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THE DENTAL FEATURE
Right — Dr Heidi Sauer and Dr Mark Worthington
Dental Artistry Words: Angus St Clair Brown
Quality, customer service and comprehensive patient management are what define the Newmarket-based practice of Dental Artistry. “Cosmetic dentistry is an art as well as a science” says Dr Heidi Sauer. Looking at some of the ‘before and after’ photos on their books, I’m inclined to believe her. As a case in point, she shows me a gentleman whose teeth were badly worn down upon arrival. Applying their combined expertise, Dr Sauer worked on his jaw to open up his bite; her off-sider, Dr Mark Worthington put in a number of implants; A number of crowns and veneers later, and voila! – the customer’s smile was absolutely transformed. I have to admit, the difference is quite remarkable. That’s the thing about Dental Artistry - they seem to relish the big, multidisciplinary jobs. They provide a tremendous variety and breadth of care. “So, if you’ve got a patient who needs orthodontics and then they need crowns and they’re missing a tooth and they need an implant, they’ll often have to go to three different places. We can provide treatment across all these categories, and to an excellent standard” says Dr Sauer. In fact, basically, the only times they send a patient to a specialist is for a molar root canal or a tooth extraction requiring a general anesthetic. Dr Sauer describes Dr Worthington as “the builder” and herself as “the interior designer”. What this means is that Dr Worthington is an expert in dental implants (with over 6,000 procedures under his belt, he’s done more of these than anyone else in the country), whilst Dr Sauer is an expert with 20 years of experience in complex reconstructions incorporating crowns, bridges, veneers and orthodontic treatment. She is a perfectionist who insists on using the best crown technicians in
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Dr Sauer describes Dr Worthington as ‘the builder’ and herself as ‘the interior designer.’ What this means is that Dr Worthington is an expert in dental implants, whilst Dr Sauer is an expert with 20 years of experience in complex reconstructions, incorporating crowns, bridges, veneers and orthodontic treatment. Australia, thereby reducing her profits, rather than getting inferior materials made elsewhere. A touch of perfectionism must be an advantage in cosmetic dentistry where attention to detail is absolutely imperative. Dr Sauer completed her initial dentistry training in Queensland in 1996 and then started a clinic in Canberra. She then went on to do advanced courses at various institutions worldwide in the fields of crown and bridgework, orthodontics, and facial pain. During her studies she was accredited as a distinguished Fellow in the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain. Romance took her across the Tasman eight years ago and she soon after established Dental Artistry with Dr Worthington. I detect a need for lateral thinking in this business, as Dr Sauer describes a case where teeth were shifted around the patient’s mouth like a kind of enamel tile puzzle. She certainly seems to have a great eye for detail and when asked, is able to pick out several flaws in my smile that my dentist had never mentioned. She attributes that to an innate ability and to being a perfectionist.
She obviously relishes the flexibility that her current practice brings her: “The ability to just walk next door and treatment plan an entire multidisciplinary case and to be able to consult altogether [with Dr Worthington and the patient] is just such a gift. So, it ends up with much better results for our patients, and without them having to visit various different dentists”. Age is no barrier to treatment here. As I’m chatting to Dr Sauer, Dr Worthington declares he has a patient who’s 95 and coming in for an implant right now. Conversely, one might think that Dental Artistry is just for adults, but Dr Sauer says that they treat an awful lot of children with orthodontics and it’s a great time to intervene as it’s easier, cheaper and often more effective. “So we’re very into early intervention here”. It’s good to know the Dental Artistry team are around to handle the tough jobs!
DENTAL ARTISTRY 38 Broadway, Newmarket 09 524 4541 www.dentalartistry.co.nz