, and her expertise has been showcased on network television shows, including regular appearances on TLC’s popular reality make-over series, “10 Years Younger.” With so many different options to obtain that perfect smile, we invited Dr. Pia to speak about her practice, how they have adapted since Covid19, and to answer some of the most common questions about your pearly whites.
Doctor Pia –
The pandemic has brought out anxiety in all of us. As a cosmetic dentist, many of my patients haven’t visited my office in over a year. Now that we are reopened, I do all that I can to help reduce and eliminate the fear that can arise by returning to the dentist. Below are some of the steps we take to ensure that:
- My staff is fully vaccinated. We believe that all medical personnel should be.
- I take great pride in treating only one patient per day. I need to give my entire focus, heart and soul to creating the perfect one-of-a-kind smile that best fits each patient.
- I sit down and listen carefully to each patient’s needs, to understand exactly what they are looking for. No two people have the same taste, so it is crucial that I listen very carefully to what the patient is really looking for.
- I’ve found that fear of the unknown, and having teeth shaved down (for veneers) is the number one cause of anxiety and stress, in my practice. When you explain and visually show and tell what the procedure will entail to the patient the fear factor disappears.
- In addition to conventional ways to reduce anxiety, like a prescription medication, I also offer some cutting-edge techniques that relieve stress. In my practice, I have custom CBD lozenges that help reduce anxiety.
Ready for a smile makeover? If you’re interested in veneers, but worried about your teeth being filed to little stubs, fret not. Many dentists claim to be cosmetic dentists when in reality they are not. Instead, they file the teeth down because it’s easier to place veneers that way. I do not believe in filing teeth in order to have porcelain veneers. Once you file, there is no going back. The more you file the teeth and the thicker the veneers are, the higher the risk is that they will pop off. Believe it or not, thinner veneers are actually stronger.
The best hand-made super thin veneers that I make are as thin as 0.15 mm. That’s thinner than a natural nail, and they can last 15-30 yrs. I have a patient that I did prepless veneers on in 1990 and they still look great today. I use feldspathic porcelain veneers, which are the only ones that can be made as thin as desired.
Now let’s talk about color: A natural tooth is not one solid color, it actually has multiple colors. Only with the feldspathic hand layered veneers that I use can you add multiple colors and translucencies of a natural tooth. This is why I can do just one veneer to match the existing natural existing teeth, and it will match perfectly.
The good news is there is no downtime with cosmetic dentistry. You walk in with unflattering teeth and you walk out with fabulous temporaries so you can go about your life as if nothing ever happened. The usual start to finish is 2-3 weeks.
Not ready for a makeover but want to whiten your teeth at home?
You need to start with virgin teeth, no existing fillings or crowns, they will not whiten. The best and most effective way to whiten your teeth is by applying whitening solution from your dentist into a custom mold tray for your teeth. If you have an Invisalign®, you can place the whitening solution from your dentist directly into the trays. Whitening solution from a dentist is the strongest available and can range from 8-35% peroxide.
If you want to be even more DIY, whitening strips are another option. Though not as personalized or as strong as a whitening solution, they do work. The one concern with the strips is that they do not follow the gumline accurately. No 2 gum lines are the same and you get a yellow ring around the gum that is part of the tooth that wasn’t whitened by the strip.
And finally, those whitening systems you may have seen online or on social media that have a light you hold and place in your mouth…don’t buy it. It’s just a gimmick!
Dr. Pia is the founder of Cosmetic Dentistry Center in New York City, a state-of-the-art Park Avenue practice that is a beacon for her belief that dentistry is a science, but cosmetic dentistry is an art. Through exceptional artistic talent, technical skill, creativity and an eye for beauty, Dr. Pia creates a flawless smile – individually crafted and perfected for each patient.
Dr. Pia is fluent in five languages: English, Italian, Romanian, French and Spanish.
For more information on Dr. Pia and Cosmetic Dentistry Center, please visit www.cosmeticdentistrycenternyc.com. Follow Dr. Pia on Instagram @doctor.pia.
