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While the public could be forgiven for thinking a
"makeover" is simply a matter of a few simple cosmetic
licks, and voila: a new person is born.
In the case of the candidate for the Comox Valley Echo,
and Magic FM sponsored Makeover, the results of which
are to be revealed this Friday,
June 17, the work she has undergone has been both more
intensive, and more extensive than applying a little
touch-up paint.
The candidate has, for many weeks now, undergone a
regime of physical training, dermal analysis and
revitalization, a changed and vastly improved dietary
adjustment, the dropping of such lifestyle habits as
smoking and, perhaps the most rigorous of all, dental
repairs.
Of that latter category, said Drs. Emmanuel Karamanis
and Brett Burry, dental partners at Acreview Dental
Clinic in Courtenay, a great deal of work was needed.
"Quite a bit of
work," says Karamanis. "There were
periodontal (gum disease) concerns, the extraction of a
front tooth that had been damaged in an accident, gum
height, bone grafting. It was a big task."
For the candidate, in the past, cost had been a factor.
Consequently she had only received minimal work on her
teeth over many years.
"There was decay on the front tooth that was
extracted,"
Karamanis says.
"There were also multiple fillings that had to be
replaced, and so forth. This was just to get her to a
place where the restorative work could be started."
The restorative work included a porcelain bridge to
replace the extracted front tooth, and porcelain veneers
on the remaining teeth. The results, both dentists say,
have brought about a remarkable change in the appearance
of the candidate.
"Dental work can change people's
lives," Karamanis says.
"She (the candidate) used to look for jobs where she
didn't have to interact with others, because she was
ashamed of her appearance. Needless to say, the jobs she
was forced, by her own self-consciousness, to take were
not the highest paying ones, so she was never able to
get ahead to earn enough to get the work on her
appearance she needed."
Burry and Karamanis say that the winning candidate was
the only contender to have multiple applications sent
in, with both her mother and her aunt pushing hard for
her. It paid off, and the dental work began on March 13.
It was a lot of work over a relatively brief period of
time, they say.
The most rigorous work was the extraction and subsequent
bone-graft, they said.
"We had to deal with that and the gum
situation," says
Burry. "We had to get those primary areas under control.
In the end of it all, she will look fabulous. We have
both the before and after pictures and the change in her
is remarkable."
Karamanis adds that the candidate wasn't even an extreme
case, but that she will show the public what cosmetic
dentistry will do for a person.
Acreview Dental Clinic offers the gamut of cosmetic
dentistry. At the same time, it is a family practice.
"We're both general dentists, but we have sought out
advanced courses in cosmetic dentistry, and we have
offered a heavy emphasis in that area over the past 7
1/2 years," Karamanis says.
Burry and Karamanis have operated out of the Acreview
Clinic for the past 10 years, and have also acquired the
Third St. location of retired Dr. Greg Gill.
"During our time here, we've brought a lot of new dental
technology to the Valley," Burry says. "We make it our
goal to bring up-to-the-minute technology to the Valley.
In that we include such things as digital radiography,
which does away with the old x-ray process of using
film, and high intensity x-rays. This process reduces
radiation by up to 90%.
Another innovation is Cad-cam Technology, which is a
computer aided design process that allows the dentists
to do crowns, veneers, porcelains, all in a single
visit.
"This technology allows us to crate an optical
impression rather than a rubber impression," Karamanis
says. "The picture is then sent to a milling machine
which robotically fabricates the crown. Patients can
actually watch us fabricate the crown digitally, and can
then go to the milling machine to observe the actual
crown being created."
Technology is very much in evidence at Acreview Clinic,
but so are other cosmetic procedures, including
in-office whitening of teeth, the same as the process
that has been shown on Extreme Makeover shows.
Burry adds that they are also making increasing use of
laser dentistry, including the use of soft-tissue lasers
for treating gum disease. Both dentists are firm
advocates of cosmetic dentistry as a life-changing
experience for the public. More than just mere vanity, a
significant and healthful change in appearance can
vastly improve an individual's outlook and can be
profoundly influential on their success in life.
Dr. Emmanuel Karamanis |
Dr.
Brett Burry |
