Miami Beach Smiles
Dr. Tommy Gaertner, DMD
Founder. Restorative & cosmetic dentist. The guy who puts your teeth back together when you've been avoiding the dentist for too long. Modern practice, modern techniques, Miami Beach.
(786) 259-1027 — dentistmiamibeachfl.com
Why I'm Writing This Page
A cautionary tale and a recommendation
I hadn't been to the dentist in about 3–4 years. Good oral hygiene — brushing, flossing, the whole routine. But I had metal retainer nodes on my top back molars, and the way they gripped those teeth created compaction points. Wearing the retainer at night, over years without dental check-ups, slowly destroyed the tooth structure underneath. Parts of my back three molars were falling out. Literal pieces of tooth breaking off.
By the time I got to a dentist, the damage was severe enough to need three root canals. Not cavities. Not fillings. Root canals. The kind of procedure where they drill into the tooth, remove the nerve, and fill the canals. Three of them. Back molars.
Here's the thing: if I'd been going to the dentist regularly, they would have caught it early. A small cavity. A crack forming. Something treatable before it became an emergency. That's the entire point of preventive care — catching problems when they're small.
Dr. Gaertner and the Miami Beach Smiles team handled the restorative work. They assessed the damage, laid out the treatment plan, and got everything back on track. This is me saying: go to the dentist. Don't be me. And if you're in Miami Beach, go see Dr. Gaertner.
What They Do
Full-service modern dentistry
Restorative Dentistry
Fillings, crowns, bridges, and full-mouth rehabilitation. When teeth break down from years of neglect, wear, or damage, restorative work brings them back to full function. Dr. Gaertner handles everything from simple fillings to complex multi-tooth reconstructions.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Veneers, whitening, bonding, and smile design. The kind of work where the result should look like you were born with perfect teeth. Modern materials and techniques that didn't exist ten years ago.
Preventive Care
Cleanings, exams, X-rays, and early detection. This is the stuff that prevents everything else on this list from being necessary. Go to the dentist. Seriously. I learned this the hard way.
Dental Implants
Permanent tooth replacement anchored directly into the jawbone. When a tooth is gone for good, implants are the gold standard. They look, feel, and function like natural teeth.
Emergency Dentistry
Cracked teeth, sudden pain, infections, and trauma. When something goes wrong and it can't wait, you need a dentist who picks up the phone. Miami Beach Smiles handles urgent cases.
Why Miami Beach Smiles
What makes the practice stand out
Modern Equipment & Techniques
Digital imaging, modern materials, and up-to-date techniques. Not the kind of dentist office that feels like it hasn't been updated since 1997. Miami Beach Smiles runs a modern practice.
Restorative Precision
Dr. Gaertner specializes in restorative work — the kind of dentistry that puts teeth back together when they've been neglected, damaged, or are falling apart. Precision matters when you're rebuilding someone's bite.
Cosmetic Eye
Cosmetic dentistry requires an aesthetic sense that goes beyond technical skill. The best cosmetic dentists understand facial proportions, symmetry, and what makes a smile look natural rather than manufactured.
Patient Communication
A good dentist explains what's happening, what the options are, and what things cost before anything starts. Dr. Gaertner and the Miami Beach Smiles team communicate clearly and don't surprise you.
The Lesson: Go to the Dentist
I'm not a dentist. I'm the guy who didn't go to the dentist and paid for it with three root canals. The lesson is simple: regular dental visits catch problems when they're cheap and easy to fix. Skip them, and small issues compound into major procedures.
My metal retainer was slowly destroying my back molars for years, and I had no idea because I wasn't getting check-ups. A dentist would have seen the damage forming. They would have adjusted the retainer or caught the decay early. Instead, I lost significant tooth structure and needed endodontic surgery on three teeth.
If you're in Miami Beach and need a dentist — or if you've been putting it off — call Miami Beach Smiles at (786) 259-1027. Dr. Gaertner and the team will take care of you.
The Restoration
A screenplay inspired by my dental crisis — because some stories deserve the cinematic treatment
A Glen Bradford Production
THE RESTORATION
“Your retainer has been destroying these molars for years.”
FADE IN:
EXT. MIAMI BEACH — MORNING
SUPER: “BASED ON A TRUE STORY”
Sunlight hits the Art Deco facades along Collins Avenue. GLEN BRADFORD (30s, hasn’t seen a dentist in years, knows it) walks through the front door of a modern dental practice. The waiting room is clean, bright, and nothing like the dated offices from his childhood.
INT. MIAMI BEACH SMILES, EXAM ROOM — CONTINUOUS
Glen settles into the chair. DR. TOMMY GAERTNER (DMD, calm hands, sharp eyes) snaps on gloves and tilts the overhead light into position. He begins the exam methodically — front teeth, canines, premolars. Everything looks fine. Then he reaches the back molars.
DR. GAERTNER pauses. His brow furrows. He tilts the mirror, adjusts the light, and looks again. He runs a probe along the margins of three upper molars. Pieces of enamel are missing. The tooth structure underneath is compromised. He sits back.
INT. MIAMI BEACH SMILES, EXAM ROOM — CONTINUOUS
DR. GAERTNER
(measured)
Your retainer has been destroying these molars for years. The metal nodes — the way they grip the teeth — they’ve been compacting against the enamel every night. Three of your back molars have significant structural damage.
GLEN
(sitting up)
How bad?
DR. GAERTNER
Three root canals. The decay has reached the pulp on all three. But we can save them. You need an endodontist for the root canals — that’s not what we do here. I know the right one.
GLEN
All three?
DR. GAERTNER
(nodding)
All three. But you came in at the right time. Another six months and we’d be talking extractions, not restorations. I’ll handle the restorative work after the root canals are done. Crowns, rebuilding the structure. We’ll get you back to full function.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Most dental disasters don’t happen overnight. They happen because someone skipped the appointment. Skipped it again. Told themselves everything was fine because nothing hurt. By the time it hurts, the damage is done. Glen’s retainer had been quietly destroying three molars for years — and nobody was watching, because he wasn’t going to the dentist. Dr. Gaertner didn’t lecture. He assessed the damage, laid out the plan, and made the referral. That’s what the right dentist does.
SMASH CUT TO:
THE RESTORATION
“Dr. Tommy Gaertner at Miami Beach Smiles. When your teeth are falling apart, he puts them back together. Call (786) 259-1027.”
FADE OUT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr. Tommy Gaertner?
Dr. Tommy Gaertner is the founder of Miami Beach Smiles, a modern restorative and cosmetic dental practice in Miami Beach, Florida. He specializes in bringing damaged or neglected teeth back to full health and function.
Where is Miami Beach Smiles located?
Miami Beach Smiles is located in Miami Beach, Florida. You can reach them at (786) 259-1027 or visit dentistmiamibeachfl.com to schedule an appointment.
How does Glen Bradford know Dr. Gaertner?
Dr. Gaertner is Glen's dentist at Miami Beach Smiles. After not going to the dentist for 3-4 years, Glen needed significant dental work including root canals and restoration. Dr. Gaertner and the Miami Beach Smiles team handled the restorative side of getting everything back in order.
What services does Miami Beach Smiles offer?
Restorative dentistry (fillings, crowns, bridges), cosmetic dentistry (veneers, whitening, bonding), preventive care (cleanings, exams, early detection), dental implants, and emergency dentistry. They're a full-service modern dental practice.
Why is regular dental care important?
Because small problems become big problems when you ignore them. A cavity that could be fixed with a simple filling becomes a root canal. A tooth that could have been saved gets extracted. Glen learned this firsthand — years without dental visits led to major molar damage that required endodontic surgery. Go to the dentist regularly.
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