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Health
Sun Journal, Saturday, March 8, 2003
Happy Endings
Cosmetic dentistry improves quality of life
Dr. Robert W. Beebe
By LINDA GALWAY Lewiston Sun Journal Special Sections Editor
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o one ever claimed having your teeth repaired would be easy. No one ever said it would be inexpensive or quick, but plenty of satisfied customers have said it was definitely worth the time, effort and money — and they all would do it again in a heartbeat. The credit goes to Dr. Robert W. Beebe, whose cosmetic dentistry practice is conveniently located on Route 100 in Gray, just off Exit 11of the Maine Turnpike. “If your teeth don’t look right, they probably don’t function correctly either,” he explained. “The perception of cosmetic dentistry is that it’s selfish and done for vanity reasons only, but if a person’s smile affects their self-confidence, their self-esteem, the reasons to improve the smile become as important as the reasons behind fixing a cavity or broken tooth.” George, Cindy and Greg couldn’t agree more. Here are their stories:
207 - 657- 3553 “This is your face, everybody sees it.” — Cindy Keohan-Picou
and cons) carefully.” A recurring theme when anyone speaks about their experience is how thorough and painstaking Dr. Beebe is with his work and how he takes the time to answer questions and fill in the blanks; also, how helpful and pleasant George Turner, 50-something the office staff is. “They’re awful nice people up there,” Turner said, adding how happy he Cumberland Foreside was with the results and how impressed he was real-estate broker, Allied Real Estate with Dr. Beebe’s skill and manner. “He was always concerned that I not experience any disGeorge Turner is typical of his generation. comfort.” Growing up in a pre-fluoriTurner’s procedures took dation era, he said his gums a couple of sessions of 4-5 George Turner, before and after were healthy but, as a kid, he cosmetic dentistry procedure. hours each. “I was amazed “had a mouthful of cavities.” at how much could be done Although the impetus for in such a short period of his visit to Dr. Beebe wasn’t time.” a quest for a healthy mouth, Turner advises anyone it was something he needed considering cosmetic to do to improve his smile dentistry procedures to and his confidence. do their homework. “If I “On an unconscious had it to do over again, I level, I really didn’t smile would have been even more as much, meticulous about underor I would standing the process, even keep my though they went to a great mouth deal of trouble to help me understand. A layclosed,” he man might let them explain and then think recalled. he knows more than he does, but I have no re“I wasn’t grets, and everything came out great.” particuPeople who elect to have this surgery benefit larly self “in all kinds of little ways,” noted Turner. conscious “You’re less self-conscious, not in an obviabout it, ous way, but it’s amazing how there are small and didn’t constantly think about it, but people personality changes as you feel better about do considerably better in sales of any kind yourself.” when you look your best.” Turner said it did represent “a bit of an investment” — for him Cindy Keohan-Picou, 38 approximately $20,000 — but was worth every penny. North Berwick “It’s a balancing act for all of us,” when it Information Technology manager comes to expending so much money, Turner said.“In the real world, money does play a part Cindy Keohan-Picou in making decisions. My teeth weren’t threatwas a victim of circumening me healthwise, so I had to weigh (the pros stance. While her perma-
Aesthetically Pleasing...
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osmetic dentistry is really a misnomer. The word ‘cosmetic’ is associated with procedures and surgeries that typically make a person feel better about some aspect of their body and are usually elective in nature. According to Dr. Robert W. Beebe, a general dentist with a focus on cosmetic dentistry, “The term which better describes these dental procedures is ‘functional aesthetics.’ because rarely are techniques just cosmetic.”
nent teeth were forming deep inside her jaw, she was put on tetracycline, an antibiotic used to treat a number of illnesses. One of its major drawbacks is that it causes severe Cindy gray or brown staining in Keohanteeth if it is used in growing children. Picou, before “All of the normal, and after tooth-whitening procedures don’t work with this problem,” explained Keohan-Picou. “The color is a stain throughout the tooth. For a long time, there weren’t a lot of options.” Keohan-Picou said the staining always bothered her, but not to the point where she was overly self-conscious. “It was always a part of me, not a sudden change,” she recalled, noting the defining moment — when she decided to move forward with cosmetic dentistry procedures — took place about a year ago, just after she returned from a vacation in Florida. Keohan-Picou was having such a great time,
she forgot not to smile wide for the camera. “When I got the photos back I looked at them, and when I was standing with my other girlfriends, it was very noticeable. I said, ‘That’s it!’ ” She began researching the various procedures and was even willing to travel as far away as Boston to have the work done — until she found Dr. Beebe, one of three dentists she had under consideration. “He impressed me, his office impressed me, everybody was nice and the people were very helpful,” she said. “They sat down and spent time with me. When I left there, I felt no pressure. I thought a long time about it, and there was no question that if I were going to have it done, it would be by him.” So in August, 2002, she began having 10 of her upper teeth restored. “When I smile now, you don’t see anything” except a beautiful smile, she said. “It was a really big procedure, but there was basically no pain.” Keohan-Picou recalled having had both braces and a fear of the dentist’s office when she was younger, “so for me to do this voluntarily... to sit six or seven hours in the chair. . . it was huge for me. I thought there would be pain, but there was none. It was a very comforting, calm environment. I needed that at a dentist’s office.” She said Dr. Beebe explained the entire procedure and there were no surprises. Keohan-Picou had “laminates” — described as similar to crowns but with more of the tooth remaining. “To me, it’s like the way you have your fingernails done. . . there is a portion of your own tooth left in the back.” Her teeth, she said, feel and look natural. Her goal wasn’t necessarily that people would admire her smile, but that they wouldn’t wonder what was wrong with it either. “People now say,‘Your teeth look great,’ ” she added. In fact, the work looks so natural that when she had a root canal done at an endodontist’s office in New Hampshire, it wasn’t until AFTER the x-rays were completed that the technicial came back into the office and told her she never realized she had had work done. “Then the dentist came in and said, ‘Wow, what a great job! Who did this work?’ It made me feel so good — that the time, effort and money put into it was all worth it.” Keohan-Picou said she smiles more now and never realized how much she compensated before for her darker teeth, producing only a demure smile instead of today’s happy grin. Dr. Beebe’s caring and concern for her and his attention to detail assure her she has made the right decision. “I absolutely recommend it to anyone,” she stressed. “My teeth are unbelievably natural looking. The work is phenomenal, he’s a wonderful person, and every single staff person is great. It was a totally positive experience. My only regret is that I didn’t do it 10 years ago, and
now I’m thinking of getting the bottom teeth done.” Unfortunately, she added, it’s not a procedure covered by insurance. “It’s an out of pocke expense,” she said, “but not everyone needs the extensive work I did. Realistically, you’re looking at $1000 to $1200 per tooth.” Nevertheless, her experience has made a believer out of her. “He was always more than willing to take the time to get it right,” she said. “I never felt I was putting him out, and he always reassured me. Dr. Beebe’s work is equal to the best.”
Greg Peters, 43 Westbrook International Sales Greg Peters just didn’t like his smile. “I didn’t have pain, but my teeth were crooked, some were broken or discolored, and when I looked at pictures from the last 20 years, I never smiled,” he said, so he cashed in an investment purchased 15 years before and paid for the cosmetic dentistry he needed so badly. “Essentially, every tooth in my head was either crowned or bridged,” he said, and cost a total of more than $30,000. “But I didn’t incur debt to do it, so that helped.” Over the last few years, his mouth had actually been healthier than in earlier years, but having the cosmetic work done “was, frankly, a confidence booster.” Peters travels all over the world, he said, and having a nice smile makes a difference in how his clients react to him. “I was very pleased with the results,” he noted. In fact, he was so pleased, he actually took part in a television commercial for Dr. Beebe, “and I would absolutely recommend people look into having the work done if they are not happy with their smile, have pain or an unhealthy mouth.” Peters said post procedure care is critical to a successful venture. “You have to be devoted and committed to flossing and gum stimlating,” he stressed. “If not, you’re going to lose what you gained. I just wish I’d been this committed as a kid, but my parents didn’t stress flossing. A lot of folks in my generation didn’t have good oral hygiene at that time.” Peters said he found Dr. Beebe through a newspaper advertisement. He met with Sue Jenkins, the office manager, who spoke to him about his needs and desires for a healthy mouth, and he was examined by Dr. Beebe. Upon his return, he was informed of the procedures needed and the price he would have to pay. “They made no bones about it,” he recalled. “It was going to cost some money, but after further review, I decided it was worth it and I would find a way to make it work.” Peters also praised Dr. Beebe and his staff. “In the past, I was scared to go to the dentist,” he said. “It was the worst experience, but it’s not like that any more.” He noted making the decision to invest in and go forward with cosmetic dentistry is a “very personal decision. It’s expensive and very personal. For me, it was a good one.”