By H. Dean McSpadden, DDS, MAGD

This coming May, I will celebrate my thirtieth year of practicing dentistry. During that time, I have had the privilege of doing hundreds of cosmetic procedures. The objection I have most often heard to cosmetic dentistry is sitting through the process of having to prepare (or drill) the teeth. This is especially true where the teeth have not been previously restored. In order to address this objection, I took seven training courses in prep-less (no drill) veneers. One of these was on Lumineers, which is a proprietary process developed by DenMat, and another was on DURAthin, which is a similar process. After taking the courses, I also decided to have my own smile redone due to some cosmetic concerns I had for my own teeth. I wanted to experience everything my patients would experience.

My experience was positive, and the results were so great that I had to be able to offer this to my patients. One of them was Janey K., a 27 year-old woman who had always been self-conscious about her smile. She had had some cosmetic bonding done on one of her teeth and was very concerned about the yellowing which had taken place. She was also concerned about the relatively small size of her teeth as well as the spaces, and she wanted her teeth to be whiter.

Before (top) & After (bottom)

In order to address her concerns, we did an imaging photo. In this photo, we do a “virtual makeover” so that the patient can get an idea of what she would look like. Janey was pleased with the photo and even more pleased when I told her we wouldn’t have to drill her teeth. Her make-over would be done with Lumineers. The only preparation needed was to remove the existing bonding from her teeth. We did this and placed a temporary veneer on the one tooth after making impressions. After 2 weeks, we were ready to place the permanent veneers on her teeth. Both of the appointments were done with no Novocain. So, with two fairly easy appointments, we were able to accomplish all of Janey’s desires for her teeth.

As you can see in her photos, her smile now fills the frame of her lips. The spaces have been closed, the objectionable bonding is gone, and she has nice, white teeth.  Her smile has gone from dull to dazzling. We invite you to visit our website, www.delawaresmiles.com,  to learn about many of the options available to you.

Lumineers Testimonial:
“I had been self conscious of the gap between my two front teeth for years. I had broken one of these front teeth as a child and had had some “corrective” treatment for it, but that tooth never looked quite right.  I dreaded having to smile for pictures, sure that everyone would notice my odd tooth and the space in my smile.  When I learned that Dr. McSpadden was offering Lumineers as an option to correct my gap and misfit tooth, I was very excited! The entire process was easy, fast, and painless!  Now, I don’t mind flashing a big, bright smile for the entire world to see!  I have Dr. McSpadden and the staff at Dental Associates of Delaware’s Greenville Office to thank for my confidence boost!”    ~ Janey Kramlik

Dr. McSpadden is a native of Wilmington who graduated from Friends School in 1967. After working as a musician for 5 years, he graduated with honors from the University of Delaware in 1976, from the State University of Buffalo School of Dentistry in 1980, and completed an internship at Wilmington Hospital in 1981. He has been in private practice since that time, joining Dental Associates of Delaware in February of 2007. Dental Associates of Delaware has been the practice of choice for thousands of families throughout the region since 1977. It is our goal for each and every patient to achieve optimum oral health. We accomplish this through personalized relationships, active patient input and ongoing communication combined with a mutual dedication to consistent professional care. We offer a comprehensive range of preventive, aesthetic, and restorative dental care services for the entire family in friendly, comfortable environment designed to make you feel at ease.

We firmly believe that every patient can enjoy an attractive, healthy smile for life.
For more information on our services, or to schedule an appointment, please call 302.656.8219.

Dr. McSpadden’s complete bio can be found on our website at www.delawaresmiles.com.