Dr. Jativa, tell us what motivated you to specialize in smile design.
When I started specializing in facial aesthetics, I quickly realized that even when a patient has aesthetic procedures, it is not enough if they do not have a beautiful, harmonious smile. That is why I felt the need to offer my patients the complete package. The smile is, without a doubt, a very important part of facial aesthetics, because it affects not only the patient’s physical state but also their mental state.
Do you think that not feeling comfortable with their smile can affect people’s confidence and self-esteem?
Absolutely, smiling is so important! Many studies show that having a harmonious smile, or feeling comfortable with your smile, raises self-esteem and makes people feel happier. It definitely creates a better version of each person, conveying more security and confidence in everyday life. Aspects such as the visibility of the teeth, their size, and the position of the lip over the teeth are also very important. All of this affects the perception of the smile’s aesthetics, and that is what I seek in my work: bringing harmony to the face by creating smiles. At the end of the day, when we feel comfortable with our smile, we smile more, we feel more confident, and self-esteem rises.
How does it feel to change your patients’ lives, in a way, through your work?
It is an incredible superpower. It fills me with an enormous feeling of happiness. I can say without hesitation that it is the most exciting part of this process and by far the one I enjoy the most: watching patients place their trust in you. Each one of them is a world, and they give you a feeling of infinite gratitude along with that genuine smile, without shyness or fear. Truly, when I see their changes and final results, my heart always fills with happiness.
Tell us about the systems and technologies you use at NewFaceMD to treat and transform your patients’ smile designs.
Our clinic has advanced technology in aesthetic dentistry. We want to give our patients the best experience with a comprehensive service, so we have an intraoral scanner, which projects a 3D image of each patient’s oral cavity and allows us to make a better diagnosis and treatment plan. I also use it to explain in detail what we want to achieve in each case. With this equipment we also take final impressions to send porcelain veneers directly to our laboratory for production, as well as oral rehabilitation cases such as dental crowns, and the creation of Invisalign aligners. We also have a laser unit for minimally invasive gingivectomy (gum contouring), with excellent results, and we work with e.max technology for our veneers.
In everyday life, what basic care do you recommend for healthy oral hygiene? What type of toothbrush is better, manual or electric?
It is important to brush regularly and use dental floss, since floss reaches areas where food builds up and the brush cannot reach. I recommend electric toothbrushes because they clean your teeth better: they remove plaque better than a conventional brush and take care of your gums, and they also control the movements, since a person can sometimes apply too much force with a conventional brush, which causes problems in the short or long term.
What do you recommend if someone feels sensitivity after a whitening treatment? What measures can be taken?
I always recommend evaluating the patient very carefully before a whitening treatment and determining which type of whitening I will apply, in order to avoid post-treatment sensitivity. If it unfortunately does occur, I recommend using a sensitivity toothpaste instead of a conventional one, along with oral analgesics for the first few days.
What is the best treatment for a missing tooth?
Treatment plans vary depending on each patient’s clinical case and budget. What we want to achieve is to restore the functionality lost through missing teeth and prevent the problem from advancing. In my opinion, after evaluating my patient’s case and determining they are a candidate, I would recommend dental implants as the ideal treatment.
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