Orthodontics with an Eye on Cosmetics
WITH COURTNEY LAVIGNE, DMD, AAACD
Q: Why did you decide to pursue specialty training in orthodontics?
A: My favorite part of dentistry is interdisciplinary treatment planning to the ideal. I really love smile esthetics and smile design, but I never loved prepping teeth intraorally. I always felt like I was taking something that nature put there and prepping it away, even when it was the best treatment for the patient. What I love most about orthodontics is that I can treatment plan to put the teeth in the right place without having to do anything truly invasive. And when additional restorative work needs to be done to make it a home run case, I get to put that in the hands of a restorative dentist, while still getting to play a role in the treatment planning and smile design process. That’s my favorite part.
Q: What was it like doing a residency program after 10 years as a restorative dentist?
A: When I decided to go back to school for orthodontic training, I remember my husband asking me, “Did you just waste a decade on restorative dentistry that you’ll never use again?” While I understood why he was asking the question, I knew that my restorative background would make me a much stronger orthodontist. The combination of my Accreditation experience with treating so many cosmetic cases allowed me to enter residency with knowledge about things like tooth-size proportions and line angles and how to create a beautiful, esthetic smile. I just didn't know the mechanics of how to get the teeth where I wanted them to be.
Q: How does your AACD training impact your approach to orthodontic treatment planning?
A: I think I have a very different perspective on orthodontic treatment planning because I’m an Accredited dentist through the AACD. My cosmetic training gave me a very particular eye for what looks great and what doesn’t. I think I'll be referring out adjunctive restorative work on a lot of my orthodontic treatment plans to restorative dentists because I recognize when teeth aren’t shaped correctly, and I’m able to look at a case and recognize where the interdisciplinary aspect comes into play. To give patients the ideal smile orthodontically, I need the restorative dentist to make the teeth the right size. So, while I may not be doing restorative dentistry anymore with my hands, I’m looking at every case as a restorative dentist every day.
Q: What are you most excited about moving forward?
A: I'm looking forward to using my AACD skill set but from the orthodontic perspective, and having my own space to do exceptional dentistry again.
