Dear Dr. Jaksa,

All of us at the Dawson Academy are proud to have you as an Alumni Associate.
Your participation in the curriculum at The Dawson Academy is a testimonial to your dedication to treat your patients at the highest level of quality care. As you know, my personal passion has been to provide the necessary educational opportunities to dentists who feel “usual and customary” dentistry is not good enough for their patients.
You have shown a desire to serve your patients with uncompromising integrity and that makes me grateful for your interest in the concept of complete dentistry that enables you to provide the level of care that every patient is entitled to.
The entire faculty and staff join me in wishing you success and happiness in your continued quest for excellence.

Warm personal regards,

Pete Dawson, DDS
The Founder of the The Dawson Academy

Quoted from The Dawson Academy…..

A Dawson dentist is one who has dedicated many hours of postgraduate education to learn how to care for patients at the highest ethical and professional level. A primary principle of Dawson dentistry is to do what is necessary to achieve long-term maintainable health and comfort as well as the creation and maintenance of a beautiful, natural smile. Dawson dentists are trained to use the WIDIOM rule which means” would I do it on me ?” this concept requires careful examination and treatment planning designed to help patients understand every problem so priorities of treatment can be put into proper perspective. Over-treatment is never acceptable and hurried, incomplete examinations or ineffective treatment planning too often results in dissatisfaction. With proper treatment planning, patients can know in advance everything needed to make a good decision about their dental treatment and to make choices when options for treatment can be safely made.

Dawson dentists are trained in an analysis of bite problems and related disorders of the TMJ’s (jaw joints ). The goal is always a completely comfortable bite and a peaceful neuromuscular system. Dawson dentists pride themselves on being physicians of the total masticatory system so, as such, they are often considered the” go to” dentist who can solve problems of comfort or function that are above the level of usual and customary services.

Through the Dawson Academy, a provider of dental courses, Dawson dentists continually update their knowledge of the latest materials and methods so they are able to provide the finest in smile design that can stand the long test of time. There is no more beautiful smile than one that is in harmony with the anatomy and contour of the individual face. Dawson dentistry provides the most natural beauty available for dental restorations.

By Scott W. Finlay, DDS, FAGD, FAACD

Cosmetic Dentistry relates to those procedures and techniques that manage the appearance, function and health of an individual’s smile.

The ancient Greeks taught us centuries ago that the foundation of aesthetics is essentially a reflection of the relative health of any system. If it is healthy in form and function, it will probably be deemed aesthetic. However, if there are issues that affect the visual appearance of a person’s smile to cause us to view it as unaesthetic, then there are probably reasons related to function and health that have gone awry. Those elements that caused the smile to deteriorate in the first place will still be at work until those elements are corrected.

In the simplest sense, the hope would be that every dentist would be a cosmetic dentist. After all, the ultimate goal in dentistry is to make teeth look and function like teeth. The reality is however, that some dentists have had more training than others focusing on those criteria related to the health, function and appearance of the smile.

As with all professions, the journey to become proficient in one’s field requires a lifetime of learning. In dentistry this learning continues from the day the dentist begins his or her practice until the day they retire. Materials, procedures and knowledge evolve everyday. It is the responsibility of the dentist as an advocate for the dental health of their patients to separate the hype from reality and seek those advances that will result in the absolute best esthetics possible.

The United States is undisputedly the leader in dental esthetics. Dentists from all over the world have the opportunity to seek post-graduate continuing education related to esthetics at centers that offer lecture and hands-on programs from coast to coast. Those continuing education centers, such as The Dawson Acdaemy, focus on a comprehensive vision of esthetics/function without the influence of hype and marketing.

The Dawson Academy is among centers that represent the respected mainstream of literature-based instruction for the practice of quality care today. There are many other centers that offer advanced dental education as well related to dental esthetics.

The goal of a Dawson Dentist is to have the smile you desire the first time it is done. Improper care can result in:

• Bulky unnatural appearing restorations Tissue (gums) that bleed and are infected • Restorations that break or fall off • Restorations that are in the wrong position Restorations that are too big that they affect speech Restoration that give the appearance of “bucked teeth” • Restorations that are monochromatic (one shade) that don’t reflect what we would normally see in nature

Proper care can involve a significant investment. Veneers or crowns delivered by a qualified provider can range from $1,500 – $2,500 per tooth depending upon the local and economic conditions and the experience of the restorative dentist. Finding the right dentist is the beginning of a long-term relationship to help insure the health of your smile. Cost and insurance coverage can often be a limiting factor, but always keep in mind that having something done twice, because it didn’t meet expectations the first time is always far more expensive, often yielding a compromised result.

Some practices tout themselves as a destination practice for cosmetic dental care. These are practices that offer cosmetic treatment without providing maintenance and recurring care or periodic check ups after treatment is completed. They provide the restorative care and you return to your “regular dentist” for “cleaning visits”. This is a concern. Ideally, you want the dentist that completed your care and has been intimately involved in what was done, to monitor and help maintain the result. It is beneficial to find a professional, if possible, within a reasonable distance that you will be willing to travel to on an ongoing basis for maintenance and evaluation.

In the end, you want to put yourself in the hands of a team of providers that has the training, credentials, experience and tenure to meet your needs. Allow the dentist to design a plan that is best for you. It often will involve a variety of techniques and procedures that will produce the most conservative, predictable and durable result possible.

Two new cosmetic treatment plans were completed and added to the photo gallery. See Gallery to view cases and photos.

Dr. Jaksa is the greatest dentist ever, I have had nothing but great experiences with him and his office, friendly staff that really cares. I am self employed and everything is out of pocket for me, he is very considerate of this, makes every apt the best value for me and my family. He is such a master at his craft and shows such care in his work I no longer have fear of going to the dentist. I bring all 3 of my kids to see him and they love going. I would recommend Dr Jaksa to anyone I know.

Anna Greeninger
Cambridge, MN

Dr. Jaksa attended this year’s 2014 Faculty Club Summit September 5-6 at The Spear Center Institute at Scottsdale Center for Dentistry in Scottsdale, AZ, one of the most respected advanced dental learning centers in the world. Some of the topics were: Occlusion in 2014: Are We Still Confused?, The Ortho-Restorative Interface, State-of-the-Art Adhesive Dentistry, Driving Team Performance, Strategic Insight with Imtiaz, and Humor: A Strategy for Success. The speakers included Frank Spear, Imtiaz Manji, Vince Kokich Jr., Ricardo Mitrani, Greggory Kinzer, Jim Janakievski, Edward J. Swift Jr., and Martin Mendelson.

Dr Jaksa and his team have provided dental care for my wife, daughter, son, and myself. Both of my children, now adults, have had the benefit of lifelong care at his practice and I couldn’t be more pleased with his services. Collectively my family has received every imaginable procedure, from correcting pre existing problems from sub standard care, to cosmetic/functional restoration. I can honestly say that Dr Jaksa and his team maintain absolutely the highest level of care, expertise and results. Our family photos are full of beautiful smiles thanks to Dr. Jaksa and the team at Lake Area Dental.

Al Kilgore

Here is a link to the American Dental Association website. It has the latest news and information about your dental health.

General Dentistry – White Bear Lake – Lake Area Dental – American Dental Association

Under “Oral Health Topics” click on topic by alphabet to get more information or click on Science/Research on the top of page and scroll down to “Science in the News”

Dear Dr. Stephen Jaksa,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected by a vote of your peers to be included in Minnesota Monthly magazine’s 2014 list of Top Dentists.  The list will appear in the November 2014 issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine and online at www.minnesotamonthly.com.

Jamie Flaws
Publisher of Minnesota Monthly