One Woman’s Long Healing Journey Ends with Smile Makeover in Albany, NY

Albany Smiles is a family dentist offering friendly and thorough cleanings and exams, fillings, gum disease treatment, and cosmetic dentistry in Albany, NY. But, something you may not know is that we’re also the Capital Region’s choice for patients with complex dental situations. (When another dentist has told patients that all their teeth need to be extracted, we may be able to offer a less-invasive, more effective alternative!). We have a full range of options to create a treatment plan unique to your individual needs, goals, and desires. We’ve been able to offer many folks a variety of alternatives for their smile makeovers in Albany NY, plus a strong functional bite and the smile they’ve always wanted.

The Real Best Dentist in Albany, NY

Laurie first came to see Dr. Frank at Albany Smiles about five years ago. She had googled: “best dentist Albany NY.” She found dentists whose websites said, “Come here, we can do anything!” But, dentist after dentist told her there wasn’t anything they could do short of extracting all her natural teeth. They would tell her the teeth were too damaged, and she left each of those appointments in tears.

Laurie was just 40-something and felt she was too young for dentures. She remained committed to the possibility of her own teeth being restored and continued to seek out the best dentist in Albany NY to help her.

When she finally came to Albany Smiles and met Dr. Andrew Frank, she immediately sensed a difference. Dr. Frank was warm, kind, and conscientious. She felt that the previous dentists hadn’t really looked at her teeth before dismissing her case as requiring a full-arch extraction. Dr. Frank, on the other hand, looked thoroughly and thoughtfully.

Dental Crowns in Albany, NY

Looking back and forth between Laurie’s mouth and the imaging, Dr. Frank told her he’d need to think it over. She might have expected to go home and wait for a phone call. No, Dr. Frank left the room for a few minutes, considered her case, and came back to declare, “We can do this.” He even gave her a couple of different options—bridges or crowns. She chose crowns.

A dental crown, also sometimes called a cap, is a prosthetic top that restores a damaged tooth and looks just like a natural tooth. To place a crown, the dentist preps the tooth by removing its natural crown. The patient’s own root remains, and the dental crown replaces the structure of their tooth that was damaged. Dental crowns cosmetically fill in gaps in patients’ smiles and return lost biting function too. Dental crowns are also the restoration of choice after a root canal.

Life-Changing Cosmetic Dentistry in Albany, NY

Dr. Frank was transparent about how long Laurie’s treatment plan would take to transform her smile. She would need to wear braces on her lower teeth for 2 years to straighten them before he could begin work on the uppers. Next would come root canals on most of her upper teeth. Dr. Frank asked if she was prepared to hang in there for such a complex process, explaining it would be hard to go back once they started. Of course Laurie was all in!

Laurie found herself in tears again, but they were happy tears this time. There was a lot of emotion connected to this for her, as is so often the case for people with lifelong dental problems. Laurie experienced some hardships growing up, and as children do, sought to gain some control over anything she could in her life. She developed bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by binging and purging. The latter, regular vomiting, erodes tooth enamel and can cause teeth to become discolored and brittle. It was this illness that caused the damage to Laurie’s teeth.

before after

Laurie eventually sought counseling and got the support she needed to heal from her eating disorder. But, her teeth were already damaged, which is a common side-effect associated with bulimia. For years after she’d healed her relationship with food, Laurie’s teeth remained a powerful reminder of that painful time in her life. She was ready to take this huge step forward.

It meant so much to her to find a capable and compassionate dentist with a warm, non-judgemental, and friendly staff. Albany Smiles represented for Laurie a safe place to heal this final artifact of her eating disorder. She felt at home and comfortable here, like the doctor and staff were working with her, not on her. Chatting with the staff and Dr. Frank about her day, conversations about life, made the office feel almost like a family atmosphere for her.

Before

After

Laurie Gets Her Smile Makeover in Albany, NY

It was good she did feel so comfortable in our office, because once Dr. Frank started working on Laurie’s upper teeth, she’d have to sit sometimes for six hours. But she didn’t mind at all, because repairing her teeth, gaining confidence in her smile, was something she’d wanted to do for many years. As with earlier phases of her healing journey, it wasn’t easy, but it was, she tells us, “worth every minute.”

As Dr. Frank worked on Laurie’s upper teeth in three sections, he provided her with a temporary set of crowns for each. The day that he finished prepping all three sections and placed all of the temporaries, he asked if she was ready to see what it looked like. These weren’t her final, permanent crowns, but this was her first time seeing her smile fully restored. More happy tears!

She tells us it took some time to get used to the way her teeth felt with the permanent crowns once they were placed—they didn’t feel like hers at first. But, now they feel completely natural to her, and she can’t remember how it felt before this transformational experience. She can eat without trouble and smile with confidence. She used to experience physical pain every day from her teeth, and she no longer does. She tells us what a blessing this experience has been.

End Your Search and See the Best Dentist in Albany, NY

We were so happy Laurie trusted us with this life-changing improvement, and we’re honored to help so many others with smile makeovers in Albany NY. It gives us profound joy to be able to transform patients’ lives in this way. Give us a call today to make an appointment and learn how we can help you with cosmetic dentistry in Albany, NY.

A Note About Eating Disorders

Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are dangerous medical conditions. If you think you may have an eating disorder, compassionate specialists in Albany and all parts of the world are trained to help without judgment.

If a loved one appears to be suffering from an eating disorder, you may be able to begin by researching ways to help them. If the loved one is your minor child, seek help from a specialist immediately.