NYC Smile Design

1. Hollywood's New Smiles!

   Hollywood's New Smiles! Manhattan dentist Elisa Mello of NYC Smile Design gives her expert opinion as to what cosmetic improvements these top Hollywood stars have had done to makeover their smiles.

   

1. Dentistry ying-yang

   From their office in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, this doctor duo brings individual strengths to their team approach to dental care. Her expertise lies in periodontal surgery, cosmetic makeovers, orthodontics and Invisalign® teeth straightening.

   The husband-wife cosmetic dental team of Drs. Ramin Tabib and Elisa Mello of NYC Smile Design are a study in contrasts. He’s technical; she’s artistic. He’s focused and exact; she’s chatty and gregarious. Yet, together they practice a style of cosmetic dentistry that blends these characteristics to deliver the best results.

   From their office in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, this doctor duo brings individual strengths to their team approach to dental care. Her expertise lies in periodontal surgery, cosmetic makeovers, orthodontics and Invisalign® teeth straightening. His strengths are in porcelain veneers, full mouth reconstruction, smile makeovers, restorative dentistry and diagnosis, and placement of dental implants.
   
   The collaboration is continuous. Dr. Mello looks at the whole face and how the total works together—from complex restorations to reconstructive cases. Dr. Tabib brings in his warm, yet analytical approach. Their consults, together with the patient’s input, help to ensure a positive outcome. “Our two very different views come together to get the end result,” he says.
   
   “It’s more of a co-decision process with the patients. We’re just helping them make the right decision.” Patients enjoy the little touches they receive from the caring practice. A car service picks up patients scheduled for long treatments and returns them home afterward. The contemporary office design of understated elegance is accented by fresh-cut flowers and comforts that include warm towels to calm and refresh and in-chair heated massages to soothe muscles and anxiety. Each room has an iPod and a television with DVDs to pass the time. “People tell us they just feel they’re in the right dental office,” Dr. Mello says.

1. Profiles in Medicine

   Dr. Ramin Tabib and Dr. Elisa Mello of NYC Smile Design are two of Manhattan’s most respected and accomplished dentists. A husband and wife team, they have carefully designed their immaculate, contemporary practice to incorporate the latest technological advances in dentistry in an atmosphere of understated elegance, warmth and efficiency.

   Dr. Ramin Tabib and Dr. Elisa Mello of NYC Smile Design are two of Manhattan’s most respected and accomplished dentists. A husband and wife team, they have carefully designed their immaculate, contemporary practice to incorporate the latest technological advances in dentistry in an atmosphere of understated elegance, warmth and efficiency. “Our g oal is to integrate esthetics as part of total dental health to create an overall pleasing and cosmetically enhanced facial appearance,” says Dr. Mello. At NYC Smile Design, life changing and image enhancing treatment is quick and painless and can be done in as little as two visits. Advanced Cosmetic treatments include Smile Makeovers, laser bleaching, invisible braces and porcelain fillings.
   
   Drs. Mello and Tabib have received many professional awards. Dr. Mello has been honored with the highest award in the field of periodontics, the Samuel Charles Miller award and her election to Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the Dental Society that recognizes the top 5% of the nation’s dentists. Dr. Mello is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU College of Dentistry in the Advanced Education Program in General Dentistry. Dr. Ramin Tabib is one of a handful of dentists worldwide who have been honored with fellowship to the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He is passionate about dentistry and a leader in developing and mastering new technology. Dr. Tabib is also actively involved in the renowned Advanced Esthetic Program at New York University. As a result of their dedication to the field of cosmetic dentistry they have gained national and local recognition in the media. In July of 2002 Drs. Tabib and Mello were honored with the esteemed MDTV National Expert award, an award that recognizes a doctor’s outstanding achievements in surgical mastery, procedure results and patient satisfaction.

1. Are Lumineers the Right Porcelain Veneers for You?

   Lumineers or Traditional Porcelain Veneers? Dr. Ramin Tabib gives his professional opinion in this guide to help you decide if Lumineers are the best way for you to achieve whiter, straighter teeth.

   I was sitting at home last month on a weeknight watching late night cable and saw an ad (that I’m sure you've probably all seen once or twice) telling me how I can get whiter, straighter teeth with Lumineers in a shorter time and at a significantly lower price than traditional porcelain veneers.

   Besides sounding like something I'd be proud to say were on my teeth (Lumineer!, has a radiant ring to it, doesn't it?), whiter, straighter and cheaper appealed to both my sense of aesthetic and my sense of frugality. So I decided that I'd do a little word of mouth investigation and find out if the product behind the great name and appealing claims was as good as it sounded.

   What Makes a Lumineer Different

   The first thing I learned was that Lumineers aren't really any different from regular porcelain veneers; they're made in the same way using the same material. What makes them unique is that they're super-thin, about as thick as one of your contact lenses, and can be placed on your teeth without all the drilling and prep work associated with standard porcelain veneers (at least that's the sales pitch).

   "So, unlike regular veneers, the idea is that these veneers can save healthy tooth structure and eliminate the need for extensive tooth reduction, injections and so forth," says Dr. Debra King of the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. "Sounds great, right?

   "The problem is that unless you have very specific circumstances like lots of gaps, or teeth that flair in toward your tongue and need to be built outward you usually end up with bulky, fake-looking teeth. With regular porcelain veneers you may remove as little as half a millimeter from the existing tooth and replace it with porcelain so it looks natural. Typically, unprepared veneers simply look too toothy."

   Manhattan dentist Dr. Ramin Tabib sees the same downside: "Aesthetically it can look very bulky and opaque... A straight no-prep veneer like they recommend is bound for disaster at some point."

   So it's in the preparation, then, that Lumineers might not be the perfect solution. Of course there is nothing to say that your dentist can't do the same prep work as she would with conventional veneers: no-prep is simply a part of the marketing slogan. So your dentist could still use the Lumineer product (I'm looking for cost-cutting here, remember) with just some minor prep work.

   And prep work isn't done just to remove part of the teeth; it also helps in the bonding process. "Bonding works best when you have surface preparation on the tooth," says American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry President and Newport Beach dentist Dr. Nicholas C. Davis. "So if the teeth are just slightly roughed, you know, break the glaze off of the tooth, but not tooth reduction, any veneer is going to stick better. So by saying 'noprep' you might be compromising a little bit in the adhesion process."

   Lumineers and Patient Selection

   Alright, so we can work around the prep and still use the less-expensive Lumineers, but if your not removing part of the tooth you have to worry about bulkiness, because if you're adding thickness to the front of our teeth (even-contact lens thickness) it could stick out too far and even create a lip at the top of your tooth by gum line that can cause cleaning problems.

   This means you have to have the right circumstance (the product certainly isn't for everybody). "I am going to give you an example of where Lumineers would be the best," says Dr. Davis. "If your front two teeth happen to be tipped back, where the two teeth on either side are sticking out a little bit, so all you need to do is build up those teeth, that's a perfect place for the Lumineer concept."

   "I'm not saying it should never be done, and we have done them at times, but case selection is critical for success," says Dr. King. "There are just very few cases where you can get a nice, natural result, and again, that's generally on people who have teeth that need to be bulked out or made larger."

   

   Aesthetic Concerns

   Dr. Tabib says that even in these cases he still doesn't like Lumineers as an option. He just doesn't think they look good: "too opaque" he says. He does use a veneer lab to create his own contact-lens-thin porcelain veneer that he believes is more aesthetically appealing than the Lumineer product. In fact many dentists will use a lab that they are comfortable with instead of opting for the Lumineer version.

   Even if it's not the perfect product that I envisioned after seeing my late-night ad, it can be used to give you some good results. Dr. King has used them on a few patients and even had a glowing testimonial from a young lady, at the beginning of her modeling career, that wanted Lumineers to help give her a nicer smile.

   Dr. Tabib has met a few people with Lumineers and saw some mixed results, but not altogether bad: "One person didn't look so bad. They were pretty bright but I think that is what the person wanted. One person that I saw, I thought it was atrocious. They liked it, it just looked bulky. It's so appealing to a patient to have Lumineers, from the cost point of view to the time issue."

   Wrapping Up

   Well okay, maybe it's not the perfect product, but if you fall into the right category it still sounds appealing when compared to options that can be as much as double the price. Just remember it's always important to find a dentist you are comfortable with, has before and after pictures that illustrates his/her work, and that you can trust to give you the smile that you want.

1. Smiles for Success

   Cosmetic dentistry requires standard dental training and the understanding of facial structure, esthetics, and psychology...

   Cosmetic dentistry requires standard dental training and the understanding of facial structure, esthetics, and psychology. Having built a successful cosmetic practice for 10 years, I have long wanted to give back, especially to women who cannot afford the costs and who could benefit; from what I've learned. Smiles for Success seemed an ideal fit.
   
   Monica Greene was referred to our practice through Smiles for Success and NITCHEN, a Native American education program. She was trying to find employment, in need of major dental work, and lacking insurance. Previous dental experiences left her fearful about pain and results.
   
   "I had extreme fear of dentistry," Greene said, "and it had been years since my last treatment. At the dentist's office, it was too expensive, so I had gone to an emergency room with a toothache. They gave me painkillers but didn't treat the problem. I knew I needed the work because I kept applying for jobs online. At first, the employers would respond favorably to my resume - I looked good on paper - but when we met face to face, they'd always say, I'll call you.' Somehow they never did. After I met Dr. Mello, things changed. Because I hadn't smiled in years, at first my face didn't know which way to go. They made me a complete set of dentures, and I began smiling again. When my family had a cookout, I laughed so much they almost fell out."
   
   Greene began applying for jobs online again. When she went for an interview, the work had been completed. She felt confident and outgoing. Most important, she got a job with Homeland Security. She was one of the most satisfying patients I was able to help. Initially, her warmth didn't come through; she wasn't feeling good about herself, so she was holding back. Afterward, we got to see an outgoing person who is excited about her new field. I urge you to join me by volunteering your skills to benefit women in need through Smiles for Success. Women helping women is a powerful idea, and I'm hooked!

1. Smile - Gum Lifts Go Cosmetic

   Those whose smiles are more Mister Ed than Miss America have a new hope: the gum lift. Cosmetic dentists are raising or whittling away at tissue and/or bone to lengthen teeth and beautify gummy or horsy grins...

   Those whose smiles are more Mister Ed than Miss America have a new hope: the gum lift. Dentists are raising or whittling away at tissue and/or bone to lengthen teeth and beautify gummy or horsy grins. Also called crown-lengthening, the procedure has been around for decades to treat gum disease; it's only in the past three to five years that dentists have added it to their aesthetics-enhancing arsenal. The number of gum lifts performed has increased as "the sophistication of a patient's discriminating eye has increased," says Nicholas Davis, president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. "Now people want it all perfect," a smile that's straight, bright and white with a minimum of pink.
   
   "By evening up the gum line, everything looks so much more in harmony, so much more pleasing," says Manhattan dentist Elisa Mello. She and her colleague husband, Ramin Tabib, are elevating or trimming the gums along one tooth or more for 15-20 patients a month. Four or five years ago, they did "probably 15 in a year," Tabib says. They charge about $300 for one tooth up to $4,000 for a full arch (up to 16 teeth).
   
   "You can whiten and brighten and straighten your teeth, but if your gum line is up and down, it's almost like wasting your money because you still don't have the result that you want," says Pat DiGiacomo, a veneer and gum-lift patient at Tabib and Mello's practice.
   
   DiGiacomo always had been "self conscious" about her teeth. Now, "I can laugh out loud without trying to duck behind a hand:" And dentists say it only sounds like a medieval medical practice. "This is a one- or two-Advil treatment," Davis says. Recovery ranges from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how invasive the surgery is; tissue can be lasered away, but a scalpel and/or drill is needed to extract bone.
   
   Some aren't candidates for crown-lengthening. "If you have big teeth, then your teeth will look even bigger," Davis says. Also, those whose roots are skinny, tapered or short could, through too much root exposure, compromise the strength of their teeth.
   
   Diane College, who works the front desk at the office of Joseph Harmon, a Salisbury, Md., dentist who has seen a 60 percent increase in the number of gum lifts performed over the last five years, spent about an hour in the chair last May getting the gums lifted above four of her top front teeth. "All of a sudden [Harmon's dental] assistant said, `Wow,' " recalls College, 50. These days, she readily flashes a "big, cheesy" smile. "I love it."
   
   

Dr. Elisa Mello

Education

New York University - Bachelor of Arts-Psycho-Biology-1987
NYU - College of Dentistry - Doctor of Dental Surgery-1991
Flushing Hospital Medical Center - General Practice Residency - 1991-1992

Honors

Omicron Kappa Upsilon
The National Dental Honor Society recognizing academic and clinical excellence in dentistry; elected to Membership -1991

Samuel Charles Miller Award
One of the highest and most prestigious awards in the field of Periodontics - 1991

Professional Practice

Dr. Robert Greenspan DDS, Associate in Private Practice 1992-1997
Private Practice 1995-Present

Professional Development

The Perio Institute
Advanced Surgical Techniques - October 1995

American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic Dentistry, Ceramics, Interceptive Orthodontics, Tempero-Mandibular Disorders - 1997

Center for Advanced Dental Studies-Greater NY
Periodontal Prosthetics - November 1997

Center for Advanced Dental Studies
Occlusion, Occlusal Equilibration, Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics - 1998

Seattle Institute for Advanced Dental Education
Occlusion in Clinical Practice -1998

Center for the Advancement of Dentistry
Light Force Orthodontic Program- September 1998-June 2000

Wasatch Surgical Institute
Art of Oral Surgery-1999

University of Medical and Dental/New Jersey
Hard and Soft Tissue Options-Pharmacotherapeutics for Dentistry - April-May 2000

American Academy of Periodontology
International Symposium on Periodontics - June 2000

International Dental Seminars
Medical Emergencies - June 2001

Invisalign
Orthodontic Certification - December 2001

Henry Spenadel Continuing Education Program
Oral Cancer Prevention and Detection - February 2002

New York University
Lasers in Dentistry; Proficiency Certification Course - April 2002

The Rosenthal Institute at New York University
Aesthetic Advantage - Fall 2002

NYU College of Dentistry
Clinical Assistant Professor-International General Dentistry Program

Professional Memberships

American Dental Association
First District Dental Society
Academy of General Dentistry
American Academy of Periodontology
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD)
American Association of Women Dentist’s – “Smiles for Success”

Dr. Ramin Tabib

Education

State University of New York Binghamton, 1987. Bachelor of Arts - Biology
Columbia University College of Dental Surgery, 1991. Doctor of Dental Surgery
Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, General Practice Residency, 1991-1992

Professional Practice

Dr. Robert Greenspan DDS, Associate in Private Practice 1992-1997
Private Practice 1995-Present

Professional Development

American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Esthetics, Dental Materials, Ceramics - 1997

Center for Advanced Dental Studies
Diagnostic & Treatment of Masticatory System Problems - May-November 1998

Seattle Institute for Advanced Dental Education
Facially generated treatment planning - February 1998
Occlusion in clinical practice - September 1998
Advanced Occlusion in Clinical Practice - June 1999

Wasatch Surgical Institute
Art of Oral Surgery-1999
New York University Residency in Dental Implantology
Surgical Placement & Prosthetic Treatments with Implants- September 1996-June 1998

Misch Implant Institue
Surgical and Prosthetic Rehabilitaion with Implants- February 2000-November 2000

Comprehensive Course in Creating Restorative Excellence
Managing the Restorative and Periodontic Interface-March 2000
Predictable Prosthodontics-July 2000

International Dental Seminars
Medical Emergencies-June 2001

Medical College of Georgia
Head & Neck Anatomy-July 2001

Henry Spenadel Continuing Education Program
Oral Cancer Prevention and Detection- February 2002

New York University
Lasers in Dentistry Proficiency Certification Course-April 2002
Bone Grafting in Implantology (Dr. Joel Rosenlicht) April 2002

Sinus-Ridge Augmentation Course-April 2002

New York University Clinical Participation Program
Contemporary Aesthetics Dentistry - September 2002-June 2003

NYU College of Dentistry
Clinical Assistant Professor - Advanced Program in Esthetic Dentistry

Professional Memberships

American Dental Association
First District Dental Society
Academy of General Dentistry
American Academy of Implant Dentistry
(AAID)International Congress of Oral Implantologists
(ICOI)-Recognized as Fellow, July 1998
American College of Implantology (ACOI)
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD)

General Dentistry

• Oral Examination / Dental Screening
• X-Rays
• Teeth Cleaning
• Tooth Fillings
• Gum Treatment
• Root Canal Therapy
• Dental Sealants
• Tooth Extraction
• Dental Advice

Cosmetic Dentistry

• Sedation Dentistry
• Smile Makeover
• Hygiene & Periodontal Treatments
• Orthodontic Options
• Dental Implants