Growing up, I kind of liked my imperfect teeth, but after a friend strongly suggested fixing them, I went on a funny—and at times horrifying—mission for the perfect smile

“Don’t be offended, but I think you should get your teeth fixed,” a friend said to me a few months ago. I apparently had the worst teeth he’d ever seen—which came as a surprise to me. Yes, I still had three baby teeth holding on for dear life after 32 years. Sure, the occasional onlooker asked why a nice girl like me was missing so many teeth. Had I been in a horrible fight? Was it drugs? Maybe a hidden hillbilly past? It wasn’t exactly the look I was going for, but I still thought it was charming. “They’re baby teeth,” I would say, proudly pulling back my jowl to offer a peek.

As a child, I watched my mom go through the same thing. She had baby teeth that stubbornly stuck around until her mid-thirties. I chalked up my own mini-ivories as coming with the territory. It was a quirk that added character. After all, being mistaken for having teeth missing was quite different from actually having teeth missing.

And the whole situation was a bit mysterious. The amazed wonderment and delighted glee from dental professionals, coupled with very little anecdotal information on why I was a grown-up with baby teeth, added a certain mystique to the whole situation. As far as I can tell, though, it is hereditary—and caused by a genetic defect of sorts (add that to the list).

I didn’t necessarily want to keep my baby teeth, but there were no solutions that didn’t seem out of control. While I wasn’t attached to them, I didn’t feel the motivation to do what it took to get rid of them. But my friend gently asking whether I had a drug-addled past was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Dentist after dentist after orthodontist after specialist all proposed the same solution: braces. And years of them. One even suggested I attach a miniature weight to my upper jaw to slowly entice the mature tooth down from its resting place somewhere in my right sinus. Medieval? Yes. Acceptable? No. Years of braces at my age? No way. Invisalign was not even an option as my case was too severe, too serious.

Basically, I was resigned to a life with my little buddies until one magical day, when I crossed paths with Dr. Michael Apa, a cosmetic dentist based in New York City. He was supposed to be the very best; he worked on scads of famous people and could fix any issue, big or small. Even though I did not believe the hype, I made an appointment anyway. Why not? After sending along photos of my smile with detailed shots of my particular issues, I was reassured that he could handle it.

Dr. Apa’s office was decorated with autographed photos of various celebrities and photos of himself with a perfect smile on different magazines. It was clean, modern, uptown—impressive.

The office manager immediately gave me an iPad presentation of previous cases. From pretty ladies made prettier to some truly disgusting people rendered human again, it was inspiring. I then met with Dr. Apa, who took in the idiosyncrasies of my teeth and laid his diagnosis on me. I had baby teeth, yes, but my smile was also overly narrow and could use some flushing out. He had the utmost confidence, and I left full of anticipation and excitement. I was going to be head over heels in love with my smile from the moment I had my temporaries on, which was to happen the next day.

And then the next day came. The appointment involved hours of intense dental work. My teeth were filed down to scary sharp pegs (don’t look at yourself at this point, warned my mom, who it turns out had secretly got the same procedure done years earlier—I blame the secrecy on WASP repression). At the very end, the dentist passed me a hand mirror and there was a ventriloquist dummy looking back at me. I looked like I had a huge mouthful of dentures, and even though this was the temporary part, I was horrified.

I then went to an oral surgeon, the lovely Dr. Gary Ruth, who was to pull my top right baby tooth. He was kind and made me feel as comfortable as possible while ripping a tooth out of my head. And while it was a little baby, it certainly was holding on with all its might. I left, unable to talk and went home to a big bowl of applesauce—the only thing I could eat.

The following day, I went back to Dr. Apa to discuss what I liked and what I didn’t. I felt a bit like Gary Busey but was reassured that Dr. Apa had great aesthetics and I was lucky to be in his chair. He usually worked on celebrities and royalty, you know. He put in temporaries while the actual veneers were sculpted in porcelain one at a time.

The next week, while I anxiously waited for my delicate new teeth, was hard. Eating was difficult, my teeth hurt, and I had a lisp. But no one really noticed, in a good way.

And when the big day finally came, Dr. Apa removed the temporaries and applied the specially molded, hand-sculpted veneers to my front teeth one by one. This time, when he passed the mirror my way, I saw a perfect smile looking back at me. My teeth were straight…and I had all of them.

Source: http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Makeup-Skin-Care/Dr.-Michael-Apa-Dental-Procedures-Melissa-Coker

There comes a time when whitening teeth is like putting a fresh coat of paint on a house with flimsy foundation.

“Tooth shifting is more aging than discoloration, because it can alter the shape of your face,” says Michael Apa, a New York City dentist who specializes in cosmetic procedures. It’s common for teeth to begin shifting in the 30s, and many people will notice “crowding of the lower front teeth,” says Apa. Plus, years of grinding can wear away at the molars, which, combined with loss of facial fat, can cause the cheeks to hollow out in the 50s. While you can’t stop the teeth from shifting, a night guard will help maintain the integrity of your molars. Alternatively, a cosmetic dentist can add ceramic crowns or porcelain veneers to the back molars. (Invisalign will straighten the teeth, but only a night guard will keep them in place.) Treating the gums is just as crucial. Flossing twice a day and using an electric toothbrush, like on from Philips Sonicare, will keep bacteria out and prevent gums from receding.

Source: Allure Magazine April 2012

Veneers

Veneers are the quickest way to fix your teeth, whether they’re yellow, crooked or anything less than the size of Chiclets. According to cosmetic dentist D. Michael Apa, a full set of veneers – usually the upper ten teeth, since those are most often visible – can be added in a week (two two-hour appointments and a couple follow-ups). And they don’t actually look like Chiclets now: Guys like Apa often hand-design teeth to look like your own, only perfecter. Just remember that veneers are permanent. You’ll have to see your dentist three times a year instead of two, and as for cost, expect to spend the same as you would for a semester at a private college. On the plus side, your new teeth last twenty years, giving you a fair shot at paying them off right around the time they have to be replaced.

Source: Esquire Magazine August 2011

MB Regan, SoulCycle instructor and spinning goddess… Mary Ann Browning, personal trainer to the new Masters of the Universe… Adelino Da Costa, owner of PunchFitness kickboxing studio… Dr. Michael Apa, who keeps local smiles briqht… Alda Bicaj, a facialist the ladies swear will change your skin… Dr. Lisa Airan, the dermatologist known as much for her Lanvin wardrobe as her way around a filler… Fred Devito and Elisabeth Halfpapp, formerly of Lotte Berk, now the minds behind Exhale Core Fusion… Fernanda Niven, investor in the Organic Avenue juice bar, which just opened on 73rd and Lex… Amy at Danvie, a Korean nail salon only the Upper East Side could spawn – yes, that was Aerin Lauder… AIberto Tutti, maitre d’ at Amaranth, he of the Borelll blazers and Domenico Vacca ties… Jay Jolly, head of Swifty’s catering, who keeps Upper East Side cocktail parties stocked with candied Millionaires Bacon… Bonay Vynerib, COO of Candle Café – she feeds power-hungry locals vegan gourmet… George, master of ceremonies at the Viand Coffee Shop… Michael Hurd, personal shopper for the J. Crew Women’s Collection boutique… Glenn Pennell, man in charge at the Euro-preppy Paul & Shark… Bradford Devons at Brunello Cucinelli, who swathes locals in oatmeal-colored cashmere… Vera Wang, whose store may be at The Carlyle, but she’s always at The Mark… Kathy and Tom Preston, the former Viacom CEO and his wife, at Candle Café over a vegan candlelight dinner… Jill Kargman, neighborhood scribe whose new book Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut,includes a whole chapter devoted to SoulCycle… Lyor Cohen and Tory Burch, the music executive who made East 94th cool and the designer who is opening an uptown store in the old Gardenia diner… Daphne Guinness, fashion icon; she likes to take tea at The Carlyle… Francois Payard, the pastry chef who recently closed his tiny chocolate bar at the Mauboussin store but is returning to the neighborhood on 76th and 3rd… Aby Rosen and Samantha Boardman Rosen, real estate mogul and his socialite/psychiatrist wife admired for their art collection and questioned over their plans for a tower above 980 Madison… Phil and Lisa Falcone, hedge fund honcho and his moviemaking wife, who bought Bob Guccione’s double-wide mansion and who ride around town in a black custom Mercedes van… Larry Gagoslan, art dealer – and retailer extraordinaire – with a gallery and store at 980 Madison… David and Julia Koch, prominent philanthropists and institution wing-namers… Renee Price, director of the Neue Galerie on East 86th, beloved by locals for its Austrian art, its excellent gift shop and the sachertorte at Café Sabarsky… Brooke Gerber Noldich, cochair of the board of trustees at the Whitney Museum and jewelry maven… Amalia Dayan, co-owner of the Luxembourg & Dayan Gallery, which brought Jeff Koons’s racy “Made in Heaven Paintings” show to the staid streets of the Upper East… Marianna Boesky, the highly respected gallery owner who opened a branch on 64th last year and whose exhibit “Dwelling” will run through March 26.

Source: Departures March/April 2011

In some people – especially tooth grinders – the chewing surface of molars wears down. “Grinding can make that lower segment of the face very small and narrow and really destroy its symmetry. A dentist can put crowns in the back to increase the length and height of the molars and hence of the jaw,” says Miami cosmetic dentist Maria Marx.

Some cosmetic dentists go even further, relying on veneers to balance out your bite (making your face more symmetrical) or to make your teeth flare more on the front or sides of your mouth (to restore a hint of youthful volume). “To get an idea of what veneers can do, take a cotton roll and cut it in half. Tuck one half under the lips on each side of your back teeth, bite down, close your mouth and see how open your face is,” says Michael Apa, DDS, a cosmetic dentist in New York City.

The rejuvenating dental process entails a serious wallet-stretch: Veneers cost $1,000 to $3,000 per tooth. Yet fans of the technique abound. After one of Apa’s patients got a full veneer treatment, she canceled her face-lift plans. Still, says Marx, “veneers won’t necessarily take care of wrinkles. I don’t think plastic surgery or dentistry alone can do it. After a certain age, you may want both.”

Source: More Magazine April 2011

Teeth of the rich and famous…
We do look after a few celebrities. I can’t really say much, but we definitely have four of the Forbes’ top 20. We have Matt Dillon, Donald Trump. Obama’s daughters? Yeah, that was a misprint.

Slaves to the media…
I think the celebrity world has perhaps driven cosmetic dentistry a little. Like anything they do, people want to aspire to be like them. But i would say it’s more big companies like Crest, who pump money into bleaching advertising about having a white smile.

Be healthy…
Your whitened teeth should be unnoticeable really, you should just see the healthy guy – the teeth are just part of the overall package.

Be individual…
People often come to me with a picture of a celebrity and say, “I want that.” It kind of raises a flag. There used to be a surgeon that did everyone’s nose back in the late 90s, his name was Dr. Diamond. He did this pinch at the bridge of the nose. Everyone had them and you could really spot it a mile away.

How it works…
We use a laser activated bleaching system. It’s 37 per cent hydrogen peroxide that we put on the teeth in three 15 minute sessions under the lamps – which activate the bleach. We then advise you to top things up with trays or a bleaching pen.

Success rate…
It always works, there’s just varying degrees of success. Everybody gets different results. The tendency is for people with yellow-white teeth to go very white, and for grey-white teeth not to get as good as a result.

Don’t believe what you read…
Bleaching used to have a bad rap for taking enamel off the teeth, but those concerns were based on the over-the-counter bleaching kits. To be honest, all professional treatments are fine.

Staining…
Finally, if you really want to keep things nice and mark-free, then avoid things like tea, coffee, and shisha. If you get regular professional cleanings by a dentist though, you should be fine.

Source: Men’s Fitness Middle East Edition March 2011

Fillers aren’t the only option to plump lips and hollowed-out cheeks. New York City cosmetic dentist Apa tweaks the teeth of socialites and supermodels to add fullness and subtract years.

Secret Weapon

Apa strategically places ceramic crowns on rear molars for a balanced bit, reducing marionette lines. Combined with veneers, this “fills the smile out for fuller cheeks.”

Quick Fix

Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips are the “fastest, most efficient over-the-counter option.”

Source: Elle April 2011

Recently named as The Aesthetic Dentist of Record for Elite Model Management, the rich and famous have been flocking to his practice due to his uncanny ability to change the appearance of not just a smile, but the entire face through his artistry with veneers.

Now Dr Apa is bringing his expertise to Dubai. “I had members of the UAE Royal family visit me at my clinic in New York and I became very close with some of them – they invited me to see their country. I came here to visit and instantly fell in love with the place – the beaches, the shopping and the tranquil desert. As I have so many clients here, it made sense to start up a practice, and its one of the most central places in the world.”

Reliable, honest and fun, the dapper gentleman is amazingly still a bachelor and spends his spare time dabbling in golf, tennis and art. “I still take an art class in New York at Parson’s. I find art relaxes me and focuses my mind on the actual work I do. Photography is a hobby of mine as well. And sometimes I just like to lay around and relax on the beach.”

Source: Ahlan! Hot 100 2011

NOW SCHOOL - Faster than ever whiteners that leave your teeth nearly as gleaming as in-office options.

Improvements in the fit of at-home devices, as well as bleach-delivery systems that work faster, have made DIY whitening easier than ever. In fact, many dentists we spoke to admitted to using at home
options themselves – either to maintain professional results or to avoid sitting through a not so comfy in-office procedure.

“At-home whiteners have improved vastly. They offer nearly instant results with minimal impact on your wallet,” says Michael Apa, DDS, a New York City cosmetic dentist.

Source: More Magazine March 2011