The reason I chose dentistry was to be able to effect a change in people. Many people walk around and they’ve got mouths that have had attrition, they’ve lost teeth, the overall appearance is not good. And I wanted to change that. And by doing dentistry, we can affect not only the appearance of the individual, but their overall wellbeing and their self esteem. I began my dental school career at the University of Detroit. And after that, I spent some time with the United States Air Force overseas and came back to Detroit and practice general dentistry for a couple of years.
After about two years, I felt that I wanted to be able to do more in the field of dentistry, and to treat more patients, more comprehensively. And periodontics was the field that I selected because all of dentistry is based upon having a good solid foundation. Once you have a good foundation, then you may have all the beautiful superstructure in the whole world. You certainly wouldn’t want to build a house on shifting sands, and have it fall apart down the road. So why should we want to have teeth built upon poor foundations?
After my residency in perio at Indiana University, I practiced in Michigan for several years. But hay fever and frostbite drove me out to the beautiful state of Georgia here. And I love it because you do not have to shovel sunshine in January. The most rewarding aspect of dentistry, it’s twofold. Number one, when we do the restorative dentistry, that brings the patient’s smile back. And I want to tell you a quick story. Back in Michigan, I had a young lady Maxine, and she came into the office and she was referred and she had an upper denture and lower denture.
And when I first saw her, she looked, oh Lord, she looked like she was about 60 years of age. Her hair was disheveled, her clothing wasn’t very good. And she wanted to have something that would be able to allow her to eat, to look good, and feel good. We put some implants in and the restorative doctor did a wonderful job restoring it. And Maxine came back into the office after we were all done. And when she came in, her hair was done. She had makeup on She had good clothing on. This lady’s self-esteem just went right through the roof by doing that. And that makes me very, very happy. That is my really big reward in dentistry.
Now we have also branched out a little bit of facial aesthetics with the Botox and some fillers, and some threading. So we can not only treat the picture, but we can also treat the frame around it, because it’s a whole package.
Meet Dr. Page Barden, A Dentist Dedicated to Empowering His Patients
As the forward-looking founder of our Cumming, GA dental practice, Page Barden, DDS, MSD, is continually stretching out to find the most innovative techniques within the world of general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry. Importantly, his education-first mindset aims to give patients increased power over their own dental destinies through knowledge. As such, Dr. Barden is always eager to answer any questions that may arise before, during, and after treatment.
Dr. Barden’s own educational background is impressive. He initially earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Denver, and then continued his studies at the University of Detroit School of Dentistry. Following that, Dr. Barden served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, before heading back to the classroom at Indiana University, where he earned an additional degree in Periodontics from the School of Dentistry.
As a long-time member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Periodontology, and the Georgia Dental Association, Dr. Barden grasps the importance of staying on top of all the emerging trends in his field so that he can help our patients benefit from the latest technologies and methodologies.
Perhaps the best news about Dr. Barden is that he is trained and certified in all aspects of sedation dentistry. Accordingly, he can provide dental care to even the most fearful of patients. He is certified in patient management with oral, intravenous (IV), and nitrous oxide sedation techniques.
In everything he does, he believes in challenging the status quo. He believes in thinking differently. He challenges the status quo of current thinking about how to treat gum disease, the most prevalent disease in the world. He does this by identifying those bacteria in the mouth. These types of bacteria cause not only gum disease but are implicated in heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, to mention a few. Once identified, he treats the infection with a laser-like focus, reducing the bad bacteria while re-establishing the good bacteria. This reduces the severity of the effects the bad bacteria have on the body. He and the team at Inspiring Smiles provide all phases of dental treatment. On a good day, we save a smile. But on a great day, we save a life.
When he’s not providing the best possible care to the good people of Georgia, Dr. Barden enjoys taking an active part in our wider community through his involvement in various charitable organizations and professional clubs.