Extreme Smile Makeovers – Montclair Dental Spa

Extreme Smile Makeovers with Montclair, NJ dentist, Joseph Moussa, DDS

Here at the Wellness Hour News, we have today’s topic: Extreme Smile Makeovers.

I am Randy Alvarez , your host. My first guest is Dr. Joseph Moussa. Dr. Moussa calls it Full Mouth Reconstruction. He says that teeth and gums are never too far gone to have the smile you’ve always wanted. Today, we have with us one of New Jersey’s top dentists, Dr. Joseph Moussa.

Randy Alvarez: Dr. Moussa, welcome to the program tonight.

Dr.Moussa: Thank you Randy for inviting me, it is an honor.

Randy Alvarez: Good, well thank you, Doctor, we were joking off camera. I have literally been trying to schedule you as a guest for over a year. Now for the people who don’t know your practice, Dr. Moussa does just about everything. All under one roof. Dr. Moussa takes patients needing treatment for gum disease, utilizing lasers. He also offers cosmetic veneers, dental implants, root canal, extractions, wisdom teeth – all those things. He is big on the use of sedation dentistry, and full mouth reconstruction. Can you give a working definition? What does full mouth reconstruction mean?

Dr. Moussa: Well Randy, as a dentist that is just dental terminology. We often see a patient asking about full mouth reconstruction, and they seem lost. They don’t realize that it is a full mouth situation which we are addressing. From A -Z, that patient gets stabilized, and it serves them long term. Instead of addressing a piece meal / crisis situation with a patch up here and there. This approach will fall apart quicker. Full mouth reconstruction is a full package treatment that serves them the longest.

Randy Alvarez: Now you are really involved with sedation in your practice?

Dr.Moussa: Absolutely, yes. It’s a game changer. People may not want to go to the dentist because of bad past experiences. This fear factor is a real problem, however because of sedation dentistry, those patients now have assurance that they are not going to feel pain. Discomfort thereby doesn’t stop them from seeing their dentist.

Randy Alvarez : So what types of sedation do you offer? I would guess that there are different types or levels?

Dr.Moussa: Yes, we start with nitrous oxide, which is very popular. This is usually thought of as laughing gas. That stuff is good, it really cuts the edge. We have a sedation combination of nitrous and a pill, triazolam. We also have IV sedation for those people who do not want to feel anything at all. We deliver this through the arm, they go to sleep and when the work is done, they wake up afterwards. We have a medical doctor – four to five days per week. This anesthesiologist is there at all times, throughout the procedure, he doesn’t leave. Their top priority is the safety of the patient , we have an actual partnership with them. Most dentists do not offer this, as I did not until I considered how the patients might feel about this offering. Once I adopted this approach full time, I needed to have a separate anesthesiologist to put more focus on the patients, with complete safety in mind. I see that many of the patients are getting older and older. These older patients ask for extreme smile makeovers. They make a perfect candidate for sedation dentistry. I have had some patients who are 86 years old as well as 92 years old . The elder woman was not aware of those options. She is healthy and used to be a programmer, very smart, she loves life. She had an emergency on a weekend with tooth pain so I gave her options. She couldn’t chew properly and her teeth had shifted tremendously, so I showed her some before and afters. She said that she never realized that was even possible. With a combination of treatments, laser gum surgery plus implants and crowns, she has her smile back, she got her chewing back and all functionality. She is very happy, she can eat salads, nuts, corn on the cob. Before, she was not able to do those things. She is very happy and also healthier than before. So we use technology to create better smiles.

Randy Alvarez: You are saying that you use technology to create better smiles. Can you explain that more?

Dr. Moussa: Well we start basically with the software. We start with the photos of the patient, we take a 3D scan. This gives us plenty of real time information about the bone quantity as well as quality, the width and depth. We upload everything into the software and we can match together the best design implant positions, so we know exactly where we are going at the day of the surgery.

Randy Alvarez: Now you say that people with bad teeth are judged, what do you mean by that?

Dr. Moussa: Well, we still live in a society where people judge others by their teeth, I mean just look at Hollywood: if someone is portrayed as poor, they play with the qualities of the teeth, colored teeth or chipped. This can make a character look bad or dumb… just like in "Dumb and Dumber" – my favorite movie with bad teeth. They think that they are dirty and not clean, which may not be true but we judge them. The patient may brush and floss more than anyone. The fact of the matter is that they have gum problems that won’t go away simply by brushing and flossing. They have a bacterial infection which needs to be removed, with sophisticated laser treatment or deep cleaning. Without proper treatment this condition will not go away.

Randy Alvarez: So you say how it’s typically done at most other centers, they might remove all the teeth, some good and some bad, and just offer implants. Now, I believe that you don’t do this?

Dr. Moussa: No, we do not do that, we do a risk assessment. If we can save the teeth we do our best to save them and get them firmed. We may introduce some complimentary implants or crowns to get the arch stable, that’s what we’re in the business to do. We don’t just take everything out for the heck of it! Sure, we have a few patients that think their situation is hopeless and that their teeth need to be removed. With the laser technology available we did some treatments and firmed up the teeth so that they are functioning again for a couple years. This has been done, we did it and were very successful.

Randy Alvarez: So, Dr. Moussa we will take a quick break and when we come back, please talk more about your implant process. You are watching the wellness hour news that makes you healthier. I’m Randy Alvarez, we’ll be right back.

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Patient Testimonials:

"I just got all my teeth done at the Montclair Dental Spa. They did a wonderful job, they gave me my confidence back. I wasn’t going out, I wasn’t doing anything because of my teeth. They were broken, now look at them! I am eating better, more healthy foods and I have lost about 30 pounds. Now I am going out more and exercising. I quit smoking… What an amazing job. It gave me my life back after fifteen years of trouble."

"Before going to the Montclair dental spa I was unsteady about my smile; I had some crowns put in by a previous dentist who actually messed up my teeth. But here with Dr. Moussa, I had excellent care and I’m very excited about my brand new smile! Come and see him and his staff. Check out my new smile…"

"Guys, when I came here my mouth was a mess. With the help of Dr. Moussa and his staff I am able to eat and enjoy a great smile. I had gone through terrible problems with my top plate. I had 13 impressions and two plates done. I didn’t want to wear them because of the mask and all the poly grip needed. I had so much embarrassment trying to bite into something only to have my plate fall. Then I decided it was time to do something for myself. I went to the Montclair Dental Spa and that was the best decision I could have made! Now I am able to eat whatever I want. I’m able to chew correctly and since September I’ve even lost about 32 pounds! I would recommend them to anybody, any time any place, because believe me Montclair Dental Spa is the best around! Everyday in Dr. Moussa’s office, he transforms people with bad gums, bad teeth and they leave with a great looking smile. Sometimes this is done in just one day. Extreme Smile Makeovers is what they focus on at Montclair Dental Spa. Change your smile and you might change your life! A great smile can kindle romance and enhance your self esteem and confidence. You will look more attractive because a smile is better than a frown. According to Dr. Moussa, your teeth and gums are never too far gone to have the smile you’ve always wanted!"

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Randy Alvarez: You are watching the Wellness Hour News that makes you healthier. I’m Randy Alvarez. Today’s topic is Full Mouth, Extreme Smile Makeovers. With us is Dr. Moussa. Welcome back .

Dr. Moussa : Thank you Randy for having me here.

Randy Alvarez: You say that once these Extreme Smile Makeovers are performed, the patients act differently. They look different, their self confidence. The smile becomes contagious. You can observe a change in their eyes and skin.

Dr. Moussa: So I have this patient that told me that her marriage was in danger and needed a fix-me-up, fast! She said that her husband was avoiding her… We freely joke about this now. After we did the full master construction on her mouth, her mouth was stabilized . She called me. She told me, thank you for saving my marriage! That is a wonderfully rewarding story for me. I have another patient affected by the COVID-19 situation, she lost her job. She wanted to try for a job with Amazon but she was afraid to try because of her teeth. She could not try the interview with those teeth! I asked her if she really thought that it would help? She said "absolutely yes, I cannot do it with that situation." And so we did the Extreme Smile Makeover. She called me three weeks later and said; "I got that job. I got my dream job as an executive for Amazon and you made it happen for me, thank you so much!" Another very rewarding story from a patient.

Randy Alvarez: Well I guess it’s like anything in life. If you don’t like something about yourself, you can freeze. It holds you up…

Dr. Moussa: Absolutely, absolutely yes. In her mind she couldn’t get the job with her teeth. She couldn’t even go through the interview process at all because of shame about her own teeth. However because she did the Extreme Smile Makeover, she felt confident enough to try to land a dream job at Amazon.

Randy Alvarez: That’s nice. So what is it that they like the most about this process? What they can eat or chew? Or the way it looks?

Dr.Moussa: To be honest, I think that it’s both. Because the changing character is one thing, however there are real functional benefits that affect the quality of life. Like chewing better and enjoying the eating process more. They enjoy their food more, they enjoy going to restaurants more. That’s a big deal. I had another lady patient with diabetes. She told me, "Doc, they told me I’m going to lose my sight. I am going to be blind…" She’s going blind, oh wow… And then she said: "Before I do, I always wanted a nice smile." So I told her that if she gives her commitment to lower her diabetes level, so I can do this for her, I promise that the smile will be stable for years to come. But you have to promise me. Will you commit to that and promise me? She said yes. Well, her teeth were bad and her gums were bad. The teeth were shifting because of bone loss as a result of the diabetes. We had to treat her with a combination of laser treatment and implants. Afterwards, we gave her some veneers. After some weeks she had her smile; when she looked in a mirror, she started crying. Because of her situation and promise, she started to eat healthier. The diabetes level slowly dropped. She avoided the excessive carbohydrates and avoided much of the bad foods. As a result, she’s not going to lose her sight. A tremendous success story! I really feel that I accomplished something, an actual life-saving situation.

Randy Alvarez: Now all you people with bad teeth watching the program, thinking that your situation is hopeless, you still haven’t met the person you need to meet. Everybody is a candidate for a full makeover. With the scientific approach a great smile is still possible. So the doctor has one of the busiest full mouth practices around. It is called a super specialist. Dr. Moussa has the training to do root canals, wisdom teeth, veneers, implants and has traveled the world to learn more. He had a little meeting in San Diego and was in Italy just six weeks ago.

Dr. Moussa: Absolutely. Yes, I go to Italy to crosstrain. Those guys have specialists that everyone can learn from. The European school of thought and approach can teach a lot.

Randy Alvarez: So it’s been good. Is that why you do things so quickly?

Dr. Moussa: That’s part of it, especially since there is just one guy doing much of the work. Right there, we have the dream team. I call them the dream team, it took me years to find and team up. We have a great group under one roof. We work together to give the patients the best outcome possible.

Randy Alvarez: Dr. Moussa, we’re going to take a break and when we come back we would love to hear about the implant process. You are watching the wellness hour news that makes you healthier, I’m Randy Alvarez. We’ll be right back.

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Patient Testimonial:

I just got all my teeth done here at Montclair Dental Spa. They did a wonderful job. They gave me my confidence back, I wasn’t going out or doing much of anything. My teeth were a mess. They were broken but now I’m eating more healthy. I lost 30 pounds and going out and exercising regularly. I quit smoking . I gained my life back after 15 years of troubles. Dr. Moussa and his staff turned it around. I’m able to eat and enjoy a great smile… I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Moussa and the Montclair Dental Spa. It was the best decision I ever made.

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You are watching the wellness hour news that makes you healthier. I’m Randy Alvarez. Today’s topic is full mouth extreme smile makeovers. With us is Dr. Moussa, welcome back.

Dr. Moussa: Thank you for having me.

Randy Alvarez: Now you own your own lab so you’re making the teeth, you’re making the bridges, the veneer you’re doing it all. Right there.

Dr. Moussa: Yes , I have a technician that is hands-on with everything. Taking notes, he’s with me as part of a team approach. We used to have the lab in the office but we outgrew . We moved to another location, which was noisy and dusty. Then we moved a driving distance so as to have everything in a closed circle and we just execute. The technician is there, the surgeon is there and the anesthesiologist. It’s like a great dream team. People don’t like to go to the dentist.

Randy Alvarez: They must tell you that everyday.

Dr. Moussa: Absolutely.

Randy Alvarez: Now since nobody likes going to the dentist, do they ever say something like… hey, no offense but I don’t like dentists? Do you have a funny comeback? Because your wife told me that you are a very funny guy…

Dr. Moussa: Yeah, well not really, but we try to calm them down. We offer options of sedation. That’s why we call the office Montclair Dental Spa. We try to make the experience as fearless as possible, relaxing and as pleasant as possible. We also try to get it done as quickly as possible, under one roof, so as to minimize coming back and forth.

Randy Alvarez: You have said that you are able to do full mouth reconstruction that might take several other specialists maybe 10 months, in perhaps 3 or 4 visits.

Dr. Moussa: Yes , give me 3 or 4 visits and it’s going to be done. Whatever used to take a year, we can do in maybe 3 or 4 visits.

Randy Alvarez: I’ve seen your wife’s teeth, because she came to the studio. Beautiful teeth. I asked if he did that for your teeth?

Dr. Moussa: Well she is a grinder, so I had to go the full monster construction phase. Because as a dentist, I cannot have a wife with bad teeth, not in the state of New Jersey.

Randy Alvarez: Absolutely, not even legal I don’t think.

Dr. Moussa: No, absolutely not, she’s the face of the practice. Oh that’s a nice combo of zirconia implants with some zirconia veneers. A few crowns and we raised her bite there.

Randy Alvarez: You know when I see veneers, I always think that they are big and bulky. But hers look like natural teeth.

Dr. Moussa: Oh thank you Randy… yeah it was all in the design. It took a lot, I mean to say that my technician was involved and she gave him a hard time. So that was one benefit of having a technician on staff. He was taking notes while she was in the chair. She gave him a hard time but we made it happen.

Randy Alvarez: You say that people with really bad teeth and gums, they put it off. And I think that we talked that they’ve hated their teeth for like 10 years!

Dr. Moussa: Absolutely, until they finally do something about it .

Randy Alvarez: Is that your challenge? Getting people in early? Because they wait until they are in so much pain they have to go.

Dr. Moussa: The men usually deny themselves to help their family members. They help everybody else except themselves. That’s why when they come to me I tell them this is the time to take care of yourself. It’s an investment in your health, in your smile and your chewing capability and digestion as well. We are also big on oral systemic links. We show them the health benefits, so these are working out very well. Just educating the patients to let them make the choice.

Randy Alvarez: Okay, good for you.

Dr. Moussa: Because the oral systemic link is very big and great gum disease absolutely so. This bacterial infection has an immune response. You kill the bacterial infection with laser treatment.

Randy Alvarez: Your fancy fancy laser.

Dr. Moussa: Yeah.

Randy Alvarez: Because those bugs they go to the veins and arteries and they build up the plaque and bad things can happen too, so you take care of it and wipe it out.

Dr. Moussa: Absolutely, and we even take microscope readings before and after and we see the difference.

Randy Alvarez: Okay, so we’re out of time, final message to somebody watching; these bleeding gums and bad breath, loose teeth. They feel that there’s no hope, there’s nothing which can be done – let’s say they’ve heard of your work, but they are skeptical? What would you say to them?

Dr. Moussa : Well everybody can be helped. If you can make it to our office, everyone is a candidate. Okay, with the technology, we have the 3D, with all the tools we have in our office, everybody is a candidate. We don’t turn anyone away .

Randy Alvarez: Okay, good.

Dr. Moussa: Everybody deserves a smile, deserves a healthy smile.

Randy Alvarez: Okay now we have to mention this: Medicare, Medicaid, even the best dental insurance only covers a very small part of the costs. This can be expensive, very expensive. But you say that people finance this everyday.

Dr. Moussa: Everyday, everyday. The people, they have the world. They have like 5 or 6 companies. That third party. And every company tailors to different incomes and credit scores. So, we have 5 or 6 options for them. We do this everyday.

Randy Alvarez : Okay, so people getting healthy everyday. So bad teeth if they are watching now, could have great teeth?

Dr. Moussa: Absolutely, give me one week. Upper, lower, 2 sessions.

Randy Alvarez: Dr. Moussa, I want to thank you for coming on the show!

Dr. Moussa: Thank you for having me Randy.

Randy Alvarez: Good information, they always see you on the console but I know you have other doctors there.

Dr. Moussa: I am the main contact for the new patient, they’re going to see me. I’m going to show them the workflow, they’re going to be in touch with me first . Alright, I’m always there for them, unless I’m taking a course or in a meeting.

Randy Alvarez: So I want to thank everyone for watching, this is the Wellness Hour News that makes you healthier. The leader in medical news, with your host Randy Alvarez, the authority on health issues.

At Montclair Dental Spa in Montclair, New Jersey, you can rely on Dr. Joseph Moussa and his team to combine cutting-edge dental techniques with a patient-centered approach. Their expert care will restore and enhance the natural beauty of your smile.

The experts at Montclair Dental Spa are well-known for providing a full range of general and cosmetic dentistry services. Their long list of dental services includes dental implants, orthodontics and braces, Invisalign®, porcelain veneers, and crowns. Their expertise also includes minimally invasive laser surgery, the highly successful LANAP protocol for treating gum disease, and CEREC same-day crowns.