When a person’s smile is affected, whether positively or negatively, the effects are far–reaching and long–lasting. Dr. Martin Garcia of Gentle Dental Care is very familiar with those emotions and daily strives to enhance the lives of his dental patients.
Cosmetic dentistry has been a natural evolution for this well–educated, experienced man. He chose the dental path after his own good experience with orthodontics as a youngster. “I was so well treated, and my orthodontist really did a great job. It was then I realized how much a smile can affect a person’s self–worth.”
After many years of study, Dr. Garcia joined an elite group of dentists. He is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentists and is also a Fellow of International Congress of Oral Implantologists, another select group of cosmetic restorative dentists.
“It is a wonderful gift to be able to help my patients,” Dr.Garcia explains. “Some of them are almost too afraid to open their mouths, because they are so self–conscious about their appearance. I know I have done my job properly when at the end of the procedures they look in the mirror and for the first time they are proud to flash their perfect pearly whites.”
Dr. Garcia’s approach to cosmetic dentistry is akin to that of an artist approaching a blank canvas. “I am a creative individual,” Garcia says, “and fixing someone’s smile, or putting veneers on, or even straightening teeth is not just a science, but an art. I like to think that I have taken the science and medical aspects of dentistry and melded it with art to produce a pleasing portrait.”
In the past, the choices for dentures were limited, and also limiting in terms of diet and lifestyle. A passion for Dr. Garcia is changing the lives of these patients with new technology. “The days where denture wearers couldn’t enjoy their favorite foods, or being panicked thinking their dentures may fall out at an embarrassing moment can be a thing of the past.” Through implantations, bridgework and other options, inserted false teeth are a more permanent choice for the patient.
Dr. Garcia is constantly looking for new dental technology that can enhance his patients’ lives. He deals with individuals of all ages, from children to seniors, and tries to find approaches that work well for them. For example, instead of always using traditional orthodontics, he recommends 'accelerated orthodontics’ which can cut the time someone needs to wear braces by half. “And for those who don’t want their braces to be obvious, we offer Invisalign, clear, and transparent braces.” He loves offering these kinds of braces, especially to children and teenagers, as it gives the same results as traditional braces in far less time. His favorite part is watching the kids’ personalities develop and bloom as they observe their teeth straightening. “The better they look, the bigger and brighter are their smiles,” he observes. “What could be better than that?”
Braces are not the only area where Dr. Garcia uses the latest methodologies; he was also one of the first cosmetic dentists to introduce veneers to his patients. “Veneers have come a long way since they were first introduced,” he says. “Today they are thinner than ever, and the color choices are amazing; getting an exact match is so much easier today than in the past.” Veneers take approximately two weeks from the beginning of the process to the day when the patient walks out of the office transformed.
Dr. Garcia is also one of the few dentists trained and certified in cosmetic medical procedures. He has opened two medical spas, one on the South side next to his dental practice and one out in Boerne, across the freeway from Rudy’s and The Dominion. “Really, it’s been a natural progression from cosmetic dentistry to offering skin enhancements like Botox, Juvederm and Radiesse.” The idea to open the medical spas was born out of a need he saw among his patients. “Suddenly they have these great smiles and are proud to flash their pearly whites, but they think they don’t have the face tomatch. I figured, 'Why not offer them a great smile and the chance to enhance their facial beauty?’ I opened my medical spa on the south–side and it has been so successful that I opened another on the north side in April.”
Dr. Garcia has ensured his success by surrounding himself with highly trained and professional staff both at his dental practice and at the medical spas. “They are all trained in the latest techniques and I make sure they attend seminars as needed.” The high standards he expects from his staff are the same standards he expects of himself. He is driven to succeed, both in his dental practices and the medical spas, and his 25 years of service and growth are testaments to his success.
