Dr. Nick Mavrostomos: The Young Cosmetic Dentist Making Patients Smile
Delivering dream smiles is something that makes Dr. Nick Mavrostomos smile. Known as New York’s hot, young dentist, the 29-year-old, who earned a coveted spot at Apa Aesthetic’s posh Upper East Side location, was always drawn to the cosmetic side of dentistry. With an early passion for his craft, he now not only makes masterful molds but indeed broke the mold himself—and not the kind you put in your mouth.
Dr. Mavrostomos, who grew up in New Jersey, realized his cosmetic dentistry calling early on. He did, after all, grow up with a general dentist as a father, though he said he was never pressured into following in his footsteps. Instead, he used him as a resource and took everything in as a learning experience. “It’s a pretty bold thing to say as a young kid that you want to focus only on this one aspect of dentistry,” explains Dr. Mavrostomos. “Specialized practices do exist, but overall, it’s pretty rare. It just really piqued my interest, and I wasn’t shy about chasing the dream. It started with my dad; I watched him do some cosmetic work, and he was a good mentor, allowing me to see it all and figure out what I wanted on my own.”
This talented young dentist, now known for his smile makeovers, imagined his future practice before learning it already existed. He knew that he had the gift of good instincts, especially when it came to visual aesthetics and handwork, and the confidence to be able to translate what he saw in his mind into a patient’s mouth. As a student at Boston University, Dr. Mavrostomos saw Dr. Apa lecture, and that’s when the vision in his head started to come to life. With a cosmetic-focused practice at the corner of Madison Avenue—you can see the master ceramists at work from the moment you walk into the advanced state-of-the-art space—Dr. Apa was indeed ahead of his time. “I knew I wanted to do something different in this field and was fascinated with the idea of making it happen. Meeting Dr. Apa made me realize my dream could become a reality. There he was, doing exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I had to work with him.”
From that point on, the aspiring dentist, who would go on to study dentistry at NYU, became somewhat of a Dr. Apa groupie over the next ten years, attending his lectures, shadowing in his office and, eventually, cultivating a deep mutual connection and bond. Dr. Mavrostomos also seemed like a perfect match for the practice and proved to have as much talent as he did passion.
“There was nowhere else I wanted to work—Apa Aesthetic was it. I knew I would be a good fit and believed in what I had to offer. If you want to act you go to Hollywood, if you want to sing you go
to Broadway, and if you want to do cosmetic dentistry at the highest level, you work with Dr. Apa. Even my toughest days are not bad days. I wouldn’t trade this experience and opportunity for anything. I’m doing what I love in an environment that promotes success.”
One of the biggest takeaways from his dentist dad is that dentistry is deeply interpersonal and based on trust—something that is paramount even to smarts or talent. It is not hard to see why the field was a perfect fit for Dr. Mavrostomos, who immediately draws you in with his charisma and caring demeanor. He understands the importance of connecting with patients and taking care of their physical and emotional needs through each procedural process where he offers personalized attention.
Today, he doesn’t take his patients’ trust lightly. The always-determined dentist takes pride in each patient’s overall look and satisfaction level, as he knows they have the utmost confidence in his aesthetic and expertise. “I take every case super seriously. Someone is trusting you and choosing you to enhance their beauty permanently. I don’t look at any case as just another case. People come to feel and look their best, and they want my take on that. Everyone has their own vision and style. It’s like going to an architect for a beautiful home; you choose the person based on their personal style. It’s no different here. There are tons of cosmetic dentists offering the same service but with a different eye. My patients want my eye, and that is pretty cool.”
What defines a Mavrostomos mouth? His attention to detail. According to the dentist, he makes it his mission to understand what someone is looking for, even if they might not know how to articulate it themselves. For Dr. Mavrostomos, each mouth he works on is another masterpiece he is creating, as everything is customized to fit the shape of a patient’s face and even their personality. Unlike a painting, however, his masterpieces can’t just look good, they have to function well too. Understanding each unique patient to deliver customized treatment is what the dentist considers one of his greatest strengths. He is not a one-trick or technique pony.
“It’s an office joke that every case I do becomes my new favorite case, but it’s true. I care about every smile and every detail; that’s how I know I’m in the right place. The work can be tedious and definitely requires patience, but I love it and everything that goes into achieving a successful outcome.”
He also wants to make sure that you come out looking like your favorite star, yourself. Instead of bringing photos of celebrities, Dr. Mavrostomos encourages patients to show him images of what they used to look like before unflattering dental work, aging, or wear so that he can get inspired to produce the most optimal results. “A photo of someone else’s teeth doesn’t work because we can’t recreate another person’s face and mouth; we all have our own skeletal structure,” he explains. Don’t expect a digital preview of a smile makeover either, as Dr. Mavrostomos does not want to give inaccurate depictions or unrealistic outcomes.
Cosmetic dentistry is not his first artistic endeavor. This young dentist first tapped into his creative and entrepreneurial side when he was still in high school. While playing sports and competing in tournaments, his teammates and friends were always wanting a haircut, so he used his eye for aesthetics to start a side business as a barber. This self-taught hairstylist compares that profession to what he does now.
“The client sits in a chair and tells you what they want. Then, it’s up to you to visualize the end result and use your hands to make it happen. If you deliver, you wind up getting referrals and building trust. When I was a kid watching my dad do dentistry, I could see the similarities. Both require creativity and a bedside manner.”
The now in-demand dentist has certainly come a long way since his haircutting days, but he has never lost his gift for forming relationships with clients and providing the best care that he can.
This millennial has unsurprisingly used social media as a platform to show off his work and personality, which has led to many new and still-loyal clients. He also gets referrals from satisfied patients and finds new patients when setting out on the New York social scene, one of his favorite things to do, where he can build his network while having a good time and exuding some of his charm and authentic self in person.
As no stranger to the city, he feels fortunate to have been able to make New York home. After all, what the dentist dreams becomes reality.
