Jason J. Kim, The Master Ceramist – Part II

By Pia-Maria Norris
Photography by Ronald Ji

In our September issue, we learned about the fascinating background of legendary master ceramist Jason J. Kim, the man responsible for some of the most famous celebrity smiles in the world. For the current issue, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jason himself to learn more about his art form, how he creates his legendary individualized smiles, and how a smile makeover can enhance one’s face and appearance.

 

 

Elite: Jason, can you first tell us a bit about the difference between a master ceramist and other ceramists?

Jason Kim: All ceramists are laboratory technicians with varying levels of talent and dedication to their craft. A master ceramist needs to have a higher level of scientific knowledge and artistic talent, one that goes beyond standard dental restorations. There is also a master-level training, which focuses on the masticatory system, in short, how the muscles, jaws, and chewing system work. It’s very scientific.

A master ceramist also needs to have extensive knowledge about ceramic qualities, because they all have different characteristics, baking duration, and speed of rising temperature. A master ceramist has to be able to define the characteristics. 

It’s like ancient times when people baked vases and created pottery. In ancient Korea, the masters would examine their baked pottery, and if the color wasn’t right, they would break the items and discard them.

During the Joseon Dynasty, they created what they called “the famous white vase.” The ceramic quality was white, but it had a very milkish depth, a very mysterious and beautiful depth to it. So if the baker baked a white vase with beautiful depth, you knew it was good. If the pottery were not well-made, they would use it for common use, but the ones that were baked well would go to the king’s palace. So even in those days, they knew the quality of ceramics when they baked them. 

 

Elite:  So, a master ceramist needs to be a good baker, sculptor, painter, and scientist?

Jason:  Yes, something like that. It is very scientific, but also very artistic.

 

Elite: What are some of the other key components in achieving superior aesthetic results?

Jason: You need an excellent clinician who understands biology and science. Even if I am a master ceramist, my work doesn’t mean anything if the clinical work is not good. That is where the importance of teamwork comes in. The dentist and ceramist have to be on the same page. Communication is also key, both between the patient, the clinician, and the master ceramist.

 

Elite: Can cosmetic dentistry provide anti-aging benefits?

Jason: Yes, it can. When we age, the skin loses strength, so some people have facelifts. The nose and ears don’t have wear and tear. The lower one-third of your face, which is structurally supported from the inside by the teeth and arch, is the part that has the most wear and tear. So most of the aging process happens in the lower one-third of the face.

So, whenever we look at cases, it’s not just about “my teeth are yellow, I want to have white teeth.” We look at it as a whole, as a complete structural rehabilitation, all of which can provide anti-aging benefits and considerable improvements to the person’s facial aesthetic. For example, we can bring back and correct tooth color and the deterioration of structural movement. Substantial tooth wear will not only alter the tooth shape but also force the entire structure downward resulting in the “gummy smile,” which can also be treated and corrected.

Doing cosmetic dentistry will not change the whole face or facial features, but what we can do is to help harmonize the face by addressing certain imbalances and issues, such as color and building out the arch to compensate for what they lost, all of which will enhance and harmonize the look of the person. 

 

Elite: Is it referred to as cosmetic dentistry or restorative dentistry?

Jason:  Even if you do a rehabilitation, you have to have a cosmetic result because of a patient’s desire for a particular color and aesthetics. All of it will be considered. We even consider the patient’s hair color, complexion, cultural components, and the environment the patient is in. It has to fit different people and needs to be individualized. Color is also a significant factor. But whether it is a rehabilitation, implants, crown, or bridgework, every restoration has to have a cosmetic result.

However, when people have lost their tooth structure because of wear and tear, rebuilding the tooth structure and putting teeth into the right place is very important. So, it is critical first to rebuild it to be structurally correct, and then cosmetically choose the best color and shape for that person. So master ceramists and good ceramists look at the wellness of the person’s whole system.

 

Elite: Just as fashion changes, does people’s perception of beauty change?

Jason:  Yes. There is a lot of history to it. When cosmetic dentistry and veneers came around in the late 1980s, they looked very opaque with no translucency. But people didn’t mind, as they just wanted white teeth. But that era thankfully passed, as the veneers looked chalky and Chiclets-like. 

Nowadays, we make them much thinner, with translucencies that react naturally to different light environments. White has to have a certain level of translucency because if it has too much opacity, it blocks the light from going through the tooth, and it looks very unnatural.

Patients often ask for very white teeth, so back then, I asked myself, how could we create very white teeth that still look natural and transmit light the same way as natural teeth do? So I did a lot of research into this. For many years, I collected natural teeth, and then I sliced the enamel of a 0.7 mm tooth to scientifically study how it transmitted light and how much of the light goes through.

I then started formulating my own ceramics and was able to create shades of white that transmit the same amount of translucency as real teeth, so when the patient wears them, they naturally adapt to different lights. For example, in the sunlight, they look nice and white, and the color  tones down indoors. In dimly lit rooms, they don’t glow, but instead, tone down and absorb the light. And when one is watching the sunset with a lot of orange light, the orange light reflects on them in the same way it would on a real tooth.

 

 

Elite: Can you actually replicate nature and how the light is transmitted, absorbed, and reflected? 

Jason: To a certain degree. The ceramic reacts naturally in different environments. I can increase or decrease the brightness as long as I know where nature’s translucency level is. For example, if someone has thick lips, the teeth can seem to “disappear” in the mouth, so I then increase the brightness. 

There are times when natural translucency does not work with everybody. As long as I know where the translucency level is, I can measure how much I need to increase or decrease the brightness. It is different for each person, depending on their lip, teeth, and mouth environment. I researched and wrote an article pertaining to this subject in the JCD (volume 28, issue 1), which is the publication for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

A patient’s desire also plays a role, of course. We discuss everything from shades and shapes to different kinds of outcomes. The interpretation of the patient’s desires is very important. But when I do the work, I also have to consider the science of ceramics and the patient’s occlusion (the position of the teeth when the jaws are closed). I try to implement the patient’s wishes, but I also respect the limits of form, function, and coloring.

 

 

Elite: How do you know which white shade to choose?

Jason:  People often request white teeth, but white teeth should not be fake-looking. They have to have depth and certain qualities. They also have to match the person’s complexion. White ceramics have different tones. They could have a slightly warmer tone, a bluish tone, or a creamier tone. For example, if someone is blond with very fair skin, warmer tones usually don’t suit them. So I have to add a cooler tone. It’s white, but it has a cool tone to it. And if someone is a brunette or has red hair, they need a warmer or creamier tone. 

As I make my own porcelain, I can formulate it into the exact tone of white that the patient needs. I can create different levels of white to customize the shade for the person so that it works with their complexion.

 

 

Elite: What is your vision of beauty and superior aesthetic results?

Jason: Beauty is a form of energy. I see it all the time. For example, when someone finally wears their new smile, and it brightens them up, they gain confidence; thus, they feel and transmit a new energy. Beauty can create such energy. It’s like when you wear beautiful shoes or beautiful clothing and get a certain energy because you feel beautiful—same thing. When I create, this is the very thing I strive for. 

 

Elite:  Any exciting news on the horizon in the dental industry?

Jason: My hope is that we will see bone, or a bone substitute, used in the mouth to rehabilitate and help with anti-aging. While this is in the very early stages, some of my colleagues and I have been participating in some preliminary studies, and the results are very promising and exciting.

 

Elite: How do you see the future of aesthetic dentistry?

Jason: The dental industry is now moving and developing more and more along the machine-made route. A lot of ceramics are machine-made nowadays. It’s much cheaper to produce. Mechanically they are very good, but artistically, the results are lacking. Machines cannot do layering, and they don’t have human eyes. Using machines loses a certain aspect of humanity.

The way I handcraft ceramics, by powder, liquid, and layering, is like how the old masters would paint. Aesthetic dentistry involves coloring and sensitivity to the different shades of whites. The only way to achieve the right tone of white ceramic color for different individuals is by using the original powder or liquid layering technique, also known as the feldspathic technique. This way, the master ceramist can fully control and almost taste the elements of ceramic expressions such as translucency, density, depth, and light reflectivity. 

There are easier methods of making veneers and crowns, such as machine engineering and the simple pressed-ceramic technique. But with these methods, one gets “one size fits all” results that lack individualized ceramic tone and depth. Sometimes I ask patients, do you want to have a machine-sewn suit, or do you want to have a hand-stitched one? There is a big difference in quality. Here I do the hand-stitching. 

 

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

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