Nuance Dental Specialists

08/22/2026

07/03/2026

THATCHER EFFECT // This optical illusion was first demonstrated by a psychologist, Peter Thompson, in 1980, using a photo of the then-British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
Why does it happen?
Your brain pays close attention to the relationships between features like the eyes, nose, and mouth. When a face is upside down, processing is much less effective, so you’re less likely to notice that the eyes and mouth have been inverted. Once the face is upright again, your brain immediately detects the distorted and grotesque nature of the facial transformation.
I love showing this case in my lectures as a way to remind clinicians/technicians that sometimes it helps remember that cases and patients are not always what they appear to be and it helps to change your perspective from time to time.
Big hugs from Maine 🙃🌲

05/24/2025

KEVIN: Maine is well-known as a state that has an issue with substance abuse. This patient came to us after he was several years sober and he wanted to have a great smile for his 2-year anniversary party.

Without any dentition to use as a reference, selecting just the right teeth for an energetic young patient with a contagious smile was a challenge, and our denture technician (Jenelle) did a phenomenal job designing the smile.

In the end, we achieved a great result, and when the patient returned a year later for his evaluation and check-up, he had a pleasant surprise to share with the Nuance team.
Big hugs from Yarmouth, Maine :-)