Cooperstown resident Heather Sharpe is giving people something to smile about.
Sharpe, 34, owns Heather Sharpe: Teeth Whitening & Luxury Adornments, launched in November 2022. Services are available from Sharpe’s booth within Escape 2 Serenity Salon at 43 Pioneer St. in Cooperstown.
Sharpe, who said that she’s been dubbed “the tooth fairy,” said the business grew from personal experience.
“I went years unhappy with my own smile and, at the same time, I was that person that was super scared to go to the dentist because of the atmosphere itself,” she said. “Then I learned quite a while ago that I could do this myself and bring it to the table and help other people feel good about themselves and fall in love with their own smile again.”
Sharpe said, while her services are unique in the area, they’re nothing new.
“I remember growing up seeing teeth gems and, kids being kids, supergluing things on to their teeth, but, through history and reading up on it, it’s actually not brand new or (from) the ‘90s; it dates back to a really long time ago,” she said. “And even the whitening, it’s not new; they both have history dating back centuries.”
Whitening services, Sharpe said, are offered at four levels and constitute most of her business.
“I offer a 30-minute session, and that’s usually for a quick cleanup, and I also offer a 45-minute session for the clients who have teeth sensitivity, a 60-minute whitening for the first-time client who wants the best results and a 75-minute session … for the client that comes in and says, ‘I’m getting married in two weeks and I want them as white as possible,’” she said. “Don’t confuse me with a dentist — I’m not one — but I always make sure, in terms of dental work, if I feel like something needs to be done, I will refer to a dentist first. It depends on the client’s needs and I make sure that I talk to them about their wants and desires and that I offer my clients a treatment plan to meet their goals. I always explain the process and what I’m about to do and I want them to really fully understand the process and what to expect; even for those who are getting their teeth whitened, if they’re laying back in my chair, I provide neck pillows and I have offered headphones to listen to music.”
And adornments, Sharpe said, give “such a way for creative self-expression.”
“There are many different things someone can do with (adornments), and I do offer them as semi-permanent and temporary,” she said. “With the semi-permanent, they can last anywhere from six months to a year-plus, and the temporary from a week to a month. So, if someone is doing a cruise or a Halloween party and they just want a little diamond, they can have that. and I do really extensive research to make sure I’m not dealing with anything fake; my crystals are 100% Swarovski crystals and the adhesives I use are dental grade.”
Clients, Sharpe said, represent “a mixture.”
“I’m going to be going out to Oneonta and doing more advertising to reach out to the college students as well,” she said. “People are like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I didn’t even know anything like that existed.’ Business is picking up, because of the mix of demographics, and there is nothing like this in the area. I’ve done a lot of research, and I am really the only person in Otsego County that does specialize in luxury teeth adornments.”
Sharpe said she will expand her offerings.
“(In late February) I’m completing a training to offer removable grills, so I’m expanding within my services so I can offer a little bit of everything to everyone,” she said. “Also, with my teeth adornments, in the very beginning … I wasn’t able to do adornments on veneers or dentures, but now I can, so no one has to be left out.
“I’m adding more services to benefit all demographics and age ranges for my clients,” Sharpe continued. “It is definitely a goal and dream of mine to have my own studio.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment, find “Heather Sharpe Teeth Whitening & Luxury Adornments” on Facebook or call 607-725-1511.