Smile when you say that
More men opening up to cosmetic dentistry

As a general contractor, Steve Burkhart didn't worry too much about his smile. But in his other job as a loan officer, he knew his crooked and stained teeth didn't make the best impression.

"Presence and appearance are important in the business world," the Peoria man says.

So when he saw an ad for cosmetic dentistry, he decided that whiter, straighter teeth would give him something to smile about.

A year-and-a-half ago, Burkhart, 45, joined the growing number of American men polishing their ivories with bleaching, veneers and full-mouth reconstructions that would put Hollywood movie stars to shame.

Perfect teeth aren't just for celebrities anymore. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, teeth whitening has increased by more than 300 percent in the past five years. Veneers have increased by more than 250 percent.

Many of us are watching such television shows as Extreme Makeover and feel our own looks could use some tweaking. Who doesn't thrill to that final "reveal," when the makeover subject appears with a tauter face, smaller nose, sleeker body, more hair and a smile as bright as halogen headlights?

One of the fastest growing groups of patients seeking to have their smiles retooled appears to be men. The AACD has been polling its members and finds between one-fourth and one-third of patients are men. Although statistics are just now being compiled, academy spokesman Eric Nelson says that anecdotal evidence so far shows "there's been an increase among men, especially businessmen and baby boomers."

Goodyear dentist William Hoskyns says half of his cosmetic practice is men. What's driving them, he says, is career pressure and competition with younger men.

"They want to be viewed as energetic and youthful," Hoskyns says. "Men seeking cosmetic dentistry are looking, Number 1, to compete in the workplace and Number 2, to capture more youthful characteristics."

Think of it as buying that red Corvette. But Hoskyns points out that while the Corvette stays parked outside, we carry our smiles with us. "A smile is power," he says.

In three sessions over a month, Hoskyns fitted all of Burkhart's teeth with porcelain veneers. The impact was immediate, Burkhart says.

His reaction? "Astonished that it was me in the mirror. It's boosted my confidence . . . I smile a lot more. I find a lot more joy in the world."

The $40,000 price tag was worth it, he says.

That's the high end of cosmetic work. Bleaching starts at $500 to $600 when done by a professional. There are also numerous over-the-counter whitening products on the market with a smaller price tag.

Why are men willing to spend nearly the equivalent of a Corvette to put their money where their mouth is? Hoskyns says the smile is the most important component of what he calls "the business triad" - a smile, a look into the eyes, a handshake.

"We judge people by their smile. It's an invitation, a validation," he says. A great smile is "mesmerizing."

Bad teeth are equated with less education and a lower socio-economic level, Hoskyns says. Teeth yellowed by age, smoking, coffee, tea, cola drinks and some antibiotics (in Burkhart's case), add years to the appearance of a person's age. Men self-conscious about their bad teeth display what Hoskyns dubs an "accommodating," or half-hearted, smile, and appear to lack self-confidence.

Many men come for cosmetic dental procedures at the urging of their wives, says Scottsdale dentist Joyce Bassett.

"In my practice, most of the time the women come in first and get an educated eye for smiles," Bassett says. Then they see flaws in the smiles of their husbands and boyfriends and send the men off for renovation - "like they make you go shopping," she says.

Those men are sold on the procedure the minute they walk through her door. Most men at least take Bassett's suggestion to undergo bleaching, the procedure most in demand by patients under the age of 50, according to the AACD. Bassett believes yellow and stained teeth can add up to 20 years to a person's perceived age.

"The reason why men are doing this is they're not closing their sales, based on their (bad) teeth," she says. Sometimes bosses send their employees to her, she says. "Right now, in 2004, everything is appearance oriented."

Burkhart hasn't noticed greater success in his job, but he has found people admiring his teeth. He's also inspired a subcontractor to consider having his teeth done.

"I think guys in the past didn't do it because only the rich and famous did it, not the average Joe," he says. "Now it's the norm."

Some men are seeking not a Hollywood smile but simply a functional bite. Don Ratcliff's teeth were attractive enough, but a dentist discovered his back teeth were worn down from his habit of grinding them. Eventually, he was told, he would need dentures.

Ratcliff already had veneers on his front teeth, done almost 10 years ago when the technology was not as advanced.

He decided to have his whole mouth reconstructed.

"I'm doing well at work, it wasn't that," says the 49-year-old vice president of Phelps Dodge Sales Company. "It was functionality for me."

Ratcliff, who lives in Scottsdale, was referred to Bassett and underwent the procedure over the summer.

His new teeth "look beautiful," he says. "The best thing is they don't look like Chiclets (the gum)."

Ratcliff, too, paid around $40,000, of which his dental insurance paid a fraction.

Of the men having cosmetic dental work done, most are age 40 to 60, says Phoenix dentist Arthur Chal, a past president of the AACD.

It's not only Americans looking in the mirror and wanting to see the fairest one. "Europe is catching up," Chal says.



As with any medical procedure, there are risks from cosmetic dentistry if not done properly, Chal says.

There can be damage to the underlying tooth structure. Teeth are living tissue subject to injury. Gum health is also a critical component. Poorly done dentistry can irritate the gums. Overbleaching can leave the teeth too bright and artificial looking.

Done right, Chal says, a new smile can make a big difference in a man's life. He's seen grown men cry.

"Men are getting a wake-up call - it's OK to do this," he says. "I don't try to play God. I just try to fulfill patient expectations."


Reach the reporter at

(602) 444-8597.