The Art of Dentistry

Dr. Mark Bedford has taken a passion for dentistry and turned it into an art form. Find out what patients are saying about his latest works.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 08/20/2009
Promoting your business can be like pulling teeth. That’s why a lot of dentists are touting the latest marketing trends, like cosmetic dentistry and bleaching, to attract new patients. Dr. Mark Bedford, who loves the art of dentistry more than the marketing, finds it all trendy.

“What exactly does that mean—cosmetic dentistry?” he queries rhetorically. “What other kind of dentistry is there? If you’re fixing somebody’s teeth and making them look better, that’s cosmetic dentistry. I don’t run around marketing myself as a cosmetic dentist. I just do it.”

And, he offers, “If you have three minutes, I’ll teach you how to do a bleaching. When I started in dentistry, you got clients because you were a solid technician and you provided good service.”

To Dr. Bedford, a long-time Strongsville resident who recently reestablished his practice in Berea, dentistry is an art—just like sculpture, ceramics, sumi-e painting and glassblowing—all of which he has studied and mastered.

“I like to work with my hands and I like to do art,” he says. “Dentistry and art are very mixed together. Glassblowing, for example, is very technical and takes a long time to learn. Once you learn the basics, then you can put your artistry into it. Dentistry is the same way, so the connection is kind of a natural.”

Dr. Bedford always had an attraction to design. It was while attending architectural school in Cincinnati that a friend’s father—the president of the Indiana Dental Society—suggested over dinner that he would make a fine dentist. Dr. Bedford agreed and made the transformation from skyscrapers to incisors.

“There is a lot of design involved in dentistry,” Dr. Bedford explains. “You have to make it pretty, but dental work has to be structurally sound in addition to having the right look in relation to the other teeth.”

Dr. Bedford’s new career choice took root in Strongsville, where he opened a practice on Pearl Road, across the street from what is now Strongsville Dodge, in 1978. After 21 years, he relocated his office to Warren, Ohio, but remained a Strongsville resident.

A brief retirement gave him time to pursue his passion for art, along with some other interests, like mountain biking, mountain climbing, scuba diving, martial arts and sword fighting.

“I’m not the type to just sit in front of the TV,” he laughs.

When he heard about a dental practice that was available in Berea, where he grew up and graduated from high school, Dr. Bedford reconsidered his retirement and returned to the art of dentistry.

“I thought it would be a lot of fun to come back here and it has been,” he says. “I’ve been reacquainted with a lot of people I knew when I was a kid. It was almost like a family reunion.”

And, he says, he would also love to get reacquainted with some of his old Strongsville patients.

“I’ve lived in Strongsville since I opened my first office,” he says. “When I run into former patients they’re surprised to find out that I’m back.”

Now, in an office adorned with vases and his other glass creations, Dr. Bedford offers general family dentistry, taking a special interest in crowns and bridgework.

“I came out of retirement because I really love dentistry,” he reveals. “I think that the fact that I’m here because
I enjoy it and want to be here is a benefit to my patients.”

He says neighborly service continues to be a staple of his practice.

Recently, Judy, the mother of 12-year-old John, panicked when her son chipped a front, permanent tooth on the floor of a gymnasium.

“Our regular dentist was out of town and we weren’t able to reach him,” Judy recalls. “I panicked because I knew that if the root was damaged and we couldn’t get it taken care of quickly, he could have lost the tooth. My husband knew Mark and called him. Although it was his day off, he met us at his office within the hour and took care of it. He did a bond job and did excellent work in matching the color and shape. Within minutes after the work was finished, John was eating a hamburger with macaroni and cheese. It was such a huge relief that Mark was able to help us on the spot.”

That is the art of service.

Dr. Mark Bedford would love to show you his work, so he is offering a free exam to all new patients. His office is located at 359 Front Street, in Berea. To make your appointment, you can call 440-234-2813.

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