A True Work of Art
At the new location of Diamond Periodontics, renowned specialist Dr. Andrew Diamond combines his scientific and creative sides to craft remarkable results for his patients.
by Matt Cosentino | photos by Jody Robinson
Dr. Andrew Diamond recently moved his practice to a new location due to circumstances beyond his control. Leaving the office he called home for 18 years, he decided to make the most of the relocation to a new, larger office just a stone’s throw away from its predecessor.
Modern yet warm and inviting, Diamond Periodontics has the same friendly staff and state-of-the-art equipment that patients have grown accustomed to, but Dr. Diamond also took the opportunity to incorporate décor that represents his creative side. Visitors will notice his artwork adorning the walls, including personal sketches, pictures of clay sculptures he created, and stunning photographs he took during his travels around the globe.
“I’ve always been mesmerized by beauty in all forms,” Dr. Diamond says. “From nature, to teeth, to just about anything—how lines, shapes, and colors can create beautiful things.”
With an admiration for different facial forms and oral anatomy, Dr. Diamond began sculpting clay about 10 years ago, creating human forms on his own.
“To create something from nothing was so rewarding,” he says. “It turned out sculpting a human bust allowed me to appreciate and understand better how to sculpt hard and soft tissues of the mouth for my patients. When I do bone grafting and gum grafting, it’s art—it’s sculpting tissue instead of clay.”
Dr. Diamond originally pursued dentistry following in the footsteps of his beloved grandfather. He chose to take his calling a step further and become a periodontist because of its blend of science and art. After receiving his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh, he went on to earn a Certificate in Periodontics and a Master of Science degree in oral biology, both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
“Even as a kid, I always wanted to know the ‘why’ and the ‘how,’” he says. “I was creative, and I was always building things, tinkering, taking things apart and putting them back together. I liked using my hands. That all plays into my career in periodontics.”
He views the art of periodontics as “plastic surgery of the mouth,” reshaping tissue to enhance and maximize aesthetics.
“I literally rebuild gum and rebuild bone where there is a deficiency,” he adds. “A natural tooth or a ceramic crown only looks as good as the surrounding tissue. You can have a beautiful crown made, but if the shape of the gum is unaesthetic, the crown or the tooth is going to look unaesthetic.”
Although 90 percent of Dr. Diamond’s patients come as referrals from other dentists, a referral is not necessary to schedule an appointment. He encourages anyone experiencing bleeding or swollen gums, exposed tooth roots, pain in the gums, or missing teeth to schedule a visit and review their options.
At his new office, prospective patients will encounter a team that is more concerned with providing excellent care than pushing products. They will always find a skilled specialist who will take the time to answer all of their questions and never rush them out the door.
“I, myself, go into great detail explaining not only what their specific problem is—why it’s a problem, why or how they got this problem, and how we can fix it,” Dr. Diamond says. “Patients love it because in today’s increasingly busy world, where profits sometimes outweigh compassion, having a doctor spend that extra time is comforting and appreciated. I definitely pride myself on educating our patients—not only on their treatment plan, but also why we’re doing it and how we get to the end result.”
Initial treatment usually consists of the most conservative therapy first with nonsurgical methods such as scaling and root planning. For more advanced conditions, surgery may be needed to restore gum and bone health. These procedures include pocket reduction, crown lengthening procedures, bone and/or gum grafting, and dental implants.
Dr. Diamond is conservative when taking out teeth and does so only when necessary, viewing surgery as the last resort.
“We always try to save teeth—as a periodontist, that’s what I’m trained to do,” he says. “We have a lot of patients who come in because they are told they need a particular tooth or teeth taken out. When we initiate care, and improve patients’ compliance and maintenance, we can often save some of these teeth.”
Dr. Diamond explains that replacing missing teeth with dental implants, as well as aesthetic gum grafting, represents the biggest parts of his practice. Even after nearly two decades, he still gets the same rewarding feeling from transforming someone’s smile.
“Patients are amazed and thrilled—whether it’s one tooth, a whole quadrant, or even a whole arch—that we’re able to re-sculpt the gum tissue and make the teeth look more aesthetic,” he says. “It’s a great thrill when patients are amazed at what we’re able to accomplish.”
He is eager to keep providing these services to all of his current patients and prospective ones as well. His address might have changed, but he remains a fixture in Montgomery County.
“I definitely made it a strong point to stay in Willow Grove,” he says. “I love the community, and this is where I started almost two decades ago when nobody knew me. I built my practice from scratch—from the ground up.”
Diamond Periodontics
2325 Maryland Road, Suite 140 | Willow Grove, PA 19090
(215) 657-2211 | www.diamondperiodontics.com
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VOLUME 17 ISSUE 8 | 59