I was traumatized when a dentist extracted my primary teeth without adequate anesthetic. My father was in the military, and we moved every one or two years. When he retired in Atlanta during my freshman year of high school, we had a wonderful dentist. But it never occurred to me to become one.
I planned to become a circus acrobat. My mother had been a trapeze artist with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey until a 40-foot fall, though she was not severely injured. I inherited her limberness, and when she saw I was too flexible to do gymnastics at 12, she had my father put her old trapeze in our tall garage, where I soon could follow in her footsteps and hang by my toes.
I majored in biology and minored in chemistry at Florida State University in Tallahassee, which had a co-ed athletic flying high circus program. Near graduation, I was interviewed by a professional circus and was shocked to be told that if I was lucky, I might still be able to perform till age 30, being that the circus life was very difficult on the body.
I realized I could draw on my science background, love of creativity, and desire to help others by becoming a general dentist, graduating from the Medical College of Georgia in 2009. My father had been stationed in Oahu while I was in elementary school, and I loved Hawaii, so I accepted a job with a company in Kona on the Big Island.
Learning the ins and outs of this company, I did it on my terms, reading the contracts carefully and insisting on changes, a valuable habit for my entire career. The administration/management saw potential in me, had me interview prospective new dentists, and eventually even opened a practice under a different name. I soon discovered their reason: they needed me to fix problem cases from their other dentists. After a decade, I felt burned out, so I took another job with a smaller company.
DEVELOP A VOLCANIC PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE
The ”drill and fill” routine of dentistry can be tedious and physically stressful, not to mention the inevitable headaches in managing a practice. Not to mention, there’s importance in aspiring to be recognized as one of the best specialty dentists by colleagues and patients.
I had always been fascinated by the artistic and technical challenges of a cosmetic smile makeover. Therefore, I decided to begin my accreditation journey in 2019 to become an outstanding restorative dentist by taking the written exam for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. I have completed two of the five required cases and also published a single peg lateral in the Journal for Cosmetic Dentistry entitled “Recreating Nature With Lithium Disilicate.” A second is about to be published, and I have submitted my third case--though the last two are a challenge to find in a small town.
I also benefited tremendously in 2021-22 by attending the Kois Center courses. If I had my practice then, I would never have had the time to complete this in one year, so the smaller company was a blessing for allowing me to take the unpaid time off to further my education.
ILLUMINATING THE PATH TO BRILLIANT SMILES
MicroDental Laboratories has played a central role in my learning to master the details of cosmetic dentistry. Like most dentists, I send a digital scan to the lab to create a wax-up for the try-in template. I hope to go fully digital with software and a printer to help my patients immediately understand the final expectation of a smile makeover within a year.
When working with the lab technicians, I give them the cosmetic goals and rely on their expert judgment about the best materials, such as feldspathic vs. lithium disilicate vs. layered zirconia. Technicians at MicroDental are masters of e-max lithium disilicate, for example. New ceramics have come a long way from traditional cementing to bonding to enhance the tooth’s strength.
A turning point in becoming an accredited cosmetic dentist was when I signed up for a photography seminar at MicroDental in Livermore, California. I had already learned some of the basics of dental photography at another seminar in Beverly Hills, and when at the MicroDental course, one of the two models for the 30 attendees did not show up, I was asked to stand in for her. It was an insightful experience to be on the other side of the lens for the session.
Using a macro lens to analyze one’s work was a humbling experience after using my cell phone to take photos previously and not seeing the details this kind of lens reveals. This pushed me to improve, and I now use a Nikon camera with a twin flash.
Each case is unique, and every day I work to master cosmetic dentistry is an inspiring challenge.
In May 2022, I took over a practice in Kona and was as passionate about my future as when I first realized how magical it is when a patient flashes a confident new smile they, you, and your lab has created. I hope you will be inspired to have that experience every day. It’s never too late to start.
About the Author
Dr. Tiffani Dunn graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 2009 and has made Kona her home ever since.
Since her graduation, she has continued to pursue the top courses for continuing education. She is a Kois Graduate, the first and only female in the state of Hawaii, and is currently an accreditation candidate for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, where there are less than 250 accredited members in the world.
She is published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry and regularly participates with the Seattle Study Club. She is a Key Opinion Leader with Ivoclar Vivadent, a dental product company, and is trained with the in-house milling machine for optimum treatment for her patients.
Dr. Dunn has been selected by her colleagues for Honolulu’s Best Dentist and Top Dentist consecutively since 2014 to the present. She also lectures to her colleagues throughout the state and mainland.
When Dr. Dunn is not in the office, she enjoys island life with her three dogs, a lovebird, and a tortoise.