Holding Back the Years

May 2009, Gotham Magazine

By Susan Waits

On the verge of unveiling his first Manhattan office, cosmetic dentist Thomas Connelly shows how a little work can go a long way.

"I have always had a passion for style, fashion, and art," says cosmetic dentist Thomas Connelly. "But my parents were not thrilled with the idea of my becoming an artist." That practical influence resulted in an externship at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic and ultimately a stint as a clinical instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Connelly has earned a reputation as one of the Northeast's top cosmetic dentists, and brings more than a decade of experience to his practices in New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and his permanent home, Boston. But his artistic leanings have remained intact.

"I discovered this was a profession that would allow me to improve people's lives while still fulfilling my passion for creativity and art," says Connelly, who works with expert ceramists (such as Yas Kawabe and Jason Kim) to offer his clients the highest level of technical artistry. After all, when it comes to something as important as a face, only the best will do.

"Done properly, cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry is life-changing and age-defying. The process involves more than just veneering teeth-we assess the patient's existing teeth and smile line, taking into consideration their age, skin tone, and facial features," says Connelly. With the help of customized veneers and a personalized whitening system, each patient receives a unique, often image-changing result. Connelly is able to enhance almost every aspect of a person's smile, including tooth color, length, width, shape, texture, position, size and angulation. "With certain patients, we can go beyond the teeth and work towards enhancing the fullness of the upper lip and the cheeks," he says. "We're even able to increase the distance between the nose and the chin by lengthening all the teeth, which stretches the skin to mimic a face-lift effect around the mouth and cheek, removing smile lines and wrinkles."

Connelly currently practices out of the offices of Dr. Laura Torrado, while his newest branch-a luxurious facility in Midtown East, the fourth in his regional repertoire-is being readied for a 2010 opening. But he's not going it alone. "Laura has been a great colleague," he says, "and I'm looking forward to bringing her into the new facility with me."

Thomas Connelly, 116 Central Park South, 646-201-9119