The Doctor Will See You Now

July 2009, Hamptons Magazine

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE that one couple you secretly envy-the one with the careers, home, family and life that all seem too good to be true. Acclaimed cosmetic dentist Dr. Thomas Connelly and his wife, Michelle, are just that kind of couple.

Personally, the pair has six children (Danielle, 24; Sarah, 21; Luke, 16; Gavin, six; and five-year-old twins Asher and Reese) and is summering with the brood in East Hampton this year. Professionally, Connelly, who has a booming Manhattan office, has managed to do what most dream of: Incorporating his outside interests into his day job. "I have always had a passion for style, fashion and art," says Connelly, who in choosing cosmetic dentistry fulfilled his penchant for creativity and art while helping to improve people's lives. Using cutting-edge techniques and a good eye, he's able to enhance almost every aspect of a person's smile with less-invasive procedures than plastic surgery often entails. The results are undoubtedly natural looking.

"With certain patients we can go beyond the teeth and work toward enhancing the fullness of the upper lip and the cheeks," he explains. "We're even able to increase the distance between the nose and the chin by increasing the length of all the teeth, which stretches the skin in that region to mimic a face-lift type effect around the mouth and cheek region-removing smile lines and wrinkles."

With a new facility in Manhattan opening within a year, Connelly admits that the job comes with demands. "It's difficult to get away, so I book my time out of the office six months in advance just to ensure I go," he says. "We treat a lot of professional hockey players from the NHL, and the summer months are their off months. The practice doesn't ever really slow down."

Despite that, the Connellys always manage to get away. Whether picking up summer reading at the East Hampton Library or being buried in the sand by his kids at Main Beach, Connelly says he couldn't ask for a better way to spend time with his family. And even with such a sizable clan, he and Michelle still find time to unwind alone.

"Since all of our children are starting to get a little older, we feel comfortable leaving them in the evenings," he says. "It's nice to spend time with the family, but it's been nice getting some freedom back. We get a megadose of family and romance all in one vacation."