The Big Interview: Andrea Ubhi

Created on 22nd May 2009

Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetics Magazine interviews award-winning dentist Andrea Ubhi

What made you choose a career in cosmetic dentistry?

A friend of mine at university had tetracycline-stained teeth (she had been given antibiotics as a child and her second teeth came through grey). It was very noticeable and she begged me to do some veneers on her teeth. They were a marked improvement - I would say they were probably about a 50 per cent more improved in appearance - but I was still very disappointed with the outcome. The quality of the veneers that we were doing as undergraduates at dental school were poor quality and very bulky.

I remember thinking that I didn't want to do veneers again if this was the result. However, in 1991, I went to a series of lectures by New York-based dentist, Peter Rinaldi, and he showed slides of porcelain veneers which were so beautiful - even more beautiful than natural teeth - that I was converted. It was then that I decided I wanted to enter cosmetic dentistry. I had to do in the UK what was being done in the US. I redid my friend's veneers later and they looked fantastic!

Obviously you felt when you were an undergraduate that they were doing cosmetic dentistry better in America. Do you feel that they are still leading the way?

I feel that we are at the top of the field as much as they are now. The techniques, technologies and training courses are similar across both countries. There are still many differences though. In the US the more well-off  have very good dental care from an early age but those who don't have dental insurance usually have very poor teeth. In the UK, we have access to general dental care on the NHS and also to higher quality private procedures.

Dentistry in the UK often focuses on fixing one tooth at a time, and over the years this can result in a patchwork effect. However when I am doing Smile Makeovers, I look at the whole of the smile, and make a plan with my patient taking everything into account: colour, shape and position of the teeth. Another major difference between US and UK dentistry is a divergence in attitude in how we deal with people's teeth. American dentists don't tend to extract teeth but they widen the smile - to get that big American jaw effect - but in the UK the general practice is to extract teeth so you get much narrower arches. I am often asked however to widen the dental arch with veneers. This gives the wider smile effect and fills out the lips too.

What is the most satisfying aspect to your work?

The most satisfying part of my job is when I have patients whose teeth are so bad that it almost constitutes a disability. Their confidence is almost nonexistent. I can give them not just average teeth but spectacularly gorgeous teeth.

What is the most popular treatment you offer?

The most popular treatment we offer is veneers because that is how I have made my name.

People are traditionally nervous of dentists; what do you do at your practice to combat patient nerves?

The most important thing is to have a gentle approach; don't rush them, make them feel they have all the time in the world to talk through their concerns, explain the procedure thoroughly. Also we usually start with small procedures so they get to know how I work and to build trust. If they are very nervous then there are sedation techniques we can use but I find that if you've built the trust at the beginning then there is no problem.

You offer facial aesthetic treatments such as wrinkle reduction treatments and dermal fillers. Why do you think dentists are good at offering these treatments?

Dentists are used to dealing with the face and particularly the lips. If I am looking to widen a patient's smile then it is possible to fill it out with veneers but you can also combine this with fillers to give the most natural look. I like to give the whole package to my patients.

Professionally, what are you most proud of?

I am most proud of winning dentist of the year in 2005 at The Probe Awards. I was the only woman to have won it and also one of the youngest.

What new and upcoming procedures and treatments are you most excited about?

No preparation veneers. Patients are concerned about having 'a lot of work done' and I prefer to use the most conservative preparation procedures possible.

What do you think is the future of cosmetic dentistry?

Technology is always improving, techniques are getting refined, and training of cosmetic procedures is becoming more widespread. I think that we will see an improvement in the look of the nation's teeth, with whiter, straighter teeth. However I think that already we are shying away from the too white, too false looking teeth, and going for a whiter, but natural looking results.