Minimally Invasive Maximum Profit Dentistry
The Artful Genius of Dr. Buddy Mopper
Imagine being so adept at what you do and loving it so much that after 50 years at it… you’re still practicing! Dr. Buddy Mopper is one of the most gifted, talented, hard-working clinicians and mentors in our profession. I had the good fortune of meeting Buddy nearly 30 years ago through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Buddy was one of the founding members of the AACD and one of the earliest members to achieve AACD accreditation. As one of my first mentors in esthetic dentistry, Buddy played a large part in inspiring me to devote more than two years to becoming accredited by the AACD, and to subsequently devote six years as an accreditation examiner. Dr. Buddy Mopper doesn’t need to be practicing dentistry into his 80s. In addition to being one of the most successful esthetic and restorative dentists in the world, Buddy co-founded Cosmedent Corporation. Buddy continues to see patients and mentor us through webinars and seminars solely because of his passion for his artful deployment of our science. 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE EXTENDING THE LIFE AND BEAUTY OF DENTITIONS One of the most commonly overlooked (neglected), insidious problems contributing to the demise of patients’ dentitions is pathologic enamel wear secondary to diminished or lost anterior guidance. The problem with which this patient presents in Buddy’s case below is all too common. The patient’s mandibular incisors have worn through the incisal enamel, exposing dentin. The remaining incisal enamel, “cupped” and unsupported, is subject to ever rapidly increasing deterioration. Left untreated, this patient would potentially be facing root canals and most likely four anterior mandibular crowns. As Buddy says, nobody wants to prep a mandibular incisor for a crown!
Before and after photos and dentistry by Dr. Buddy Mopper
Put yourself in the place of this patient. If these were your teeth, which of the following would you want your doctor to do?
A. Wait and do nothing until the only alternative is massively more expensive, extensive, and destructive
B. Remove all the labial enamel and a couple millimeters of the incisal enamel… prepping for and placing porcelain veneers; or… C. Minimally invasively remove as little remaining tooth structure as possible, and then prep, etch, and rebuild the incisal edges with direct resin bonding (as shown in the photos) The answer is obvious, and yet cases just like this — some not quite as advanced, others far worse — present to dental practices every day, often leaving the visit with no recommendations for care. We (here on Planet Gems!) can and should take a stand. It’s not happening at our practices on our watch. Show these photos to your entire team and alert them to the fact that this is NOT NORMAL — when enamel wears like this, it’s the sign of a PATHOLOGICAL OCCLUSION. We need to restore the worn enamel and rebuild the anterior guidance in order to protect the patient from further loss. Remember our mission: “Together we are dedicated to improving the health and longevity of 3,000,000 people, one smile at a time!” EXACTLY HOW SHOULD YOU RESTORE THIS CASE? As members of our Gems Family, you and your team have the opportunity to watch Buddy restore this case. You’ll get to listen to Buddy as he talks about the rationale for treatment,
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