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Dr. Victoria Veytsman, founder of Cosmetic Dental Studios in Manhattan, New York, and Beverly Hills, California, routinely sees patients who are self-conscious about their teeth and haven’t smiled for the longest time. “There was one patient in particular who came in really lacking self-esteem and didn’t want to smile for her ‘before’ picture,” Dr. Veytsman remembers. “This really hit me because smiling is such an integral part of who we are. It’s how we instinctively communicate our happiness or amusement, yet she wouldn’t do it. We made it our mission at my practice to transform her smile so that she would have the confidence to show the world – and herself – how lovely and amazing she really was.”
That empathy, combined with her skills, has made Dr. Veytsman a highly in-demand cosmetic dentist on the East and West coasts. Known as Dr. V to her patients, she has been a general, cosmetic, and celebrity dentist since 2005. Over the past sixteen years, she has seen many patients like the girl who refused to smile. “Their self-consciousness is shown in different ways,” Dr. Veytsman says. “Sometimes the patient holds their hand over their mouth to hide their smile. Other times, they smile, but they won’t open their mouth. The end result, however, is the same: their self-esteem is affected, and they are not fully interacting with their world. They are not the confident people they could be.”
Trust is vital, Dr. Veytsman says. “It’s our first priority: we work hard to have our patients feel that they have found an ally and partner who will be with them from start to finish. We work together to makeover their smile. It’s an exciting process, one that we make sure our patient understands completely.”
Dr. Veytsman has many effective options for improving her patient’s smile. “The best treatment will depend on the patient, of course. Generally, though, I can use veneers, orthodontics, Invisalign®, dental implants, crowns, and bridges to transform their smile. I explain this to my patient during our first meeting. I can literally see their hopelessness change into excitement.”
Over the coming weeks, Dr. Veytsman meets regularly with her patient at her office. “I monitor their progress and make adjustments as needed,” she says. “As time passes, the change in their self-esteem is noticeable. They can look in the mirror and see that their smile is improving, and this really boosts their confidence levels. On the day the smile makeover is completed, we celebrate. We look at the ‘before’ pictures and compare them to how the patient looks now, and they can’t stop smiling. It’s a wonderful moment for me and my whole team because we have helped someone feel better about themselves. We get really excited.”
Dr. Veytsman’s road to becoming a highly respected cosmetic dentist began at age sixteen, when she entered college at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. At age 22, she graduated cum laude from a six-year program with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Doctorate of Dental Surgery in dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry as the school’s youngest graduate. While at NYU, Dr. Veytsman studied general dentistry and performed externships in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Mount Sinai, Bellevue, and Montefiore. She then went on to gain experience in operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontal surgery, oral surgery, and fixed and removable dentistry with rotations in oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, emergency medicine, and general anesthesia. Dr. Veytsman eventually returned to NYU for their implant fellowship; she studied and practiced surgical and prosthetic treatments, case selections, and comprehensive treatment planning. She has completed several well-known aesthetic continuing education programs and fellowships in cosmetic dentistry, smile makeovers, and full-mouth rehabilitation.
Today, Cosmetic Dental Studios is Dr. Veytsman’s private practice. She is state licensed to practice dentistry in New York and California and is certified by the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (formerly known as The North East Regional Board). She has become known for her smile makeovers performed as the official dentist to several prominent organizations, including Miss America and the New York Giants Cheerleaders. Dr. Veytsman has also been a featured smile expert on TLC, in Haute MD, WebMD, Yahoo! Health, New Beauty, Latina Magazine, Brides, Social Life Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Hamptons Magazine.
The most intriguing thing about Dr. Veytsman is that despite having attained such success, she maintains a down-to-earth perspective. “I have worked hard to get to where I am today,” she says. “In the end, though, it’s really not about awards or accolades. It’s still about helping each patient regain their self-confidence. No matter who you are, you have the right to feel good about yourself, to transform and elevate a part of your life that bothers you, and love your smile. There’s nothing I believe in more deeply than that.”
