‘Your Smile Is Your Business Card’ 
With offices in New Jersey, Dr. Khurrum Sheikh restores the form and function of patients’ smiles in an atmosphere of personalized care, comfort, and sophistication. 
by Phil Gianficaro

A healthy, brilliant smile promotes self-confidence, projects friendliness, and even boosts the immune system. On the other hand, people who have a lackluster smile, either due to disease, trauma, or neglect, often find themselves wondering how their life would be different if only their smile matched the one they see in their dreams.
 
While advances in technology and technique have greatly improved dentists’ ability to rehabilitate even the most compromised smile, people’s fears often prevent them from taking the initiative. How much will my new smile cost? What if I don’t like the end result? How do I begin to determine who would be the most qualified person to help?
 
Khurrum S. Sheikh, D.M.D., FICOI, specializes in allaying patients’ fears in Mays Landing and Somers Point, New Jersey. He welcomes prospective patients to come in and get answers to the dentistry-specific questions that might be keeping them on the sidelines. 
 
Dr. Sheikh has been improving the form and function of patients’ smiles for over a decade. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. He also completed a one-year residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he focused on more complex full-mouth reconstruction treatments and medically compromised patients. At New York University, he pursued a two-year Implantology Fellowship in the surgical placement and restoration of dental implants. 
 
“I’m a strong believer that your smile is your business card, the first thing people notice about you,” says Dr. Sheikh, a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. “A healthy, attractive smile can transform a person’s life by boosting self-esteem and giving confidence in personal and business life.”
 
One of the most interesting tools in Dr. Sheikh’s armamentarium is a Trial Smile, which enables him to give a patient a reliable preview of their customized finished smile design. During this process, which precedes a cosmetic procedure for veneers, implants, or bridges, the patients are shown a direct mock-up of their own teeth in a more aesthetic and functional smile blueprint. This process is done without any drilling or numbing, and takes into account factors such as lip position, bone structure, and face type. This effectively shows the patient how the final product will restore both form and function. The process also helps to mitigate the patient’s concerns and affords them the opportunity to try out their new smile before the permanent restoration begins.
 
Trial Smile is one of the many services Dr. Sheikh offers at his three locations. Whether someone needs a routine cleaning, dental implants, or a full-mouth reconstruction, Dr. Sheikh and his staff address each patient’s individual concerns in an atmosphere of care, comfort, and sophistication. 
 
“What sets us apart is our focus on comprehensive dentistry, with a focus on function and aesthetics,” he adds. “We look at the whole mouth as a system versus just individual teeth. Obviously, we want the patient’s teeth to look good, but also to function as well as they possibly can. Our patients are very pleased with their outcomes.”
 
A patient named Renee, who gave Dr. Sheikh a glowing Healthgrades review, is a fine example: “If you want your dentist to be gentle, thorough, kind, and with a cool vibe, Dr. Sheikh is your guy. He thoroughly explains everything in a way you will remember and appreciate.” Another patient named Susan states on Google: “Always friendly and professional, Dr. K does quality work.”
 
Dr. Sheikh utilizes advanced technology such as intraoral scanners, intraoral cameras, and cone beam computed tomography, or CBCT, allowing him to evaluate the underlying bone structure, as well as the nerve pathways and surrounding soft tissue. The machine captures up to 200 images of the patient’s anatomy, which are then compiled into a single 3D image that helps him make informed treatment-planning decisions.  
 
Above all, Dr. Sheikh wants all patients to feel as though they are being treated in a comfortable, relaxed environment where their concerns are both heard and addressed—a place where restoring the health and beauty of their smile is the top priority.
 
“My goal is to make the patient’s end result look natural,” he says. “I want their friends and family to say to them, ‘You look great, but I can’t put my finger on what’s different.’ I often joke with my patients that if people can see my work, I didn’t do my job.”
 
Khurrum S. Sheikh, D.M.D., FICOI
Advanced Cosmetic and General Dentistry
4705 Harding Highway
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
(609) 625-3499
cosmeticdentistryofsj.com
 
Advanced Cosmetic and General Dentistry
551 New Road
Somers Point, NJ 08244
(609) 927-8448
cosmeticdentistryofsj.com
 
Photograph by Alison Dunlap
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, June 2022.

View PDF Version