Friday, 28th May 2010 - 1:42pm
Dr Raj Ahlowalia - cosmetic dentist from
Extreme Makeover UK answers our questions!
Dr. Raj Ahlowalia BDS LDS RCS Eng. Cosmetic, reconstructive dentist & facial aesthetician. Dr. Ahlowalia has featured in numerous television appearances as well as national and local Radio & Newspapers including; Extreme Makeover UK & BBC Radio 2. Why did you choose the area of Aesthetic & Cosmetic dentistry as a career?
Actually I fell into it by accident. I wanted to be an airline pilot but left high school at a time when airlines had stopped training their own aircrews. I took up dentistry as a last minute decision and found I was good with my hands. I always enjoyed the complexities of reconstructive cases so decided to pursue a career in Restorative & Functional dentistry. As such cases typically required rebuilding smiles from scratch it helped to have a complete understanding of facial form and aesthetics.
You’re an experienced lecturer & speaker, in fact the first dentist to ever speak at FACE (the national cosmetic surgery conference). Do you enjoy this part of your work?
This is actually one of the most fun parts of my work. Having spent years studying with some of the best dentists around the world in many diverse specialities it has been rewarding to give some of that knowledge back to the British dental and medical communities. I’m often contacted by young or newly graduated dentists keen to follow my career path. I now teach for two American cosmetic dental institutions and mentor UK dentists studying at the world renowned Pankey Institute.
Can you tell us about your research & education at The Pankey Institute, Florida?
The Pankey Institute is a non-profit institution founded by Dr L D Pankey in 1972. It is funded funded by donations from grateful patients, dentists and by the post graduate students who study there. Having spent many years visiting the institute myself I can honestly say it has made the most influential impact on the quality of my working life, my relationships with my clients and the standard of dentistry I now offer. I still return on a regular basis to meet with the finest dentists in the world to share experiences and knowledge as well as honing my skills with the latest techniques.
Recently I had the pleasure of assisting the Institute’s resident faculty on their first training course outside of N. America, held in London. We had over one hundred and twentry dentists from around the UK attend.
Dr Pankey realised a long time ago that the teeth and gums cannot be regarded in isolation or treated one problem at a time when things break or cause symptoms. Dr Pankey found that along with dental problems many facial pains, head and neck aches might have an origin related to a disordered bite. He believed that in mastering this complex relationship between the teeth, the jaw and it’s joints and the muscles attached to it we might be able to help our patients with a multitude of interrelated symptoms.
Dr Pankey began teaching these ideas to his colleagues locally in Florida and now his institute is visted by dentists from all across the globe. The phillosophies the institute that bears his name now teaches, of comprehensive care and empathy for every client, have now become the conerstone of my practice. What led you to be approached by Extreme Makeover UK?
Funnily enough I wasn’t in the first series. I watched it with great interest and realised very quickly that at one time or another I had taught, lectured to or studied with many of the dentists on the show. I wrote to the producers offering my services for any difficult cases and a few months later I got the call. You have appeared on various TV, News & Radio programmes – do you have any future media plans?
I’m always open to suggestions and right now I’m quite busy writing several articles on Dento-Facial Aesthetics. Dentistry isn’t necessarily as glamourous a topic but it’s possible one of them may appear in the press soon. Do you feel there is anything you haven’t yet achieved…any life goals?
That’s a very interesting question and I guess the only way to answer it is to say that it has always been my nature to never rest on my laurels. I’ve spent my entire career continously learning the latest techniques in dentistry and new mentors to emulate. I hope to continue to do so and keep moving my own goalposts for the standards of service I can provide my clients. We can continually pursue the idea of perfection in whatever path we choose, be it work, relationships, play or spirituality. What kind of treatments do you personally offer?
General, reconstructive and aesthetic dentistry. Implantology for missing teeth including various bone and soft tissue grafting surgeries. Invisible braces. Bite correction and the treatment of headaches related to jaw misalignments. CEREC same-day crowns, caps and veneers. Non-surgical facial aesthetic treatments….Oh, and Hypnotherapy! What is ‘facial aesthetics’?
This term describes the science of a wide range of facial enhancements of which treatments to perfect the smile is only one small part. The other recognisable ones are things like ‘Botox’ for the treatment of forehead wrinkles. What is less well known is that Botox or similar agents can be used to correct frown lines at the top of the nose, crows feet, at to non-surgically achieve eye brow lifts and correct gummy smiles. Dermal and lip fillers also come under the facial aesthetics realm for correction of deeper facial creases and to help create that perfect pout to go with your perfect teeth. Other treatments include mesotherapy for rehydration of the skin and chemical peels for damaged skin.
For more complex ‘surgical’ facial aesthetic treatments one should of course consult a reputable cosmetic surgeon. Do you have one outstanding moment from your career?
Every time I complete a case and watch my client see their rejuvinated smile for the first time is a moment to be cherished. Tears of joy are often shed. However, for me personally, I’d say spending my very first paycheck on flying lessons and achieving my lifelong ambition to become a pilot was the best.
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classic tall boots says:
Wednesday 30th, June 2010 at 6:16pm
sorry to heard thatSaim says:
Monday 28th, June 2010 at 7:44am
Thank you for the info. What is zirconium? Does it have any metal in it? Advantages, disadvantages with the materialBP says:
Tuesday 10th, November 2009 at 12:56am
In the UK, most dentists are using specialist dental practice finance and loans to spread the costs and also take advantage of some tax breaks.Is the same available for pstients?
Balbir Rai says:
Wednesday 04th, November 2009 at 5:25am
Dr. Ahlawalia: My daughter has major damaged teeth and she is having alot of problems and has done drugs so you can imagine the damage. She feels ugly, she hides her mouth when she talks. There are times when she doesn't want tolive. She disperately needs a funding to get her this makeover. She is on disability and can't afford to get her teeth done. I too am on disability and can't help her. Her life is in your hands. She needs to be happy and beautiful from inside as well as out side.
Sati Siri Akal
Dr Raj Ahlowalia says:
Monday 27th, April 2009 at 1:08pm
Thanks for your question Thomas.
Unfortunately I can't predict the future. Your tooth may be just fine. I'm making an assumption that when you say you had it replaced without root canal you are describing hving the tooth capped with a crown.
Literally millions of teeth have been repaired with crowns worldwide without root canal and survive perfectly happily.
However where a tooth has been severely damaged and this trauma (or decay) involves the pulp (live core) of the tooth where the nerves and blood vesels reside then root canal is often necessary first.
Some teeth can be damaged in such a ay as not to apparently involve the pulp yet the nerves have been traumatised none the less. These teeth may suffer delayed symptoms from the nerves sometimes soon after, sometimes many years later. In such cases root canal may be necessary and can still be performed regardless that the tooth has already been capped or otherwise repaired.
I hope this ansers your question.
thomassabastein says:
Friday 24th, April 2009 at 3:13pm
Dr Raj, i would like to ask you onething. I had met with an accident 6 months back and one of my teeth is broken and i had replaced it. I didnt make any route canal for that. Will it cause any problem?Dr Raj Ahlowalia says:
Monday 10th, March 2008 at 8:55pm
Hello Anne,
I'm sorry to hear your tale of woe.
I think your first task should be to talk with your cosmetic dentist about the way you feel about the treatment you've received and the problems you are having. I'm certain that your dentist will wish to be given the opportunity to resolve the problems for you.
Unfortunately with just about any surgery you can think of complications can happen. Nowadays we fear contracting an MRSA infection just from a simple visit to the hospital.
Naturally everybody is different and our teeth will react differently to certain treatments. Equally every dentist is different and their techniques will be unique to them, so often complications are quite 'unpredictable'.
Unfortunately as you have no more money to spend your options are limited to low cost NHS help or the professionalism of your dentist and his willingness to address your problems at minimal expense.
If after talking this through with your dentist you are still dissatisfied you could enqiuire of him what his practice complaints procedure is and follow that path.
If you do not feel you can maintain a working relationship with your dentist you may wish to seek dental corrections from a third party other than the NHS. Unfortunately whether it be someone like myself or anyone else you would be facing the expense of any corrective treatment yourself, so my best advice is to remain calm and clear in your complaint to your cosmetic dental practice and to try to maintain a good positive working relationship with them so you can work together towards resolution of the problems that have arisen.
Anne O'Sullivan says:
Sunday 09th, March 2008 at 7:51pm
Dear Dr Raj Ahlowalia,
I am writing to ask your advice following major cosmetic dentistry. I had 6 top front teeth (three of which were capped in 1977), a metal denture which bridged the gap between my front eye teeth and one large molar which had a heavy amalgam filling. My dentish filed down all my teeth and fitted porcelain veneers which look great but I have been in constant pain since. I have had a root canal done on one eye tooth, my top back teeth and also my bottom back teeth which have amalgam fillings too, really cause me a lot of pain. My two crowned front teeth are so sensitive that I can't bear hot or cold water. I paid him £7,000 and haven't got any more money to spend on my teeth. I need your help or advice as a matter of urgency.
Kind regards
Anne O'Sullivan
London SW1 020 7730 1055 (Office) or 020 7630 1272 Home.
Dr Raj Ahlowalia says:
Tuesday 26th, February 2008 at 10:00am
I think the future remains positive as cosmetic dentistry is still the fastest growing field within my profession at the moment. Even though I personally am steadily moving away from cosmetic dentistry for people who have a 'desire' to a practice that deals primarily with reconstructive clients who have a 'need' I still strive for beauty in finishing my cases to a high cosmetically pleasing standard.
However we are short of dentists adequately trained to meet the demand for the highly technical field of cosmetic dentistry. I should know, much of my free time is still taken up teaching these techniques for numerous institutions.
However on question of 'cheap foreign dentistry' I feel the same could be just as easily be asked of any sector of consumerism from cars to clothing just as well as private elective medical surgeries.
I still feel the prices charged for cosmetic dentistry are very cheap here in the UK particular when you really think about the service that is provided. I recently completed a case for a lady that amounted to 165 man hours of labour between myself, my assistant and a host of technicians working on it over a period of nine months to reconstruct her mouth.
See the case on Youtube by clicking here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6YeI-1h0Lc
'What should an appropriate fee be?' I aksed of one Harley Street practice owner, who charged at around £7000 for breast augmentation procedures that at most took 7 man hours. His answer was £125,000. Of course not many could afford such a price yet the workload of an appropriately trained team devoted to the care of a fellow human being ought to demand this fee. I didn’t charge even a quarter of this...
It is always going to be cheaper in Eastern Europe and many other countries whilst the UK remains a dominant world economy but then that's the nature of living in a richer country. We have arguably access to a high quality lifestyle, range and standard of services and consumer products and with greater protection afforded to us in terms of quality and after sales service. As more and more people want to live in our society our housing prices go up and as such the prices of everything else. So we ultimately pay more for this lifestyle and culture of our own making by paying higher prices than in less developed economies. As such we demand higher wages and fees to pay for it all.
The end products we consume may be similar but the workers providing or producing them in Eastern Europe are paid less. Their cost of living is less within their home economy.
We have always had the possibility to make similar scale purchases abroad, like new cars, yet we don't do this en masse as there are many other factors to consider. With travel becoming more economical we can go shopping for a bargain anywhere in the world now but it remains still a question of convenience, economics in terms of time away from home and work and of course trust in the product. One factor that can't be easily overcome by purchasing abroad is knowing the quality of the product you are purchasing, or that of the service provider and their after sales service, although in terms of dentistry specifically many dentists based abroad are now setting up consulting rooms within the UK whilst conducting treatments at home where the economics of practice funding and staff wages are minimal. If their costs are lower they can charge the client less. Their materials and technical labs are also cheaper. It's simply a question of do you want them, do you trust them and are you prepared to take that chance.
There are wonderful, skilled, caring dentists all over the world but equally there are many poor ones. Within the UK we have the General Dental Council and the full weight of strict laws and clinical governance standards to protect us from the poor practitioner who is soon weeded out. Consider any past experience of minor dentistry you might have had and how easily you can return to your dentist to have adjustments and alterations made if things aren't quite right. To do so with a dentist who is based abroad is not necessarily so simple unless they maintain a presence part time in the UK.
For complex cases, such as the one I described above, how many times would you have to travel back and forth before the economics and inconvenience outweighed the bargain price?
There are many documented cases of cheap foreign dentistry going very badly wrong through a wide variety of reasons too numerous to mention here, but I say again there are many fine practitioners too, with wonderful track records, all over the world.
It is as always best advice for the consumer to do their research to their own degree of satisfaction before embarking on any course of elective dental surgery whether it be here in the UK or abroad, to know in advance the maximum number of trips you are likely to make with written guarantees that costs of any further trips will be refunded. Know too your legal position in case things go wrong abroad. Your travel insurance may not adequately cover you for problems caused by elective surgeries.
As the song says; "You pays your money and takes your choice".
Dr Ahlowalia says:
Monday 25th, February 2008 at 9:49pm
I'm afraid I don't specialse in cleft palate surgery. This is typically undertaken by hospital based oral surgery departments in conjuction with paediatric consultations.
However I have researched your specific query and have found no articles documented in the medical or dental scientific literature confirming a direct link between cleft palate and dermal irritation or rashes. Now that is not to say there may not be a link, it only tells me I could not find any documented research on this matter.
My suggestion would be to first contact your doctor as it may be an unrelated issue.
Dr Ahlowalia says:
Monday 25th, February 2008 at 9:48pm
I'm afraid I don't specialse in cleft palate surgery. This is typically undertaken by hospital based oral surgery departments in conjuction with paediatric consultations.
However I have researched your specific query and have found no articles documented in the medical or dental scientific literature confirming a direct link between cleft palate and dermal irritation or rashes. Now that is not to say there may not be a link, it only tells me I could not find any documented research on this matter.
My suggestion would be to first contact your doctor as it may be an unrelated issue.
Cosmetic dentistry says:
Saturday 23rd, February 2008 at 1:40am
What do you think is the future of cosmetic dentistry for UK dentists with cheaper dentistry from eastern european countires offering UK residents a much cheaper alternative?skinrashes says:
Wednesday 19th, December 2007 at 2:50pm
Dr Raj, do you specialize in cleft palate surgery? Are kids with cleft palate more prone to skin allergies like sweat rash?just curious my daughter has eruption of skin rashes very oftenLeave a Reply