A More Beautiful World
From enhancing patients’ smiles to fiercely advocating for the environment, Dr. Beth Snyder devotes her time and energy to making life a little healthier.
Beth Snyder, D.M.D., wants to make the world a better place. She enhances patients’ smiles at her Doylestown-based dentistry practice, Beth Snyder, D.M.D., & Associates, and also preserves natural spaces through her work with the nonprofit Heritage Conservancy. In other words, Dr. Snyder strives to make a difference—for her patients, for her community, and for the world at large.
It all begins with her ability to improve the form, function, and health of each patient’s smile. After all, a beautiful smile has the power to change a life.
“I am a general dentist, but something I’m really proud of is that I am highly trained as a cosmetic dentist,” Dr. Snyder shares. “What that means is that if I’m going to do general dentistry, it’s going to be cosmetically beautiful and it’s also going to be comprehensive.”
Her approach benefits new patients starting with their very first visit. Each new patient receives a full set of smile photographs before they sit down for a discussion about their specific goals. Once she has a good understanding of the patient’s wants and needs, Dr. Snyder then shares her recommendations for treatment options, including the associated costs.
“The patient and I discuss what other people are seeing that the patient might not see themselves,” she says. “We don’t necessarily realize what other people see when they look at us. I like to share a clear, full, comprehensive picture, including the financial aspects. Then they can pick and choose what they want to do that fits into their budget and their time.”
Depending on the patient, treatment might include implant-supported dentures, orthodontics, or appliances to alleviate TMJ pain and sleep apnea. Dr. Snyder also offers neuromuscular dentistry, a specialized discipline focused on the alignment of the jaw, as well as the health of the teeth and gums.
“We can do a lot with dentistry,” she says. “We can create and sustain the best airway so that we can either treat or prevent sleep breathing disorders. We can maintain or create big, beautiful smiles that leave room for the tongue to be happy and provide the best ability to breathe from one’s nose. We can use orthodontics to put teeth into a better position so the muscles and jaw are happy, the tongue has more space, and the smile is beautiful.”
Tech Savvy
Dr. Snyder’s office incorporates advanced technology to facilitate better treatment outcomes. Tools such as the iTero Scanner, TRIOS Intraoral Scanner, and Primescan 3D scanner provide crystal-clear imaging for treatment planning and eliminate the need for gooey impressions. These cutting-edge tools also help the team to do the in-house milling of crowns and other restorations with remarkable accuracy.
Dr. Snyder’s office incorporates advanced technology to facilitate better treatment outcomes. Tools such as the iTero Scanner, TRIOS Intraoral Scanner, and Primescan 3D scanner provide crystal-clear imaging for treatment planning and eliminate the need for gooey impressions. These cutting-edge tools also help the team to do the in-house milling of crowns and other restorations with remarkable accuracy.
“Typically, when someone needs a crown, they will go to the dentist, get their tooth numbed, get a temporary crown, then leave and have to come back,” Dr. Snyder explains. “Instead, with our scanners, we can design these beautiful crowns, then mill them right there in the office. This benefits someone who is busy, and people like that they don’t have to be made numb a second time. We can do a crown in a day.”
Such efficiency is due to a technology known as CEREC, short for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. Dr. Snyder’s office began employing CEREC as early as 2005.
Always Learning
Dr. Snyder’s team includes fellow dentist Lisa Perrotta, D.M.D., and six full-time professionals in roles such as hygienist and expanded-functions dental assistant. Every member of the team has embraced continuing education as a tool to provide patients with the highest-quality care possible.
Dr. Snyder’s team includes fellow dentist Lisa Perrotta, D.M.D., and six full-time professionals in roles such as hygienist and expanded-functions dental assistant. Every member of the team has embraced continuing education as a tool to provide patients with the highest-quality care possible.
“My team, some of whom have been with me for over 20 years, is incredibly well trained,” Dr. Snyder shares. “I take a lot of continuing education courses, and I feel like I can only expect greatness if they are well trained, too. I love seeing them take knowledge and run with it and keep learning.”
Since graduating from the Temple University School of Dentistry, Dr. Snyder has amassed more than 2,600 hours of CE coursework. She is a fellow at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI Global), a diplomate with the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and a fellow of the International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics.
Education has helped Dr. Snyder empower staff members and patients alike.
“Patients will come in and credit my team members, saying, ‘Elizabeth taught me this,’ or ‘Lisa taught me that,’” she says. “Patients appreciate the fact that they can be healthier. It takes 24 hours for biofilm in the mouth to create a good colony, so I remind them to floss at least once a day to break up that biofilm. Flossing prior to brushing removes food and bacteria, and also allows the fluoride in the toothpaste to get in between teeth.”
“Patients will come in and credit my team members, saying, ‘Elizabeth taught me this,’ or ‘Lisa taught me that,’” she says. “Patients appreciate the fact that they can be healthier. It takes 24 hours for biofilm in the mouth to create a good colony, so I remind them to floss at least once a day to break up that biofilm. Flossing prior to brushing removes food and bacteria, and also allows the fluoride in the toothpaste to get in between teeth.”
Dr. Snyder has also devoted a great deal of time to the study of oral systemic health. Thanks to courses taken through the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, she uses the most up-to-date research to help patients better understand the undeniable link between periodontal disease and serious health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Earth First
In addition to her passion for preserving patients’ oral health, Dr. Snyder is devoted to preserving the environment’s health. For example, through her work as a board member for the Heritage Conservancy, also based in Doylestown, she helps to protect and preserve the area’s natural and historic heritage. She is incredibly committed to reducing her environmental impact, both personally and professionally.
In addition to her passion for preserving patients’ oral health, Dr. Snyder is devoted to preserving the environment’s health. For example, through her work as a board member for the Heritage Conservancy, also based in Doylestown, she helps to protect and preserve the area’s natural and historic heritage. She is incredibly committed to reducing her environmental impact, both personally and professionally.
“I have given lectures to the dentists and hygienists on how we in the dental field can have less of an environmental footprint,” she says. “In my office, I try to use less disposables. I also collect plastic bags and plastic film and take them to the supermarket to be recycled.”
Dr. Snyder credits her two children—Suki, a forester, and Jacob, a computer security professional—for sparking her interest in conservation. “My daughter really opened my eyes,” she adds. “You can learn a lot from your kids.”
Beth Snyder, D.M.D., & Associates employs a water-filtration and purification system to ensure the use of clean water in the office. The practice has also partnered with Trenton-based TerraCycle to help combat the global waste crisis. TerraCycle enables Dr. Snyder and her team to maximize their recycling efforts, including the recycling of items not considered acceptable for curbside pickup.
“We recycle anything that can be recycled,” she says. “It’s important to do the right thing.”
This just goes to show that for Dr. Snyder, be it a patient’s smile or the environment she loves so much, nothing is more beautiful than good health.
Beth Snyder, D.M.D., & Associates
252 West Swamp Road #25
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 346-7462
bethsnyderdmd.com
252 West Swamp Road #25
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 346-7462
bethsnyderdmd.com
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, February 2023.
