Crafting Stunning Smiles with Dr. Richard Racanelli

Welcome to the Dentistry for Kidz podcast. We are Angelina and Cameron and we love candy. Do you all love candy? We've learned how to enjoy all the candy we want without getting cavities or getting in trouble with our dentist wants to learn our magic. Join us discover how to enjoy sweets and have nice bright, clean, shiny white teeth. Let's go.

Hello, everybody. This is the Dentistry for Kidz podcast right now. This is Angelina and today we're interviewing Dr. Racanelli. How are you doing today?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Angelina doing great today. Thanks for having me.

No, yeah, we're so great to have you too. So I'm just going to introduce you real quick and then we'll get started. Dr. Rocky Nellie graduated from UPenn dental school or the University of Pennsylvania dental school after completing a dual degree accelerated seven year program between Villanova and the University of Pennsylvania. After dental school he pursued more training with a fellowship and oral maxvill LEUs surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and the general practice residency program at the Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. He opened his a Cosmetic and Family Dental Practice in New York and has now moved to Las Vegas. He's a premier provider in the Invisalign orthodontic system and an active member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in the ADEA. We're so grateful to have you here today. And we were wondering what inspired you to focus on dentistry and more specifically, on creating stunning smiles for all ages? Great,

Dr. Richard Racanelli: thanks, Angelina. Well, the first part of the question really comes back to when I was a kid. When I was in braces in high school, I really, I felt like my orthodontist was an amazing guy who I really respected and was kind of a mentor, came to my high school and did like career night and kind of gave us insight into dentistry. And that's really what spurred my interest from there. And was at the time thinking medicine and dentistry kind of wanted to be an architect when I was a kid, I always liked design and kind of the way things are built to put together but the more I looked at it, I just really gravitated towards it, and then just kind of went from there.

Oh, I see. I see. Did you do a lot of shadowing when you were a child? Or was a

Dr. Richard Racanelli: little bit not? I mean, most of my experiences were as a patient from between and then being in braces from freshman to sophomore year high school.

Oh, okay. I see. No, thank you so much for sharing. Thank you share some of the most common dental issues you see in children and how parents can help prevent them?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: That's a great question. I think kids really need to be worried about cavities. I mean, it's what's better today your generation than when, when we were kids, because I think was so much more aware and healthy in general. But I see what my son you have to really stress homecare and being consistent and doing the right stuff every single day. And then having the parents take him in and see the hygienist two times a year, maybe three times a year. But you know, if you miss if you miss areas, and you don't do the right stuff and eat a lot of sugar, which luckily most kids don't easily translate to cavities. So we want to do everything we can to stay healthy. Oh,

I see. Thank you so much. And I know a lot of people ask this question to do you know, around how much of cavities are due to your oral hygiene and how much of it is due to like genetics? And that's such

Dr. Richard Racanelli: a great question that I don't even think we really have an answer to. They get asked a lot like, oh, I have bad teeth or soft teeth. And I think a lot of times, people kind of rely on that as a bit of an excuse. And out when it's really more about what they do on a day to day their nutrition, their diet, their routine going into dentists regularly. I think the genetics do play a part. But we have a lot of control over health. And that's what I stress to my patients.

Oh, okay. I see. I see. No, thank you for

Dr. Richard Racanelli: putting responsibility back, you know, back on them because they can get healthy if they want to.

I see. I see. No, thanks for sharing. And in your experience. What are some of the effective ways to make dental visits less intimidating for children? Oh, that's

Dr. Richard Racanelli: really good. I mean, brother, I think it starts with the hygienist being really friendly and nice and actually going fine with the kids. And I think a lot of it also comes down to the parents, if they're not if they're anxious or nervous from their experience as a kid. They need to leave that out of the equation when they're talking to the kids because they can very easily transfer that thought. And then the kids have sort of a built in fear and anxiety that they don't really need to have. But I think if the office is warm and welcoming, the staff is nice and friendly and you have a good experience where you don't hurt anybody. Right? Hopefully that they build on that and then each time they come in, it's easier and easier. There's really no reason to be afraid now. Like we were when I was a kid I could see it being somewhat scary back then. But Dentistry has come a long way.

No Yes, no. I can even tell from our conversation here how welcoming you are to your patient.

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Just like I am with you. This is how we are in the office with patients and you get that from your dad to meet you You have as a doctor as a provider? I don't. I'm the same. I tried to be the same way all the time.

No, yes, no, that's great. No, thank you. Like, can you discuss the role of technology and dentistry and how it enhances some of the care that you provide?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: It definitely does, we were really lucky to have the stuff that we have, from digital X rays, digital photos, scanning technology, I have a machine that makes crowns in the office in one day, so people don't have to come back for a second visit, Invisalign, being largely computer driven. All the stuff has really allowed us to do better, more consistent care and make a better experience for the patient. And it's only getting better and better with AI and all the things that are going to come out in the next, you know, 510 15 years.

Oh, no, yes. For sure. The technology, does it really mitigate the margin of error that you might have doubt it?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Still, it's it can't be garbage in garbage out, Rachel, you have to know how to use the machine. You have to have the basis and the foundation. But it does really make your life and the outcome. Way better. I think it's really in the great situation.

Oh, yes, for sure. No, no.

Dr. Richard Racanelli: No, that's a really good point. No,

because like, I don't know, technology just makes everything simpler nowadays, like, I don't know how it was before. But I

Dr. Richard Racanelli: mean, we used to have film X rays that were this big right? Now I can pull up an x ray and put it on a 55 inch monitor and show someone exactly where the cavity is. And they can see it and they can get it.

Oh, the Yes, it definitely makes it simpler. And I guess like, in your experience, as we age, like, probably around the 15 to 25 range. What are some of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures among that age group and what really drives their popularity?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Okay. I mean, we always get asked about teeth whitening, that's just kind of general in any in any age. But I think more and more younger patients are asking about teeth whitening. So that's, that's a very relatively easy thing to do. And to get a nice aesthetic result, I think when you combine the aesthetics and like the function, that's what orthodontics comes in, it's so important for so many kids to not only look good, but also have the teeth aligned properly have a healthy bite, and it sets you up to be healthier over the next 15 or 20 years. So I wouldn't call that cosmetic I think it's both. Really for younger patients. Those are the main two, we don't want to have to do a lot of dentistry if we don't need to. Right. Occasionally we'll do some bonding, like close a space, but I want it to be very conservative. Minimally invasive. I don't want to have to drill healthy teeth if I don't need to. Oh,

no, I see. Yeah, it's that answers it. And I guess like, Do you know what age it is appropriate to start asking you about, like, teeth whitening and that type of procedures? Yeah,

Dr. Richard Racanelli: there's no hard and fast rule. As far as I know, I think late teens, like high school ish ish age or older is fair game to white and whiteness. So whitening is so non evasive and safe. So it's not really going to do anything that we'd be worried about.

Okay, okay. No, yeah, thank you for addressing those concerns. And I guess like, with also with the rise of social media, there's an increased pressure on young adults to have perfect fix miles. So I was wondering, how do you address those expectations in your practice?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: You know, I really haven't been asked that question before. I would just try to take the pressure off the situation for the person. I mean, if they're healthy, and they feel good, like that's what that's what counts, not so much what's put out there. I think social media is great. But it can also be misapplied in a lot of ways. And like you said, there is a lot of external pressure that maybe shouldn't be there. And for someone who didn't grow up with it, it's kind of hard to truly get that I think. I don't know. I don't have I don't have any else besides that, to be honest with you.

No, no, no, that's good. No, thank you for sharing your input. I think anything helps, right.

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Yeah, absolutely. It's a great question. I think a lot. I mean, what's going on in home, right? What's the relationship with the parents? You know, you're how secure the person is in themselves? That that's, that's true. That's more than teeth. That's into life now.

Oh, I see. So I guess like for people who contemplate these type of procedures, like, would you recommend that they just follow their heart and just whatever would help with their confidence or? Um,

Dr. Richard Racanelli: yeah, I think that's a great answer. It's important to be confident and teeth carry a lot of that when someone meets someone to the first thing they look at eyes or the second thing and I think the stat I read recently was 43 first impressions between eyes and feet within like 11 seconds of meeting someone. So it's a really important thing. And I get it, and hopefully people aren't but Same time, hopefully not putting too much external pressure and desire to look a certain way.

No, I see. Thank you so much for sharing that. Um, I guess like more pertaining to young adults. How do lifestyle factors like diet and oral hygiene habits affect the longevity and success of cosmetic dental treatment and young adults?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Great question. They affect it tremendously. You know, with dentistry, we're trying to whatever we give to a patient in terms of what goes in their mouth, we're trying to have it fail at the least quick rate possible. So you want it to last the longest, eventually, everything's gonna need to be replaced most likely. So how do you delay that? And that's homecare diet, nutrition, getting your teeth clean doing the right stuff at home. And that affects what happens tremendously. I can do the best dentistry in the world. But if the person doesn't upkeep and doesn't do the right stuff, it's not going to

last. Oh, no, yes, for sure. And I guess like, what are some of the I know you mentioned it very broadly, what are some of the specifics to keep to maintaining this oral care,

Dr. Richard Racanelli: specific things that people should do? Yes, brush at least twice a day. floss every night, and floss properly with actual floss instead of the little picks are the technique of kind of massage and getting in between the teeth and like hugging the teeth and getting under the gum line. Maybe using some rinse for fluoride like Act if they're prone to cavities, we use a great rinse in the office called oracare, which is awesome to wear in a night guard wearing a retainer. There's clenching your fists post ortho, seeing the hygienist twice a year like clockwork, so every six months for most people in that age range, if you put that together, combined with minimizing sugar and having a good diet, being aware of acidity, not biting on pen caps or chewing ice. There's all these things that we can do that can damage teeth, right? So think about all those risk factors and try to eliminate them. On the for most people, they're going to be healthy long term.

Oh, okay. No, thank you. And then I guess like another thing I just thought of is acidity, like you mentioned, when you're drinking acidic drinks, is it better to pair it up with food to mitigate it or pairing

Dr. Richard Racanelli: up with food is good. And also what's not good is sipping it repeatedly throughout the day. So I'm not going to say don't have soda, right? I have soda every once in a while but have it or to have some water or have some food, don't brush your teeth right away. But don't have it, take a sip, wait 10 minutes, take another sip and keep doing that because you never let the pH rebound. Back to more of that neutral state. It's always staying in the acidity because it's constantly being hit with the acid from the soda. So I tell it to patients all the time, just have whatever you're going to have. But don't try to keep it clean after and don't sip it throughout the day.

I see no, thank you for that great advice. I think that's definitely something that I didn't learn about until I forgot who told me

Dr. Richard Racanelli: not have been your might have been your father because that's something that we learned like in dental, school and day one. And that always stuck with me. Because I never was never exposed to that concept before we learned it in school. And it's a real thing because you never let the teeth get to the point where the acidity goes away. It's always constantly being rebounded.

For sure. Yeah. Like I know, for me before found that out. I didn't even know that you were supposed to pair it up with something or you did just like I felt like sipping it versus doing all at once didn't matter. So I mean, I think we

Dr. Richard Racanelli: all need drink a lot of water, hydrate and stay and stay that way. So what it really does help a lot after having you know, sugar, acidity, coffee, even things with stain. So yeah, and one thing I didn't mention, I think an electric toothbrush is huge. I use Sonicare personally Orbeez really good. But it's a definite upgrade versus the old school manual toothbrush.

Well, does it get more in there? And? Yes. Okay, thank you so much. And I guess like when they're when young adults or are considering cosmetic dental procedures, what are some of the key factors they should consider when choosing a dentist or dental practice?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Well, great question. I mean, you want someone who does that type of work and knows what they're doing. And it's very, it's very easy to figure that out. I think by reading reviews and talking to people researching everyone, not everyone. It's just common say I do cosmetics now. Good. So I believe with social media being out there, but not everybody does it well. And you're talking about something like bonding veneers, something that actually alters the tooth itself. Even orthodontics like moving the teeth. The person really needs to know what they're doing. They understand the bite, the occlusion, how the teeth fit together, and not only how to make it look pretty, but also how to make it last long term for the patient. Think so experience and a feeling that the provider the doctor knows what they're doing and actually cares about the person. Most important things.

Okay, I see I see. And then like you said, you can find out a lot from reviews and everything like

Dr. Richard Racanelli: that reviews can set to a lot. Obviously, you still have to meet the people and invest them to some degree. But you can get a sense pretty well by reading and triangulating what's what's out there. Oh,

okay. Well, thank you for sharing your input on that. I guess? Well, I think you kind of answered it already. But like, what are the latest trends in cosmetic dentistry that you think will appeal to the 15 to 25 demographic, if there isn't any like it like besides whitening?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Besides, I mean, whitening is just sort of the gold. Everybody wants whitening? I mean, Invisalign is so popular. And I think it is a good reason because I, if the person can be compliant, I think it's a way better approach than braces as long as the doctor knows what they're doing and gets a good result. And really, those are the two big two big things mean, have I had 25 year olds, I haven't anybody 20 or under souvenirs, let's put it that way. I've had some patients who were like, early 20s to around 2526. A lot of them for whatever reason I was, and I do I do it, but they have to know that you're gonna get maybe 20 years, Max, roughly. So at 45, it's going to be replaced. So that's why the approach needs to be planned out Well, ideally, conservative and minimally invasive and not doing a lot to the teeth themselves. I

see. I see. So, Invisalign, and whitening, you don't recommend anything else other than that. It's

Dr. Richard Racanelli: not I don't recommend that just not that many other things besides yours are bonding. I've seen some patients come in with a little tooth. Jewel things. Oh, yeah. They like it. I think it's silly. It could do some, you know, it's hard to clean around, it could cause some other issues. So I don't I don't recommend stuff like that.

I see. I see. Well, thank you so much for that input. And I guess Can you share a personal success story of a cosmetic dental transformation that you found like particularly impactful or rewarding?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean, I have I have so many doing this kind of dentistry is life changing for the patient. And that's what keeps me energized and fulfilled. I love it. It's so much different than just doing you know, fillings and crowns all day or cleaning teeth. When you can change the way things look and feel for a person. Their their demeanor their confidence changes. So with a lot of my veneer cases, that's what we see all day long. Even with orthodontics, just just by straightening the teeth and changing the way the teeth fit in the face. Making it healthy and functional person looks better. It's you can just see them change, and it affects their life.

No, yes, for sure. I think teeth. Like Like we mentioned earlier, it's just like so much of your confidence. And it's great to see that you're doing like so much great stuff. So

Dr. Richard Racanelli: I do it's my thing, and I really enjoy it. And then

this is my last question for you. So you've lived and worked in both New York City and Las Vegas. I was wondering which one you personally liked better? Oh, that's

Dr. Richard Racanelli: great question. Yeah. I love the fact that I'm from New York originally, but I wouldn't live anywhere else right now. I love being in Las Vegas. Last thing I ever did was moving here. We moved here in 20 End of 2012. So I had sold my practice in New York, when my wife got pregnant and moved and bought my practice all within a year and a half time period. And it's been amazing. Oh no. Yes, for sure. But great to go back to New York and visit for a couple days. But then I'm definitely ready to come back to sunshine and mountains. So

I mean, what are some of the living differences you saw here?

Dr. Richard Racanelli: Really how much time you have now just kidding. Inconvenience expense crappy weather taxes, a pace of life that's that wears on you over time. Not everybody smiling and being friendly. I mean, it's so different. I think everyone should spend some time in the city just to appreciate how great living in a place like Vegas really is.

Loving it so much. Right? Yeah.

Dr. Richard Racanelli: We're spoiled. We really.

But thank you so much for coming on the show. Thank you. It was great. Yes, it was great. And thank you and that is it for Dentistry for Kidz podcast.

Thank you for listening to the Dentistry for Kidz podcast. It If you enjoyed today's episode please share with your family member on Friday Be sure to like and subscribe to our channel to help us complete our mission to see bright smiles from all around the world thank you