32 | DestinMagazine.com
T
hough eyes get all the credit for
being the windows to the soul, smiles
are every bit as important to the
way people look and think about
themselves. Healthy teeth mean healthy smiles;
confident and beautiful smiles that transform
people and make them seem to shine—and
without those healthy teeth some people never
feel at ease enough to let their lights shine
bright.
Knowing first-hand the power of getting
teeth in tip-top shape, Dr. Dennis Lichorwic
used his own passion for dentistry to found
The Center for Cosmetic & Family Dentistry,
offering patients routine care and some of
the most technologically advanced dental
treatments available. Having suffered from a
genetic smile disorder until his late twenties,
the good doctor can easily appreciate and
understand the feeling of having a smile that
you feel confident in, so when a patient comes
seeking a solution for their own teeth-related
trials he provides them with caring advice and
a plan that gives them every reason to beam.
“Some of the greatest joys in my work is
having the opportunity of helping people get
their smile back or watching someone truly
smile for the first time,” says Dr. Lichorwic.
“Many people are not confident about their
smile, either consciously or unconsciously, and
when they finally have a smile that they know
is great, it changes their entire attitude, the
way they interact with people and their whole
outlook on life,” he continues. “Your smile is
so important because it’s not just a physical
trait—it’s the most expressive part of your
social life. If you don’t feel confidant about it
in even the smallest way, it makes you hesitant
to show it and that has the effect of changing
the way people see you express yourself and
instantly creates a lasting impression.”
Since beginning his days in dentistry in 1997,
Dr. Lichorwic has seen remarkable changes
in techniques and treatments, especially in
regards to the way that technology has become
so much a part of the profession. “Technology
has made dentistry so much better than when I
started,” he says. “We can now do veneers that
don’t require prep work and aren’t damaging
to the teeth. It’s really revolutionized the work
that I do.”
As one of the few dentists in the nation
trained in the no-prep treatment, Dr.
Lichorwic provides his clients with and option
that might not otherwise be available to them.
That’s not the only way he’s bringing his
practice to the forefront. “We can do crowns
in one appointment now with the 3-D Cerec
technology, and that really opens up the patient
field, because someone can come from out
of town without having to schedule multiple
return appointments.”
Unfortunately, the dentist’s chair can be one
of the most anxiety-inducing places for anyone,
and that anxiety is something that plays
powerfully in a person’s decision to make an
appointment. Years can go by without a single
visit and that’s something that puts oral health
greatly at risk. The dental field has seen great
progress in addressing this very real issue,
as well, and Dr. Lichorwic has implemented
solutions in his own practice, putting patients
as ease through the use of sedatives and
computerized numbing techniques that
eliminate the need for a syringe.
Regardless of what his patients come
seeking, Dr. Lichorwic offers his own
confident smile, a real-time reflection of
the ways that a healthy mouth can speak
volumes—even without the use of a single
word.
story by
Liesel Schmidt
|
photos provided by
The Center for Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
Service
With a Smile
Dennis Lichorwic, DMD
32-33 Thrive.indd 1
11/29/16 9:27 AM