My sister just had a smile makeover done that is absolutely awful. I don’t know what happened because she went to a cosmetic dentist. He even said he was certified. I’d been saving up for a smile makeover myself. How do I avoid getting one of the bad ones?
Lindsey H.
Dear Lindsey,
There’s a bit of a misconception about cosmetic dentistry. Many patients are under the impression it is a recognized specialty and dentists go to extra school to get certified. That’s just not the case. There is no recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. Any dentists who call themselves a cosmetic dentist are really just general dentists who have an interest in cosmetic work.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t additional training available to become an expert cosmetic dentist. There are. In fact, the best cosmetic dentists have studied a considerable amount. If her dentist said he was certified, he may have been referring to a brand that offers certification, such as Lumineers. But, their certification is just a short seminar with a little quiz at the end. It does nothing to ensure skill and artistry in the dentist.
If you’re getting a smile makeover. You’ll want porcelain veneers. This procedure gives you the most stunning results. But, as you learned from your sister’s results, much of how it turns out depends on the skill of the dentist you go to.
It’s hard for patients to know who has the skill and who doesn’t. You’d have no real way of knowing who has developed their technical prowess and artistry. Your best bet is to look on the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend artistic cosmetic dentists in each state. Cosmetic dentists cannot just pay money and get on their site. They have to demonstrate their technical skill as well as show results from actual cases they’ve done to show their artistry.
Anyone they recommend will give you a beautiful smile makeover. In fact, most of them probably offer some type of beautiful smile guarantee.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Warren Krutchick.