Q+A with Celebrity Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Victoria Veytsman

Dr. Victoria Veytsman is a bicoastal celebrity cosmetic dentist and founder of Cosmetic Dental Studios. A lover of science, passionate about the emotional and self confidence-building aspects of her job, and an advocate for oral health's place in the beauty space, she uses her practice as a place to build relationships and make a difference. We sat down with Dr. Veytsman talk about her favorite products for maintaining a healthy smile, her journey building her business from the ground up, and more.

Q: Firstly, we’d love to hear about your time in dentistry. How did you get started, and how did you get to where you are today?

I started in cosmetic dentistry because I have always been an artist at heart and I really enjoy the creative process. Cosmetic dentistry really is the perfect blend of art and science. Every day, we get to create beautiful smiles. It’s a medical subspecialty, but there's such a creative process to it. Plus, patients are coming because they want to be there, and a lot of what we do is so transformational also, so there's a huge emotional component to it as well. So it's not just coming in for a filling or root canal — it's a full smile makeover that could really, actually change a person's life.

Perseverance and vision has always been key. One day at a time, little by little, one patient at a time, I started my practice from scratch. I went to NYU dental school and then I did my residency at one of the Columbia hospitals. When I started, I started as an associate working for other dentists. I quickly realized that the type of practice I wanted to build didn't really exist, where it was a boutique style practice, and we were really focused on quality and esthetics versus volume. So at that point, years ago, I decided to try to start my own practice, and I started from scratch. I didn't buy a practice, buy into a practice, or partner with anyone — that just wasn't my path.

Q: You’ve been leading Cosmetic Dental Studios out of both Beverly Hills and New York City since 2005. Can you tell us a bit about the amazing success of your studio and the hard work you’ve done as a female entrepreneur to build up this business?

My home base is New York. I started my practice in New York and I'm a native New Yorker, so starting a practice in NYC was just intuitive. Some years had passed, and I'd been practicing in New York for a while, and then an opportunity came up where I could do a fellowship training program in California, and I had to get licensed there. Once I had my California license, I at the time had patients that were bicoastal, and they asked me if they could see me in LA as well. It was just a very natural progression.

Being on both coasts is actually very interesting and cool and provides a balance because the vibe of each city is so different. There are different types of patients on each coast, there's a different aesthetic, a different culture on each coast. I really enjoy that. It is time consuming going from coast to coast and being a one woman show, but I've got a great team and that makes all the difference, plus my patients are amazing so I'm super grateful for that.

Q: I’m sure there is so much you love about what you do! What have been some of the most rewarding parts of your career (thus far!)?

By far, it's the patients we have the privilege of meeting. We get to meet the most amazing people that come in, and the transformations we're able to do for them are amazing. The transformations are a very intimate process. There are typically reasons beyond vanity, looks, and esthetics as to why people do this sort of thing. It's a very emotional journey for a lot of people, and we just love being part of it. Also, just from a creative standpoint, I love seeing the immediate before and after of these patients. I get to very quickly see the transformation. It's not something we have to wait for. So by far, my favorite part is working with these patients on this level.

Having them choose us is considered a privilege. It really goes both ways! They entrust us to do this major amazing thing for them, and in turn, we learn from them, and we get to really be involved in this journey and process with them. It is a very special relationship, it's got to be the right fit. That's why we keep our volume somewhat low with a boutique practice; I really believe relationships first, and then everything second. The patient has to feel comfortable where they are.

Q: What is your best advice for someone who is struggling to feel confident in their smile?

My opinion personally is that you only live once and to just understand that there are options. Always be on a mission to elevate every part of your life, whether it's your smile, or something else about your life, your career, your personal life — we have the ability and the power to change things. To hone it down to the smile, see a local cosmetic dentist that you're comfortable with, go for several consultations, and see what the options are. The first step to anything is to get all the information you need and then you can make the right decision. I see a lot of people that come in and feel kind of hopeless. But we live in a day and age where we have options, and we can really do a lot to change things that we don't like about ourselves, our lives, and beyond.

Q: What are some common mistakes you find people making regarding their oral health? How do you recommend rectifying them?

As a cosmetic dentist, I see a lot of people coming in for beauty and wanting to enhance their smile and how it looks, but I think health is the foundation of all beauty. It's really important to stay on top of an oral care routine, regular checkups, regular cleanings, flossing, brushing. I think sometimes that’s not taken seriously. But I do really believe that you can't have beauty without health.

Q: What do you wish people were talking more about in oral health/oral beauty?

Oral health and oral beauty are such huge parts of overall health and beauty, and I think that that's something that isn't talked about often enough.

We do something called dentofacial esthetics, which is how the esthetics of the smile relates to the whole face. Our goal is to really achieve beauty and harmony for the entire face. That whole lower third of the face is really affected by the smile. I think a lot of times the smile doesn't get enough attention in regard to overall facial beauty.

We also do something called an anti-aging registry where we can take years off of the entire face just by refreshing the smile. I think those are two things that people don't talk about. It's the connection between oral health and overall health. A lot of people talk about skin and hair and all that, but I think the smile gets lost a little bit in that conversation.

Q: Can you share with us your all-time favorite products to help achieve a healthy, beautiful smile at home?

I think an electric toothbrush is great! I love the Sonicare toothbrush, but really there are a lot of great different ones on the market. I personally like Crest White Strips because they're an easy way to keep your teeth white at home. I also like whitening pens, like the Zoom Whitening Pen.

Q: We show so much emotion through our mouths and our smiles. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the relationship between one’s smile and one’s self-confidence, and how both affect our lives overall!

Everything, everything, everything! We always say we're creating confidence. Creating these beautiful smiles, as a byproduct, patients will feel more confident. Most of the time, I'd say 99% of the time, when patients come in to talk about how their smile looks, it's really an issue. It's an emotional process and it's an issue of confidence. It's how you present yourself to the world. It affects how you perceive yourself and how people perceive you.

You know, I had patients come in that are going through all kinds of life changes, whether it be a divorce or a new job, and the one thing that they're seeking is greater confidence. Having more confidence helps you in every area of your life. It's my philosophy behind beauty — if you have something that you're insecure about, eliminate that one thing so it becomes a non-issue, and you can proceed confidently and tackle the things you want to tackle.

Rapid Fire Round

Q: Worth the splurge:

A really good electric toothbrush. I know they can be a little bit pricey but Sonicare is amazing.

Q: Favorite drugstore or budget find:

You can get Crest White Strips anywhere! These are things you don't have to go all out for, it’s fairly inexpensive. I actually don't think you have to spend a fortune to get some products that will help you take care of yourself.

Q: Favorite lipstick to accentuate your smile/make teeth look whiter:

Anything with a berry or blue undertone is always going to accentuate the white of your teeth. I try to stay away from anything warm or a coral color. I love a lip stain obviously because I wear masks all day, so I need something that's gonna stay on my lips — I love Chanel lip stains.

Q: Recent discovery:

Laneige Sleeping Lip Mask.

Q: Product you can’t leave home without:

Chanel lip stain for sure and Tom Ford Black Orchid!

Q: Brand you wish more people knew about:

Skinergy Beauty, Love Wellness, and La Roche-Posay.

For more of Dr. Veytsman's favorite products, check out her shop: