Hello and welcome back to Beyond the Arches. My name is Erica, and today we’re kind of doing a girl-power takeover.

I’m joined by our amazing restorative team—Dr. Lax, Nadia, and Jessica—so the whole gang is here today. Say hello.

Hello. Hello.

We’re going to be discussing our patients’ stories, focusing on the emotional side of full-arch treatment—how it impacts their personal lives and what it’s like to see these transformations firsthand.

We get the opportunity to see patients during their consultation and then spend about a week with them during treatment. After that, they go home, but we’re lucky enough to stay in touch. They send photos, updates, and we see them annually. It’s incredible to see how far they come after the procedure.

I think we’re in a really unique position, especially from a restorative standpoint, because we’re with patients during such a huge transformation in such a short amount of time.

They go through so many emotions and experiences, and every patient is different.

Yeah.

So I’m sure you all have a lot of stories to share.

And even from our side—especially for Dr. Lax, myself, Lilia, and Alex as treatment coordinators—we get to meet patients from the very beginning.

We’re there during their consultations, which is often a very personal moment. They’re trying to decide if full-arch is the right option, or if they should stick with general dentistry or individual implants instead of going all in.

So it’s definitely a vulnerable space that they allow us into.

For sure.

Yeah, it’s interesting because as treatment coordinators, you’re the first line. You’re the first people they talk to, and I’m sure there’s a lot of anxiety and questions.

Definitely. From the consultation stage, it’s about walking them through the process and being as thorough as possible—explaining everything clearly.

It’s less about selling something and more about helping them come to the right decision for themselves.

Absolutely.

So yeah, there are a lot of emotions involved.

I think it’s really about building that initial trust—breaking the ice and helping them get to know our team.

They don’t meet the restorative team until they come in for treatment, but it’s special because we get to see them all the way through.

So on your side, do you have any stories where you remember thinking, “Wow, I’m so excited for this person”?

Where do we even begin?

I know, right? There are so many—probably thousands.

You build that connection early on. Some patients share details about their lives, like their kids going through school, and you end up following those journeys with them.

I’ve even had patients ask about my kids—how they’re doing—because they’ve been with us for years and feel connected.

My favorite is when patients get this done for a big life event—like their wedding or their child’s wedding.

Yes, those life-changing events.

I love seeing the photos they share afterward, especially on Facebook. They’ll post pictures from their wedding or a year later, and it’s amazing to see.

It’s really exciting.

A common thing patients say is that before treatment, they’ve been dealing with so much stress related to their teeth.

They might have a big event coming up, and it just feels like this dark cloud hanging over them. It’s always on their mind—pain, discomfort, insecurity.

And then after treatment, you see that relief.

They come back full of confidence, talking about everything they’re doing now—and it all started with getting their teeth done.

I can’t think of one specific story yet, but even though I haven’t been here that long, just seeing patients from that first pre-op scan is incredible.

They come in scared, very timid. Their perception of a dental office is completely different from what we offer.

Then we come in like, “Hi, how are you?” And especially on the day of surgery—they’re sitting in the waiting room, super nervous.

Then Jess comes out, brings them back, introduces herself, takes their photo—and it’s one of the scariest days of their life.

And we’re just smiling, trying to make them feel comfortable.

Then watching them transform and blossom into this new version of themselves throughout the week—that’s really special.

One of my favorite things is seeing them the day after surgery. I’ll ask, “Do you remember me?” and they’re like, “I don’t know.”

But by the third day, they’re asking about your life—like, “Hey, did you go do that thing with your kids?”

That’s when you realize the relationship has really formed, and it means something on both sides.

Yeah, people really come out of their shells when they’re here. It’s such a vulnerable experience—we’re getting very up close and personal.

It becomes more than just a dental experience. It’s very personal. We really get to know our patients, and they know we’re here for them no matter what.

That alone takes a lot of the stress away, especially when we can make the experience fun.

It’s funny too—especially with travel patients—by the end of the week, they’ll say, “We’re going to miss you guys. We don’t know what we’re going to do when we go home.”

They’ve kind of become part of our routine.

But it’s nice because we see them again at the 90-day mark and for maintenance visits, so we stay connected.

Yeah, just the other day we had someone come in super nervous on day one, and then by the second try-in—even after the first—they were walking around with a whole new confidence.

Like a completely different person.

Yeah.

Let me ask Dr. Lax—you joined the team pretty recently. On your first few cases, what was that like for you?

How did it feel designing and delivering those cases? Do you remember your first emotional delivery—like when a patient had tears in their eyes?

I think it happened almost immediately—probably within my first couple of days.

Coming from school and general restorative dentistry, you don’t really see that level of emotional impact. There’s emotion, but not to this extent.

So seeing that right away was incredible.

I remember a patient walking out of the room just overjoyed. And then I walked out thinking, “Oh my God, I might cry.”

It felt surreal—like, “Where am I? How did I get here?” It really felt like magic.

I don’t remember the exact patient because there are so many, but that’s the goal every time—to have patients feel that kind of positive emotion about their smile.

It was incredible.

Jess, what about you? As one of the newer members of the restorative team—and doing an amazing job—have you had a moment like that?

A moment where you thought, “Wow, I’m so glad I’m here doing this”?

Honestly, it’s every week. It’s so rewarding.

My background was in procedures people don’t exactly look forward to—endo, root canals. And you only get about 45 minutes with patients.

Here, I get to spend a full week with them.

I remember my first patient where I saw everything from start to finish and really connected with them.

They cried—because they had nothing before.

They said, “I can’t wait to bite into a burger,” and we bonded over that.

That moment was really special.

They started crying, I started crying—it was a lot of emotion.

I mean, there’s crying in endo too, but not happy tears.

Exactly—not like this.

It’s incredible because this is something patients have been waiting for, sometimes for years.

They’ve been saving, researching, and considering every possible option.

When patients are finally able to go through with this process after everything they’ve been through to get here, it’s a beautiful moment. I love it.

Yeah, it’s a pretty monumental change.

And being part of that, it’s important to remember that this isn’t just a cosmetic procedure.

Of course, aesthetics are a big part of full-arch treatment, but it’s really about restoring someone’s quality of life—bringing them back to feeling like themselves again.

Like you mentioned, bonding over something as simple as a burger. Being able to bite into food is something most people take for granted, but there are so many people who can’t do that without pain or difficulty.

Absolutely.

We’ve had patients who came in for their initial procedure single, and when they returned for their annual visit, they had a boyfriend, a fiancée, or were in a completely different stage of life.

Seeing them come back confident, thriving, and fully living their lives—it’s incredible.

I feel like getting their teeth done is just the beginning. It’s the tip of the iceberg.

So many other things start to improve in their lives, and it’s exciting to watch those changes happen.

Absolutely.

The other day, Nadia and I had a similar reaction to one of our patients who came in with his wife. At first, I thought I saw someone with a walker—but then I realized it was a baby stroller.

They had just had a baby.

I was shocked. I asked, “Did you guys have a child?” The baby was only about two months old—a little girl. It was the sweetest thing.

That’s so sweet. I love that.

You could tell that child was their whole world.

Yeah, it’s amazing.

Did you ever expect, working in dentistry, to be involved in patients’ lives to this extent?

No.

For me, in previous roles, I only spent a few minutes with patients at a time.

Here, even though we only see them in short intervals throughout the week, we learn so much about them.

Going into this, I thought it would mostly be about aesthetics and cosmetics. But I’ve learned it also affects how people speak, their confidence, their careers, and their social lives.

It’s really both—about 50/50—function and aesthetics.

Definitely.

Have you ever had a patient impact your personal life in an unexpected way? Maybe offering advice or sharing something meaningful?

Honestly, I feel like we learn something new every day.

Whether it’s random facts, life stories, or even conversations about aliens and conspiracy theories.

We won’t go too far into that…

But we do see such a wide range of patients—from people in their 20s all the way up to nearly 100 years old.

So there’s a lot of life experience that comes through.

And we’re always open to learning from them.

You did have someone give you some memorable advice that you kept repeating.

Oh yes—it was a professional golfer. Very sweet, older gentleman, but in great shape and full of wisdom.

He said something along the lines of: “Don’t force the feel—feel the force.”

Or… something like that.

We might need to fact-check that one.

But the idea stuck—it was one of those sayings that sounds simple but makes you think.

I totally butchered that quote, but you get the idea.

We also had a patient who was a… what do you call it—a psychic? A medium.

Yes, a medium.

I think she kind of changed your life a little—not completely, but she definitely predicted a few things that actually ended up happening.

Yeah, she told me I might move, and I did. So that was a pretty good prediction.

It was all very positive, so I was like, “Great, I’ll take it.”

I remember being there for that—it was a really interesting experience.

I’m still waiting for the rest of the predictions to come true.

Yeah, that was a fun one.

I tend to overshare with patients sometimes, so we really get to know each other.

I actually had a patient who helped me through a pretty major life change a couple of years ago. This was during my time here, and she ended up recommending books and sharing advice because she had gone through something very similar.

She gave me a lot of perspective, especially around family and life changes. It was really personal, and I’ll never forget that conversation—even though I never actually read the book she recommended.

Absolutely.

So part of our process here is that we complete treatment in about a week—surgery on Monday and finals by Friday for travel patients.

This is something people often compare during consultations. They hear “teeth in a day,” they hear “teeth in six months,” and we fall somewhere in between.

Patients don’t necessarily want fast—they want meaningful.

So how do you feel we achieve that within a one-week timeline?

That’s a great question.

I think we take a lot into consideration—things like their lifestyle, their work, and their personal needs. Even if we don’t dive deeply into every detail, we still factor it in.

These days, fast sounds appealing, but that doesn’t always mean it’s better.

There’s a lot of emotion, precision, and detail involved in this process—both surgically and restoratively. That includes aesthetics, function, and overall design.

So taking that extra time—even if it’s just a week instead of months—allows us to really ensure everything is right before finalizing.

Exactly.

I also think it gives patients a chance to learn throughout the process. It becomes very educational for them, and they begin to understand why we take that time.

Some people come in thinking, “Wait, I don’t just get one set of teeth and leave?”

And it’s like, no—it’s a process, even within that one week.

So how do you see patient emotions play out during that week?

From my perspective, we get all kinds of reactions. Some patients want to move quickly—they’re ready for finals in a couple of days. Others reach finals and then call back, second-guessing their decisions.

In those cases, I can connect them with someone from the restorative team to walk them through it and reassure them.

From your side, how do you handle that?

From a restorative standpoint, we do have the ability to create a final set of teeth very quickly—sometimes within 24 hours.

But we intentionally don’t rush it, for exactly those reasons.

It’s a delicate balance, and it’s hard to predict how someone will feel during the process.

You can’t always tell during the consultation how a patient will react once they’re actually going through design and trying things in.

But looking back, patients almost always appreciate having that extra time.

Whether it’s to think about the shape of their teeth, adjust to how they feel physically, or just recover a bit from swelling and soreness in those first few days—it gives them a cushion.

Even though everything is completed within a week, that time is really valuable.

We’re very calculated in everything we do—our measurements, the adjustments we make—everything is intentional.

We actually had a phone call this week with one of the sweetest patients. She called and said, “I don’t know… they just seem kind of big.”

And I told her, “Look, this is new. I’m confident in this design. Give it a chance—try it out, and then we’ll go from there.”

We’re never going to put someone in something we’re not confident about.

Absolutely. And because we have that full week to work with patients, that’s where the trust really builds.

That trust allows them to feel comfortable, even if they start second-guessing things.

Sometimes, when they’re waiting those couple of days for their finals to be fabricated, their minds start to wander. That waiting period can create some anxiety.

So being able to bring them back to a team they trust makes a huge difference.

And there have probably been countless times where you’ve acted not just as clinicians, but almost like therapists—spending time on the phone or sitting with patients, talking through how they’re feeling.

Absolutely.

There’s one patient in particular we were talking about earlier who had an incredible transformation.

We saw her again at her annual appointment, and she had completely flourished. She looked amazing, dressed beautifully—it was such a transformation.

Yes, every time she came in, she was all dressed up. And I think having a positive mindset really helps with both healing and the design process. It puts patients in a more comfortable space overall.

She was also doing some really exciting things in her life—public speaking, maybe even a podcast. There were a lot of big changes happening for her.

We won’t go into too many details, but it was clear she was stepping into a whole new chapter.

Exactly. It was like a domino effect.

It’s amazing how something like a smile—a set of teeth—can have such a huge impact on someone’s life.

They get excited to come back and share updates, and we want to hear everything. We want the updates—we want to know what’s changed and what they’ve accomplished.

It’s really fun to watch.

It was funny—we delivered finals to a patient today, and everything felt pretty routine while we were working.

But once it was all done, they stood at the front and said, “Wait a minute… what just happened?”

Like, “I just got my finals.”

And we’re all excited, but for them it suddenly hits—it’s real.

We definitely form strong connections with these patients. It’s very special.

It’s interesting to think about all these different stories and ask what they all have in common.

And really, it comes down to one thing—they got their teeth done.

It’s “just teeth,” but it changes everything.

Have there been any moments that surprised you emotionally? Something funny, sad, or meaningful?

We’ve had patients who wish they could show their parents or grandparents their new smile. It’s almost like a graduation moment.

Yeah, it really is.

I had a patient whose mother had passed away. She told me, “When I was younger, everyone said my teeth looked just like my mom’s—and you brought that back.”

That was really special.

And beyond that, we still get updates all the time.

Patients send us photos when they get engaged, and we share those with the whole team.

My favorite is when people post updates months or even years later—whether it’s in the Facebook group or directly to us.

We share everything with the team because we’re so proud—not just of the work, but of the impact it’s had on their lives.

Seeing patients get engaged, start new careers—it’s incredible.

She had her zirconia delivered right before her daughter’s wedding, and that was her motivation—she wanted a beautiful smile for that moment.

She looked amazing. It was incredible to see.

So yeah, we definitely get to witness a lot of special moments.

Any final words of wisdom from the restorative team?

I think just to summarize—what makes our process special is that it allows us to form these genuine connections with patients.

Because we’ve streamlined the technical side of things, we can focus less on the stress of the procedure and more on the human side of the experience.

It makes everything smoother for everyone, and we’re really lucky to be part of people’s lives in this way and to make a meaningful impact.

I completely agree.

One thing I’ll add is how important it is to understand patient emotions. Everyone is different—some people come in excited, others are nervous or reserved.

If we haven’t built that trust yet, it’s interesting to watch them open up over time.

We’ve talked before about not changing personalities, but matching energy. If someone is excited, we meet them there. If they’re more reserved, we respect that and give them the space and care they need.

Some patients may not show emotion in the chair, but you don’t know what happens when they get home—who they call, who they FaceTime, or what that first moment is like when they see themselves.

And I think you all do a great job of reading people and meeting them where they are.

If someone’s sarcastic, I’ll match that energy right back—and they love it.

But for future patients, my advice would be: don’t be afraid of this process.

You’re human, and we’re human. We’ll meet you wherever you are and work through it together.

And for past patients—don’t worry about how you were during the process. We loved every minute of it.

Absolutely. It’s truly a team effort.

We never want anyone to feel like they’re going through this alone. We’re always here for support—it’s like a network.

And honestly, it’s a lot of fun.

Even if I work with a patient all week and don’t get to deliver their final teeth, I still want to pop in and see them.

Like, “Look at you!” You’re not forgotten—you’re part of this whole experience.

And it’s important to remember that many patients come in with past trauma related to dental experiences.

People often say they hate the dentist, and that usually comes from something they went through before.

But it’s nice to see that shift in mindset when they realize this experience is different.

Absolutely.

Well, thank you all for joining the podcast today. I really appreciate everything you do.

From consultations to restorative to surgical, it’s a full team effort. And it’s amazing to be part of something where we can not only support each other, but also truly impact our patients’ lives.

It’s incredible to see the transformations you create and the confidence you give back to people.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you so much.

And shoutout to Erica for being an amazing host.