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 Lately
my columns have focused on Pinecrest professionals who work on various
parts of the body. In my last story, I discussed plastic surgery. This
Inside Pinecrest column is about a Pinecrest dentist who can change
your overall appearance and enhance your self esteem with healthy,
straight-looking teeth and a white smile.
What comes first the chicken or the egg? Would you
rather have a fabulously wrinkle-free face and terrible teeth or an
exquisite set of choppers and a saggy, droopy facade? In either case,
either effect is negated. But, being a dentist's daughter, I think
that you ought not forget about the teeth!
Dr. Mark Fisher has been performing dentistry for 25
years in the Kendall area, 12 years in Pinecrest proper. Walk in to
his comfortable office and you'll smell deliciously scented candles
situated in California cool decor, complete with a laid back feel.
Lots of wood, very soothing. Not your typical dentist office.
What goes on inside is not typical, either. Fisher, a
Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, is busy running a dental
practice where his objective is to create healthy, bright smiles and
promote positive dental hygiene. All motivated by personal experience.
Mark Fisher grew up in a small South Carolina town, a
place where neither fashion nor dental knowledge was in the forefront.
After taking a course of Tetracycline, Mark's teeth turned an
unattractive grey-yellow color. Being upset for her son, Mark's mother
took him to a local dentist who, at best, did an extremely rudimentary
job to fix his teeth. For Mark, his own mouth and teeth inside it
became an terrible source of embarrassment.
"It was hard during my teenage years. I wanted to
look like everyone else," Mark said.
His Mom wasn't giving up. She heard about another
dentist in Atlanta, and took Mark there to get his teeth redone. This
dentist not only helped him to have a normal looking smile, he also
helped Mark feel good about himself once again.
"The advantage I have in my practice,"
Fisher explained, "is that I was there. I know how it bad it is
to feel self conscious and unattractive." Mark Fisher's dream was
to be able to help others in the same way that the Atlanta dentist
helped him to transform his life.
Fisher's philosophy involves showing people what can
be done to change their smiles - both the possibilities and the
limitations. Before any procedure, Fisher will show you slides and
photos of the before and after procedures he has done - people who
have no front teeth, or very yellow, stained teeth, people with gum
damage and poorly done dental work. In the "after" photos,
they truly look like different people.
"One woman was so happy with the way she looked
when we were done, she started throwing herself kisses in the
mirror," Mark's wife Benita told me. Benita Fisher has worked
with her husband during his entire dental career.
"Otherwise we would never see each other,"
Benita said.
"We do something different in this office. Mark
may only see two or three patients a day. He gives them his full
attention to find out what they want, what their goals are. We look at
their facial structure, learn about their lifestyle. Sometimes part of
the problem is simply how they care for their teeth, or what they are
eating or drinking."
Because Fisher's lab is right on premises, he has full
control of his work, allowing him to interact directly with the
technicians in order to achieve the best color, shape fit and comfort
for his patients. In fact, Fisher hired one technician from a lab in
California because of his creative expertise and ability to create
beautiful teeth from Sculpture Fibercore, the newest material for
metal-free restoration.
"Beautiful smiles for the health of it" is
Fisher's tag line. He lectures, gives hands-on seminars and teaches
other dentists the craft he has perfected so well.
Fisher and his wife Benita are involved with Miami
Children's Hospital and volunteer in an Israeli Children's dental
clinic for two weeks each summer.
"They wanted Mark to work faster, to see more
children each day," Benita explained. "We explained that
rushing a procedure meant risking improper fit, color or shape. They
respected that. It is so important to do the work comfortably and
correctly for each patient."
The newest procedure for teeth whitening and
brightening - Brite Smile™. You may have heard the commercials for
this whitening procedure, just now hitting the east coast from
California. The gas-permeated light ultraviolet light combined with a
hydrogen peroxide gel guarantees teeth five to seven shades lighter
than your current color. The treatment, which takes a little over an
hour, was originated by John Warner, the man who invented eye laser
surgery and who was instrumental in designing the Hubble
Spacecraft."They approached our practice, but we were skeptical
at first," Fisher said. "We asked some patients to try it in
order to get their feedback."
Only six dentists in Miami currently have the Brite
Smile™.capability. And while it is very effective for achieving a
great smile that lasts two - five years with proper care, it's not for
everyone."Since Brite Smile™ doesn't change the color of
bonding or porcelain restorations, people should do it before any
having provisionals done," Fisher said. "Then they should
match their restorations to the brightened color of their permanent
teeth."The procedure isn't inexpensive, either. Six hundred
eighty-five dollars for a Brite Smile™ session. But, considering the
results, the amount of time it lasts, the follow -up and what it does
for your image, it could be money very well spent."Periodontal
problems have been linked to heart disease," Fisher explained.
"Having a bright smile and a healthy mouth is our passion. We
like making people feel good."
For more information about Dr. Fisher's dental
practice and/or the Brite Smile™ procedure, please call
305/675-9755. The office is located in the Bell South Mobility
building, 9700 S. Dxie Highway, Suite 910. Keep on smiling!!!
Keep up the great Inside Pinecrest ideas! Please
E-mail me - Kaskcom@Aol.com or
call me, 305/665-6783, with more great story tips! Thank you!
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