Capped

by Andrea Harris

I’m a little bit of a sucker for old movies. So I was feeling nostalgic the other day and pulled out an old favorite, Moonstruck… a gosh-awful gem of a movie starring none other than a nearly teenaged Nicholas Cage.  I hadn’t watched it in a long time and was sort of startled when I noticed something was seriously wrong with Nic’s smile.  

Can you spot the difference?

He doesn’t even look like the same guy!  

Photo Credit: Digital Spy.com

Hollywood has long been the (highly unrealistic) standard of beauty in America, so seeing a celeb before they were all buffed, waxed, and polished is a rare treat.  Funny thing--they look just like us.  

The difference is most celebs can afford what I’ll lovingly call…extreme cosmetic dentistry.  Pretty much, those aren’t real teeth. He’s fully capped…. which, by the way, is a really painful process.                              

Luckily, most people don’t have to go to such lengths to improve their smiles.  You can have a “million dollar smile,” without paying an ACTUAL million dollars.  If you want to see some amazing before and after pics follow this link provided by the American College of Prosthodontists: http://www.gotoapro.org/photos/before--after/

Typical cosmetic dental procedures include:

• Bleaching to make teeth whiter

(Shhh...I know it’s cheating, but I just rinse with a hydrogen peroxide solution. If you can stand the taste, a bottle only costs .99 and lasts a long time!  Plus it’s good for your gums!)

• Repairing chips or rough spots with fillings that match your teeth
• Filling cavities with tooth-colored materials
• Reshaping teeth that don't match the others
• Closing gaps between teeth
• Covering broken teeth with porcelain crowns

And lucky you, Dr. Matthews is certified for all of those procedures and services. I haven’t seen metal in my mouth since 1997 and he was even the one who set me on the .99 peroxide path!