Nermeen Rifai, DMD, has expertly and compassionately delivered an array of smile-enhancing dental treatments throughout the two decades she’s been practicing dentistry. But it’s her distinct knack for interpreting patients’ faces that helps get to the root of their issues.
“I’m very good at reading eyes, so I can tell if you’re in pain, I can tell if you’re anxious, I can tell if you’ve just not had a good day,” Dr. Rifai says. “When a patient has very high anxiety, what makes them feel better is that I’m not looking to push treatment. We always address their problems first.”
Ensuring that patients experience life without pain and with renewed confidence has encouraged her to expand how All Smiles Family Dental delivers incredible results. With exhaustive training to receive certification in advanced restorative treatments, Dr. Rifai proudly provides the elevated services that go beyond preventative dentistry to reclaim patients’ quality of life.
Those services include All-on-4 implants, or an “implant supported denture.” Dr. Rifai describes the advancement as a comparatively more permanent option that has none of the discomfort and hassle of traditional removable dentures, like a poor fit, difficulty chewing and messy glue that can contain unhealthy amounts of zinc.
“If a patient is edentulous—which means without teeth—what happens most of the time is they’re already wearing dentures, which most people don’t like,” says Dr. Rifai. “With the All-on-4, we basically place implants in the jawbone and then the denture interlocks into the implants. Automatically, patients feel so much better because they’re not self-conscious about their teeth falling out, and they actually have teeth they can chew and eat properly with.”
All Smiles also offers full-mouth reconstruction at a competitive price. Dr. Rifai notes that it’s not a procedure for everyone, but those looking to replace decayed teeth or “brighten their smile” tend to opt for the procedure that ranges from an oral overhaul to strategical replacements.
“Some people just want the four front teeth done, and that’s enough to uplift and change their whole smile,” she begins. “Some people want the full mouth, some people want just their uppers, some people want from canine to canine. It varies, and we cater to that individual because it’s not like one recipe fits all.”
Facial cosmetic services additionally help patients feel even more comfortable with and confident in their appearances. Those options include vampire facials, a microneedling procedure using a patient’s own blood to reinject them with the platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) that both regenerates and stimulates collagen while cleaning out dead cells for a healthy glow. Patients can also benefit from Botox injections, as well as the lifting threads that yield a subtle facial lift to combat signs of aging.
“There’s so much you can do with the face in order to enhance the smile and increase their confidence,” she affirms. “Patients’ confidence was basically my No. 1 motivation in regards to moving forward with this.”
Regenerative medicine rounds out the services available at All Smiles. Those offerings also utilize PRF, a medical advancement that Dr. Rifai calls “absolutely amazing.” Since the patient’s own biological material is used to create a strong base for advanced dental work, it comes with zero risk of rejection.
“PRF is used for microneedling, but we also use it in the mouth,” she notes. “Before we place an implant, we have to make sure we have a nice, solid bone foundation. We give a very hollow space a strong foundation by regenerating it with the bone graft and the PRF taken from their blood that we mix together, and we end up getting a very, very strong bone structure.”
No matter the treatment, Dr. Rifai begins by assessing a patient’s emotional state—including any history of dental anxiety—as well as their health and overall goals. She also emphasizes the importance of educating them, from itemizing their options to outlining a treatment’s subsequent steps and expected healing times. And providing patients with a warmly welcoming and judgement-free environment where they’re surrounded by caring, supportive professionals is a goal that the entire All Smiles family shares.
That warmth also fosters a sense of safety and support that helps patients guide the process on their own terms.
“I always start a treatment by saying, ‘You are in control, not me: If anything bothers you, raise your hand and I’ll stop,’” says Dr. Rifai. “With that strong feeling of trust, their anxiety starts to go down.”
After all, delivering a truly individualized service needs to account for how unique each patient’s path to restored confidence and pain-free living really is. Watching those patients blossom into their most radiant selves with a renewed outlook as brilliant as their new smiles gives Dr. Rifai and her team something to beam about, too.
“The most rewarding part is the patient feedback and their gratitude, especially if they came in scared or anxious,” she says. “It’s all about the relationships we build with our patients. I am blessed with every patient who walks in and I’m humbled by them giving us the opportunity to help them.”
All Smiles Family Dental
Williamstown
(856) 740-1416
AllSmilesFamilyDentalNJ.com
