Dean Lodding, D.D.S.

1. The Path Dean Lodding Took to the Set of ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover” Began with a Friday Afternoon Whim that Still Intrigues Him

   It was more than 25 years ago; he was a junior in college with his sights set on dental school. If he hadn’t dropped by his advisor’s office that day on his way to a dorm party, he’d have missed the application deadline for the entrance exam and would have had to wait until his senior year to pursue dentistry.

   It was more than 25 years ago; he was a junior in college with his sights set on dental school. If he hadn’t dropped by his advisor’s office that day on his way to a dorm party, he’d have missed the application deadline for the entrance exam and would have had to wait until his senior year to pursue dentistry.

   A four-year degree would have qualified him for a different dental school than the one that allowed him in with just three years of college. As a result, Lodding muses, it he’s gone to the other school, he’d have connected with different people.

   Perhaps he would never have gotten involved in cosmetic dentistry, or never opened a stat-of-the-art dental practice in Elgin. Perhaps, too, he wouldn’t have met Bill Dorfman

   Dorfman, renowned for making Hollywood smiled flashier, is known to fans of “Extreme Makeover” as the lead cosmetic dentist of the hit television show.

   It was his friendship with Dorfman that got him invited onto the personal redesign show, and this month he’s scheduled to film with the Extreme Team again.

   “They wanted to have clinicians from different parts of the country involved” Lodding said, “to emphasize that this is not all just about Los Angeles.”

   But there was a catch – for Lodding’s first shoot he needed a California dental license which usually takes four to six months to process, and Hollywood wanted him right away.

   “The best way to do something is face to face,” Lodding maintains so he flew to Sacramento, picked up a bouquet of flours for the clerk and asked her to do what she could to speed the process. That new license was his in just three days.

   Procedures were filmed in Dorfmans’ office. “He’s on the 17th floor of a high-rise,” Lodding said. “Space is at a premium so everything is tight and compact, but TV makes it seem like it’s bigger and more open. Everybody is just packed into the room.”

   “It’s no different than working (in Elgin),” he said, “except that there’s a cameraman, a sound man, there’s a producer and director.”

   Doctors Dorfman and Lodding played “tag team,” working on patients in three or for rooms at a time.

   Lodding said other patients for the show were in Los Angeles at the same time, involved in different aspects of their total makeovers, such as the eyelid lifts, nose and ear surgery, laser hair removal, liposuction, and botox and collagen injections that one of his patients, Pam, received in addition to extensive dental work.

   Or they might have been working out with a fitness trainer or shopping with a fashion stylist. During the first season patients roomed together in hotels for their six to eight weeks in California, but this year they’ll get a luxury upgrade at the new Makeover Mansion.

   Who pays for all this? Lodding said he’s not sure about the mansion, but services are donated by the professionals.

   He said Dorfman estimated that a million dollars in dental work alone was donated during the first season.

   But compensation comes in other ways for Lodding. The week after healing enhance Pam’s smile, he was on a father-son trip with His Dad in Las Vegas, where Pam was scheduled to unveil her amazing new look for family and friends. She invited the Loddings to the “reveal” in her home and. Unbeknownst to here, to her wedding.

   “Her fiancé wanted to surprise her by getting married that night,” Lodding said, “so he told ABC about it, and ABC sent him out to get a ring. He asked them, ‘How big of a ring can I get?’ and they said, ‘Well, it’s gotta be big enough to show up on TV.’

   “They show the whole scene with him going to Kay Jewelers and picking out a ring.” Lodding said,” He showed me the appraisal, which is like $13,900, but he got it for free.

   “Pam had these issues about her physical appearance,” Lodding said. “but I had a chance to talk to her fiancé and her brothers, and they all were sauing that ever since she was alittle girl these things have bothered her. ­They never stopped her from being a beautiful person, but these things were just hanging over her.”

   Lodding, 48, is a firm believer in the power of modern makeovers, “as long as somebody has the right perspective and goes into it – which is critical – not thinking that this is going to make them a different person. It’s just changing the presentation.

   “There are some people who like to overdo it with plastic surgery, but I think if you kist keep it in the right perspective, something to enhance yourself a little bit, it’s a great thing.” He said. “It takes that little weight off your back.”

   Porcelain veneers, whitening agents, bonding and dental implants are buzzwords in cosmetic dentistry and the tools Lodding uses to brighten smiles and boost self-esteem. He still does general dentistry as well in his high tech office, which must seem far removed from the South Dakota reservation where he filled cavities his first year out of dental school.

   “I wanted to expose myself to some different things,” said the Chicago native, but “the family draw was real strong and I came back to Illinois.”

   Hooking up with an established Elgin dentist brought him in 1981 to the Fox Valley, where he helped promote veneers in the earliest days of cosmetic dentistry. Lodding opened his own office, Smile For Life, six months ago and has turned dwon offers to partner with dentist friends across the country who can’t imagine what keeps him in Elgin.

   “I enjoy the people,” he said, “I enjoy providing this service right here, and I don’t feel a need to go to downtown Chicago or to L.A. or to Texas to do it.”

   He’s excited that programs like “Extreme Makeover” show cosmetic dentistry as accessible to the average person.

   Back when he was considering careers, Lodding thought he might become a priest if not a dentist, but it turns out he’s still involved in soul nourishment.

   “You can see people that will have a whole different demeanor about themselves after they’ve had something done to enhance their smile.

   “The smile,” he said, “is the gateway to the soul.”

1. Doc Hollywood

   When Pam revealed herself to her family and friends after being away for six months, she was completely changed, Plastic surgeons had tweaked and tucked her face, and her figure was more curvaceous than before, full in the correct places.

   When Pam revealed herself to her family and friends after being away for six months, she was completely changed, Plastic surgeons had tweaked and tucked her face, and her figure was more curvaceous than before, full in the correct places.

   At least one of the spectators was focusing narrowly on only one of Pam’s prominent new features,

   “I don’t know what everyone else was looking at, but I was looking at her teeth to see how they came out,” said Elgin cosmetic dentist Dr. Dean Lodding. “Thank goodness, they looked good.”

   Pam’s makeover and subsequent appearance were all part of the filming of ABC’s reality shot Extreme Makeover, in which a lucky contestant gets the ultimate body tuneup in a few hectic weeks.

   Lodding was flown out to Los Angeles recently to participate as the show’s cosmetic dentist.

   Episodes featuring Lodding – Including this one – will be aired this fall. Tonight at 7p.m. is the season premier of the series.

   Lodding worked on six patients in just one day for the show. The most common operation he did was to apply a carefully shaped porcelain veneer to ground-down teeth, remaking the patients smile.
   

   Lodding described his first big brush with Hollywood as “natural.”

   “You’re not thinking about the fact there’s 13 million viewers watching the show,” he said.

   Shortly after graduating from dental school at the University of Illinois, Lodding began working in the Chicago area with the inventor of the porcelain veneer dental treatment.

   In 1996 he joined the Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, Eventually, Lodding would become the president of that organization and the overseer of the certification process. Lodding oversaw the cosmetic certification of Dr. Bill Dorfman, who went on to become a dentist for many celebrities, including the Osbourne family.

   Now heading up the dental side of the ABC show Extreme Makeover, Dorfman remembered Lodding and asked him to do the cosmetic dental work for this season.

   “The one thing that caught me working on something that level, we could be working on that show right now because when you’re doing it, you just focus on the task at hand,” Lodding said in his office as he worked on preparing a patients teeth for a porcelain veneer.

   Patients for the show were chosen based on a submission of a video and biography detailing why the applicant wanted changes made to his or her body. The patients chosen all wanted drastic changes and for the right reasons, Lodding said. And sometimes , the changes are dramatic.

   “Looking at (one patient’s) before picture –she was 47—she looked like she was 62. Afterward, she looked like she was 45. It was absolutely incredible,” Lodding said. “It’s one thing to have a result where a couple people see it, but this one is going to be seen by millions and millions.”

   Lodding said he thinks one of the good things about the show is that it demonstrates that cosmetic alterations –especially dental00 are not just reserved for celebrities, but are available to average middle Americans.

   But he cautions that people always research their cosmetic dentist first. Lodding is one of only 200 cosmetic dentists accredited through the National Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, which is the world’s largest such organization.

   “Everyone wants to say they’re a cosmetic dentist,” Lodding said. “But the level of experience of people who say they’re a cosmetic dentist is so varied.”

   Lodding said plans are already beinf made for the next season of Extreme Makeover, and that he would love to be a part of it again.

   “The patients are all incredibly good, incredible nice people,” he said”…Theres a lot of tears, a lot of emotion.”

1. Illinois Dentist Writes the Book on Cosmetic Dentistry, Another Takes it to the Extreme

   Dr Dean Lodding is positively extreme when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. The Illinois State Dental Society member dentist just completed another season as one of the guest cosmetic dentists on the hit reality show Extreme Makeover.

   Dr. Dean Lodding is positively extreme when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. The Illinois State Dental Society member dentist just completed another season as one of the guest cosmetic dentists on the hit reality show Extreme Makeover.

   The seeds for his future brush with Hollywood were planted in 1992, long before the reality TV rage hit the small screen. Dr. Lodding was head of the accreditation process for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. One of the candidates going through the process was a Beverly Hills dentist by the name of Bill Dorfman, now widely recognized as the Extreme Makeover dentist. “I got to know him as he was going through the process, and we developed a friendship.” That friendship, along with the shows’ producers’ desire to demonstrate that cosmetic dentistry opportunities extend well beyond the glitter and glitz of Hollywood, led Dr. Lodding to become a featured guest on the popular series.

   The first season was involved, Dr. Lodding flew to Los Angeles and performed cosmetic dentistry on six patients. This past season, Dr. Lodding participated in the show from his Chicago area office and was instrumental in the “mini makeover” of Linda Konczal, who is the mother of actress/comedian Jenny McCarthy. “Jenny wanted to do something special for her mom who holds a modest job in Chicago. Linda had a few procedures done including Lasik surgery, hair and makeup, but the major part of her treatment was a dental makeover.

   Dr. Lodding had the opportunity to be on hand when Mrs. Konczal appeared for her “reveal.” Although he was trying to be inconspicuous, when Mrs. Konczal walked out she was scanning the crowd trying to find her dentist. “After her daughter and her husband, the first person she looked for was me. When she saw me, she yelled out. ‘Dr. Lodding, I love you!’ It was really a touching moment. That’s what makes it all worth while –when these people walk out of your office and into their everyday lives totally transformed with a fantastic smile. That aspect of it is incredibly rewarding.”

   Dr. Lodding says that the smile makeovers often have the most profound impact on the makeover candidates. They’ve also had a powerful effect on the millions of dental patients that tune in to watch the show each week. Dentistry has been on of the greatest beneficiaries of popular culture’s obsession with cosmetic enhancements. According to Dr. Lodding, the show has been on of the best public relations campaigns dentistry could ever had.

   “Extreme Makeover has been an excellent source for educating the public about cosmetic procedures. This show enables people to see the beautiful things that the dentist can provide. Five years ago if you asked the average person what a veneer was, they would have thought of the coating that goes on wood or a countertop. They couldn’t relate to what a porcelain veneer was, but with Extreme Makeover exposing patients on a regular basis to this information, the public is much more informed, and it’s been a great thing for dentistry.”

   The dramatic transformations of individuals who have turned themselves over to some of the nations best cosmetic dentists have enabled dental patients across the county to envision the possibilities that dentistry has to offer. And for all those extreme makeover dreamers, Dr. Mark Landau, an ISDS member dentist from Skokie, has written a book on cosmetic dentistry. Which is designed specifically with the patient in mind. The “Atlas of Cosmetic Dentistry: A patient’s Guide” focuses on cosmetic and implant dentistry. It enables the reader to see conditions that are likely to be similar to their own and what can be done to address those conditions.

   The hefty, 12 X 14 full-color book features page after page of photos and illustrations that educate patients about cosmetic conditions, the various treatments, and specific procedures. Each page focuses on a different cosmetic problem, , such as stained or discolored teeth, gaps between teeth, missing teeth, periodontal bone loss, and more. It is designed to be easily displayed in patient waiting rooms, treatment rooms, and consultation areas.

   The genesis of this book was Dr. Landau’s early realization that, when it comes to cosmetic procedures in particular, a picture truly is worth a thousand words. “I could take certain problems that patients had and show someone who had a similar type of problem how we evaluated the situation, what we did to make the changes, and what the final results looked like. It allows patients to know what their choices are and to visualize the possibilities.”

   He has found that patients will look at the book, then walk into the treatment room and ask if they are a candidate for a particular cosmetic procedure. “It really changes the approach that dentists take in discussing cosmetic treatment options, as well as implant and reconstructive dentistry with patients, when they are walking in with a level of education and the ability to make an informed decision about what is best for them.”

   The response to the prototypes that Dr. Landau made available to his own patients convinced him that the book could benefit patients and practices everywhere. “There was a point when I realized patients were seeking cosmetic procedures around the world, and there was nothing available on the market that was directed at the patient that would allow the patient to educate themselves about what is available to them. That’s when I realized that other dentists and patients could benefit just as my practice and patients benefit every day.” He credits the book with increasing treatment acceptance of cosmetic dentistry in his own practice some 40%.

   The spiral-bound Atlas is a final compilation of various prototypes that Dr. Landau developed over the years. “When patients look at this, they are looking at state-of-the-art treatment options.” In developing the text to accompany the many photographs, Dr. Landau evaluated the questions that are typically asked, those areas that tended to cause confusion, and specific information that patients tended to be most interested in obtaining. “The most difficult part was deciding what to leave out. We wanted to make it informative and educational but not to complicated for the patient.”

   Dr. Landau says the feedback on the book has been overwhelmingly positive. “I have dentists calling me at the office to tell me that they are amazed how much they and their staffs have been able to utilize the book, and that the patients are coming in and asking for treatment when in the past the practices were trying to figure out how to present the treatment to the patients. It’s become part of their every day practice to use it in explaining cases to patients.

   The book us available through Quintessence Publishing Co, Inc.

Dr. Dean Lodding graduated magna cum laude from St. Norbert College in 1976. He was awarded his DDS degree from University of Illinois College of Dentists in 1980. He then completed a year of internship for the Indian Health Service providing dental health care for the Oglala Sioux in Pine Ridge SD.

In 1981, Dr. Lodding began a private practice in Elgin, IL. The focus of his practice from the very beginning was enhancing lives and smiles. He joined the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in 1985 and in 1988, he was awarded Accredited Status. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1990, and served on the board from 1990-2001. He was appointed chairperson on the Accreditation Committee from 1993-1996 and was president of the Academy in 2000- 2001.

After his presidency, he served as National Chairperson of the Give Back A Smile Charitable Foundation which provides free cosmetic dental services to survivors of domestic violence. Dr Lodding has lectured nationally and internationally on cosmetic dentistry and practice management. He has published several articles on cosmetic dentistry and has been interviewed locally and nationally by newspapers, magazines and TV stations regarding developments and trends in cosmetic dentistry. Locally, Dr. Lodding has served on the Board for The Community Crisis Center. He is also on avid drummer and golfer.

General Dentistry

• Regular Check-Ups
• Patient Education
• Mouthguards and Nightguards
• Digital X-Rays
• Professional Cleanings

Cosmetic Dentistry

• Porcelain Veneers
• Smile Makeover
• Teeth Whitening

Restorative Dentistry

• Crowns
• TMJ
• Composite Fillings
• Bridges
• Dental Bonding
• Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy

Sedation Dentistry

• Oral
• Nitrous Oxide