How the Covid-19 Pandemic Impacted Cosmetic Dentistry

So why now?” The question I asked one of my long-time patients when we started her smile transformation in February 2021. “I am using my allocated vacation money to finally do this since the world shut down, and secondly, all I can stare at is myself during my Zoom meetings.”  Since March 2020, our faces have been hidden with masks and face shields to protect ourselves from the Covid-19 spread.  However, with that change, we are facetiming more and taking conference calls through video conferencing avenues such as Zoom.  “I was never cognizant of how my smile actually looked till I was able to watch myself speak and I am becoming more self-aware of my smile.”  This patient battled with herself many times to commit to a full smile transformation but finally decided to go for it after seeing her own teeth on multiple virtual meetings. We utilized Invisalign®, whitening and two ceramic crowns on her two front teeth to give the desired aesthetics she was looking for.
This patient  is not the only example of someone searching for a cosmetic approach to her goals. Since we have reopened in June 2020, there has been a significant rise in cosmetic dentistry.  Patients are now looking and willing to invest in that ‘million-dollar smile’.  Not only through Invisalign® and whitening but accompanying it with lip fillers via Juvéderm® and Restylane® and Botox®.   The demand for beauty has significantly increased through the years with the influence of Facebook & Instagram.  But now more notably TikTok and Reels have been booming with zoomed in faces to show makeup tutorials and sometimes even full body/face transformations.  There have been numerous times, I have had patients show me pictures of their overall esthetic goals from either big-name influencers or random hashtag searches on their Instagram.
While smile transformations are what we pride ourselves in doing, we also need to make sure all our patients know the importance of maintaining that healthy million-dollar smile.  Before Invisalign® and KöR Whitening, we must always ensure that our patients are in great oral standing.  For instance, it is extremely risky to shift teeth in patients that have poor periodontal health.   We cannot reiterate enough how important good oral health is imperative before doing anything cosmetic.  This is not only true in the dental world, but before any cosmetic procedure one will endure.  For instance, a plastic surgeon will ensure you are free of any major health conditions before performing any cosmetic surgeries.  It is the absolute same protocol with any dental cosmetic procedures we do here in the office.
Patient safety is our number one priority before anything.  Because of this, we have gained the utmost trust with all our patients in their overall dental health and have had several patients leaving the office with the same sentiment, “you’ve changed my life.”  This is the reason we wake up and are motivated to provide our patients with the best cosmetic dentistry has to offer.