Mitchmore Montrose Star

So many people are simply afraid of the dentist. No matter what their reasons are the simple fact is the longer they let their fear get the best of them, the worse their dental problems can get. If you are having apprehension about making that dreaded trip to the dentist, you should know it doesn’t have to be all that horrifying. Don’t take my word for it though. Take it from one of my favorite patients Nune Fernandez…

“So often, we put off doing things that we know are necessary because of fear. Fear of the unknown or maybe fear of being presented with bad news. This is the case with respect to my dental care. I never had a fear of visiting my dentist as a child. It was always a position experience. However, after having a several negative experiences while seeking dental care as an adult, I put off dental maintenance for so long that my dental health reached crisis proportion.It was at this point that I was introduced to Dr. Randy Mitchmore. I arrived at Dr. Mitchmore’s office in November 2011 a very scared person. I KNEW that I had serious problems. I just knew that the news would not be good. I suppose that’s why I procrastinated in seeking help for so long. I guess i was in major denial. But this was not going to repair itself on it’s own. I need help… immediately. I was greeted by Dr. Mitchmore’s staff who had been made aware of my apprehension. They calmed my fears and assured me that I would be alright. Everyone in the office was kind and non-judgemental which has not always been my experience when seeking health care. After a thorough examination using some impressive technology, Dr. Mitchmore explained the magnitude of my dental problems, and it was not good. I had serious oral infection which had lead to severe bone loss. This, in turn, lead to teeth that were loose and that I would eventually lose. I met with Dr. Mitchmore approximately a week after that initial examination to explore the options I had to remedy my situation. He explained the choices that I had and the pros and cons of each of these choices. After careful consideration, I decided that dental implants would be most appropriate for my needs. My inital surgery involved removing the majority of my teeth and grafting the damaged and infected bone. This was done under full sedation. (I can’t imagine having this much work done without full sedation.) I experienced no discomfort during or after this procedure. After a series a follow-up visits to assess the success of the bone grafts, it was now time to remove the remaining teeth and place the implants. Again, this surgical procedure was performed under full sedation. I was fitted with temporary full dentures while the implants healed. It is important for me to note that all these procedures were performed by Dr. Mitchmore and his staff with the utmost of kindness and concern not only for my dental health, but also for my emotional wellbeing. You can’t experience something like this without being affected emotionally. Again, after a series of followup visits, Dr.Mitchmore assessed the success of the implant procedure. All was good and the healing process was underway. After several months, it was time to design my new teeth. Attention was paid to size, shape and color so my smile would appear natural. Could it be that we were finally nearing the end of this project? After a series of “try-ins” during which Dr. Mitchmore painstakingly assessed the fit of my permanent teeth, I was fitted with the final implant crowns. I could not be happier with the finished product. Today, I’m no longer self conscious of smiling for photos. In fact, I’m smiling even bigger than ever. During this process, Dr. Mitchmore recognized additional health challenges I was facing. At his urgence, I sought additonal medical treatment and I’m pleased to say that I’m well on my way to being the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. The emotional sense of well-being that has accompanied my treatment cannot be understated. For this I will forever be grateful to Dr. Mitchmore. He’s not just my dentist. He’s my friend.”

Asleep At The Wheel Celebrity

Being a celebrity often means setting aside things you want to do for things you have to do. Rick Davis made that decision about his smile.

And he certainly had a good reason. Mr. Davis has been constantly on the go as a singer with the Grammy Award winning Texas Swing band Asleep At The Wheel. And when he wasn’t performing with Asleep At The Wheel, Mr. Davis was back at home in Livingston caring for his elderly mother.

So when the moment came to focus a little bit of attention on himself, Mr. Davis decided it was time for his smile to take center stage. After all, as a performer, he was keenly aware that his appearance was part of what brought people to see Asleep At The Wheel perform.

Mr. Davis had a particular concern that set him apart from many of my patients, though. He was concerned that any major changes made to the shape of his teeth – or how his teeth and lips came together – might affect his singing ability. And when you make your living with your voice, that’s certainly something you don’t want to mess with!

Mr. Davis search for a professional with the expertise to work within those parameters took him from California…all the way to Houston, Texas, where he ultimately selected me to help him with a major dental makeover.

A major corporate dental implant chain had suggested removing all of Mr. Davis’ teeth and putting in all new implants. “I know I need my teeth fixed up,” he said to me, “but that seems pretty drastic.”

It is, and unfortunately this is often the standard approach that corporate dental implant chains take. I shared Mr. Davis’ concern that such a major change really could impact how he sang. We have all heard someone with bad dentures have a lisp or have a whistle when they talk. That has to do with the tip of the tongue making a seal against the teeth. In order to make a good “E” sound the lower teeth have to come ever so close to the edges of the top teeth without banging in to them. A good “F” or “V” sound is the correct position of the top teeth to the lower lip.

I don’t approach things the same way. There is no cookie cutter answer because each person I see is unique. For Mr. Davis the best solution was far less drastic. The perfect solution for him was actually keeping many of his natural teeth and augmenting them with dental implants only where it was truly necessary. I made models of Mr. Davis own teeth and jaws. Then I sculpted the broken down teeth back to original shape. Then using that as my guide, I filled in any areas of missing teeth to follow his original contours.I then made silicone molds of the sculpted teeth. Nevertheless, it was a lot of work – made easier for Mr. Davis by using IV Sedation. Mr. Davis came in for his transformation appointment and was pampered as he slipped into the dental chair with booties on his feet, a cozy blanket, headphones with the kind of music he liked, and we started an IV. A computer monitor was connected to track vital signs for safety. Then I give the sedation drugs that I affectionately referred to as “Hugs and Kisses” and within minutes Mr. Davis was in a state of bliss and we went to work. By the end of the morning the broken down teeth had been restored, implants were placed only were needed, the deep cleaning was done and the new temporary teeth delivered.

The result was a far less invasive treatment plan, which also cost less, as well. Even more importantly, Mr. Davis retained the shape of his mouth…and therefore the uniqueness of his voice. When it was time to reveal his new look that morning, I handed him a mirror and the first words out of his mouth were my favorite, “Wow, I love it!”

The moral to this story, I think, is that what we are given by heredity shapes our lives. I was glad to help Mr. Davis regain a beautiful smile without endangering his livelihood. As many patients do, he wanted to express his gratitude for the transformation in his life. So at one of his follow up appointments he brought his guitar and sang a few songs for us while sitting in the dental chair!

 

The Secret Double

It is shocking to me how many dentists dictate to patients what needs to be done. I can’t fathom any person thinking they have the right to tell the customer “no” when they ask for a specific service. Carol’s story is a common one at the LifeSmiles office.

Carol called the office and said that she wanted six porcelain veneers on her upper front teeth.

Could she have that?

They answer was, of course she could!

We did not know it at the time, but my office was the sixth dental office that she had called and visited – we did not know she had already been to five other dentists and made the same simple request. And each of those five previous dentists had upon, examining Carol, refused the request.

Those dentists dogmatically explained to her that she had back teeth with excessive abscesses, and those should be her immediate concern. Not the cosmetic beautification of her six front teeth.

But Carol didn’t want the badly abscessed back teeth repaired first. She wanted six front porcelain veneers. So, with increasing amounts of frustration, she paid a series of five consultation fees…but always left without those six porcelain veneers on her upper front teeth.

When Carol arrived for her appointment and I saw the terrible condition of the rest of her teeth, I too informed her that by law I needed to inform her of the other more pressing health issues.

I did something, however, that five other dentists simply refused to do. I told Carol that if there were reasons why she truly felt she needed to have the veneers done before taking care of her other serious dental issues, that was her choice to make and we would honor it.

Carol was startled. “You will do it? Just my front teeth, right?”

I assured her that the answer was a simple yes.

She then pulled out a photograph and said, “This is what I want them to look like, and I need it done rather quickly.”

The teeth were cleaned and prepared to receive the six very white porcelain veneers. I won’t deny that I would have preferred to have Carol ask us to resolve her other dental problems first – but there was no reason to refuse her request, no matter how odd it seemed. The underlying teeth were so badly broken down it was necessary to cover them with temporary acrylic veneers while the porcelain was being made in the lab. Even these temporary veneers look very nice.

A few weeks later it was time to bond the actual porcelain veneers onto her teeth. That is always an exciting day: to see the transformation from something “not so pretty” to something beautiful – and yet at the same time looking anything but artificial. This was a challenge because all of the rest of the teeth were in such poor condition. The appointment went smoothly and did not take very long, and soon it was time to freshen up Carol’s face with a warm scented towel, and sit her up in the dental chair to reveal the new look that she could see in a large hand mirror.

Carol took a deep breath raised up the mirror to look at herself– and started crying. It’s not uncommon for both men and women to get emotional at the transformation they see; but Carol did not just cry. She Boo-hooed.

Then she cried even more uncontrollably. My dental team and I feared the worst.Did she absolutely hate what she saw?

When shefinally was able to control herself, I gingerly asked, “Carol, what’s wrong with them?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Carol said. “They are beautiful and exactly what I want.”

With that statement, she pulled off her wig to reveal little sprigs of thin hair – and only then did she finally tell me why those six veneers were so damned important to her.

“The rest of my teeth don’t matter,” Carol explained. “You see, eight months ago I was told that I had only six months to live because of cancer.” I’m already living on borrowed time. But you see, I used to secretly work as a double for one of our first ladies. Next week I am to be honored at a dinner at the White House for that work.” She smiled and her new beautiful front teeth gleamed.“There will be lots of photographers and I will have my picture taken. It’s bad enough that I have no hair. I at least wanted a nice smile.”

 

Carol’s story is very important to me because it helps me illustrate that assumptions and judgment about the priorities of our patients have no place in my office. It is very dangerous to presumethat I know why people decide what they do. You never know what circumstances they may have in their life. Our job, and our first responsibility to you, is to help you restore your confidence – based on the priorities you give us.

If you’re tired of being treated like a child by your current dentist, it’s time for you to experience the LifeSmiles difference! If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 713.714.3555

Charlene Dykman

Charlene is a professor at The University of St. Thomas. Each school year she teaches in front of hundreds of college students. Her reputation among her peers and her pupils is beyond compare. Even so, there was something that kept Charlene from even deeper engagement during her class lectures. She didn’t smile as often or as wide as she knew she wanted because she was self-conscious about her teeth.

Not all work a dentist does can last a lifetime. In Charlene’s case, she had two crowns on front teeth done many years earlier. Let’s just say that Charlene had fared far better over the years than those two crowns….

Charlene came to see me about replacing them. What we quickly discovered, though, was she’d have two new beautiful front teeth that wouldn’t match the rest of her smile – so basically she’d be right back where she started. The right thing to do – and Charlene concurred after subjectively analyzing photos that we made of her own teeth and smile– was to correct all the issues of her front teeth that showed when she smiled. She also discovered, as she had already suspected, her bad bite was largely to blame for the premature breakdown of the front teeth. So her treatment plan involved orthodontic repositioning of the teeth to eliminate the deep overbite and porcelain veneers to correct the damaged teeth.

Many of my patients travel as part of their profession, so I often have to work within constrained schedules. That was the case with Charlene. I would have only five weeks from her first visit until a planned departure for a twelve month sabbatical that would have her traveling to European cities such as London, Southampton, St.
Petersburg, Hamburg, Amsterdam, and Antwerp. Sacrifices of time for both Charlene and myself came into play, but we found ways to mesh our schedules and a clever way for her to get what she wanted. We made the porcelain veneers first then immediately delivered the Invisalign® aligners. That way she got the impact of a beautiful smile in time for her trip and is doing the orthodontic phase while traveling.

Charlene began her sabbatical with a spectacular new smile. During her trip she sent a message, along with some photos:

“I am having the time of my life and I thought you would enjoy seeing some photos of my smiling face along the way! I am delighted with my new smile - you have transformed my life in many ways with this change!”

There’s more transformation to come. Charlene can’t wait to get back up in front of a packed lecture hall to face all those students with her new smile.

How about you? Could your smile use a touch-up? If so please visit www.lifesmiles.us/white for a very special offer!

Cathy’s story

Sometimes life deals us what we may think is an unfair hand. Being a woman of faith, I believe that all things happen for a reason, but it’s my faith in God that helps me get through. That being said, most of my life, I’ve been healthy without too many concerns, blessed in many ways and thankful. Approximately two years ago I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. This disease has definitely taken its toll on me and although I have prayed a lot, I honestly have had a hard time with my Graves. Everything about you changes with Graves Disease including your face. I always say that there are many other people who deal with much more than I do, but people tell me it’s ok to grieve this disease.

Another health issue that I’ve dealt with all my life is poor dental health. I’ve had some form of denture for 41 of my 58 years, most recently, a 6 tooth upper bridge with a partial attached for all but one of my upper teeth. I can honestly say that in all my years, I’ve never had a good dental experience and because of this, I did not follow a good dental plan always fearing to see the dentist.

One morning, I was brushing my teeth and “clink”, my bridge hits the sink!!!!!! This thing had been cemented in for more than 10 years!! I’ve never seen myself without front teeth and the shock and horror that was looking back at me in the mirror that morning was more than I could take. It wasn’t enough to deal with Graves, now my teeth had fallen out!!! Not only had my teeth fallen out, but underneath that bridge was decay beyond repair and I was scheduled to go into the hospital for a thyroidectomy in the next few days! I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, from my husband, family, co-workers and anyone I would ever come into contact with again. This was unimaginable devastation. I cried like a baby and did just that….hid.

Once I gained control of myself, I searched the Internet and googled “Best dentist in Houston” and there he was…. Dr. Randy Mitchmore. I read all about him and called his office. It must have been fate, because the nice lady on the other end of the phone told me that the office was closed on Friday but they were doing some remodeling and the staff was there packing and cleaning. “Janie” could hear how embarrassed and overwhelmed I was and was so kind and caring. She said if I didn’t mind that they weren’t open or professionally dressed, she would certainly like to help me out and to come on in.

When I got there I will say, I was beside myself, but Janie and Dr. Mitchmore’s staff put my mind at ease and placed my bridge back in temporarily. We spoke at length about my dental history and possible options, took x-rays, pictures and prepared me to meet Dr. Mitchmore once my surgery was completed. I was deathly afraid that my bridge would come out while getting anesthesia during my surgery but Janie assured me that if it did, she would personally come to the hospital and help me. Who does that in this day and time??!! I have never met such caring, professional, detail oriented dental office staff in my life!

As it turned out, Janie did a great job because my bridge didn’t come out during surgery but knowing I could count on Dr. Mitchmore’s staff eased my mind tremendously and that was only the beginning…

So now it’s my return visit to meet Dr. Mitchmore. My first instinct about Dr. Mitchmore was how kind he was and what a genuinely compassionate human being he is. You know from the moment you meet him that he cares. He is gracious and understanding, generous and patient. He is warm, talented and passionate for his craft. His chair-side manner is unequaled and in my opinion his skill unsurpassed by any other dentist.

My current dental plan is vast and includes full upper implants, lower braces, extractions, etc. I’m on phase one to restore my mouth to better health. I now have temporary teeth on my new implants and I cant even begin to describe what it feels like to not have to put a metal partial into my mouth every day the sun comes up!!! Even my temporary teeth have made such a positive change in my life. I cant wait to see the final results!!!

As extremely nervous as I was to get started, Dr. Mitchmore and his staff have totally changed my view point about seeing the dentist. I no longer fear my appointments and have definitely found “my” dentist. Thank you so much to Dr. Mitchmore and his fantastic team for being the best dental team in Houston! God bless you all!