At Smile-Vision, Imaging is Everything

Would you build your dream house without an architectural plan? Purchase a new car sight unseen? Probably not, and Smile-Vision in Newton, Massachusetts, says patients shouldn't buy a restoration without knowing what the final product will look like either.

When cosmetic imaging first hit the market in the 1980s, Dr. Larry Brooks-both a dentist and a technician-saw the potential benefits of showing the patient how his proposed smile makeover might look before it's actually fabricated. As a dentist, he was often disappointed with the lack of control he had over esthetics, and as a technician he was frustrated when a patient didn't like the way a restoration looked after insertion. "It seemed as if the end result was a surprise to everyone," says Larry. "I realized there was a huge need for cosmetic imaging and that it would be a great marketing tool to increase patient interest and acceptance of cosmetic treatment."

Larry, who already managed...