DR. LEROY R. SHAW

Specialty Care for Your Smile

by McKenzie Daniel

OttawaLife Volume 10/Number 3

Everyone has the right to a radient and natural smile.

Dr. LeRoy R. Shaw is an Ottawa Prosthodontist, a dental specialist who restores and replaces natural teeth with an emphasis on aesthetics.To do this he uses such tools as porcelain crowns, veneers, bridges, dentures and dental implants.Also known as "the Smile Doctor'': he is the only Board-Certified Prosthodontist (by the American Board of Prosthodontics) in Ottawa.

Dr. Shaw's primary objective is to give back to his patients the benefit of a beautiful smile and improve their quality of life. His practice creates the kind of results that have been popularized by such television shows as "Extreme Makeover".

"The persons who seek me out are those with aesthetic or cosmetic concerns as well as those wishing to improve their ability to chew comfortably.These are people that are not pleased with the appearance of their smile. Maybe the teeth are too yellow, crooked or damaged or have spaces or the gums are showing too much. Or perhaps their smile does not show as much as it used to and they feel that this ages them prematurely. Another reason patients come to my office is simply because they are not comfortable eating their food. Many patients are also referred to me by their general dentist."

In addition to his extensive education and training, Dr. Shaw has also completed two years of postgraduate training in a surgical implant fellowship at New York University's College of Dentistry. With these two qualifications, Dr. Shaw is the only dental specialist in Ottawa who can offer patients the convenience of having both the surgical and restorative aspects of their dental treatment done in one location, rather than at several offices. He enthuses: "Our office is a one-stop shop. This offers tremendous advantages for our patients. Total treatment time is often reduced simply because we routinely manage ail aspects of treatment from this single location".

Dental implants are often a large part of his patient care. Dental implants and the treatment related to them have evolved tremendously over the past ten years. Treatment has become easier and faster for patients and often involves more conservative treatment. Predictability has also improved. Dr. Shaw uses such advanced technology as computed tomography scans and "Nobelguide", which has been revolutionary in implant dentistry. This allows him to evaluate a patients jaw in three dimensions with zero distortion. With this advanced precision, patient care is improved. Dr. Shaw provides treatment plans such as "Teeth in a Day" which allows a patient who starts the day with dentures, or damaged teeth, to end the day with fixed bridges supported by dental implants It is also possible to replace a missing tooth with an implant and crown in the same day. Such treatment plans in the past were not available to patients.

Computers allow Dr. Shaw to build crowns that are amazingly aesthetic, with no metal so that those unsightly black lines around crowns are avoided. Also, with computer graphies, he can show the patient what he or she will look like following treatment. Patients love this aspect of patient care because it enables them to really evaluate what the final result will be before starting treatment.

"It is not uncornmon for a patient to walk out of my office looking 10 years younger. If a patient feels more confident about their srnile, they'll exude positive energy in how they relate to others.When people smile more, it enhances their relationships and improves their business and career prospects. I've seen it happen time and again."

Another aspect of his office that patients appreciate is the ability to utilize third party financing for different payment plan options. This allows patients the option of spreading out the payment of their treatment.