How to Find a Qualified Cosmetic Dentist
Perhaps you were never given braces when you were a child, and your teeth are crooked and gappy. Or perhaps you never took care of your teeth for years, and now you have a mouth full of decaying teeth. Whatever the reason, it probably negatively affects your self-esteem, which can have a negative impact on your relationships and job opportunities and performance. Hope is not lost – all you need to do is find a good cosmetic dentist.
Unfortunately this is easier said than done. There is no legal education requirement or certification required for a general dentist to call himself or herself a cosmetic dentist. Many who call themselves this are actually not very good at doing the cosmetic side of the procedure. While they may know how to do the technical aspects, like putting in veneers or bonding, they fail miserably at the aesthetic side of the equation. A well trained cosmetic dentist has an eye, almost like an artist, for what looks beautiful in a smile, and they are trained to get the most out of what you give them.
To find a cosmetic dentist, ask around. Your general dentist may claim to do cosmetic work, but check with other patients and ask for before and after photos to judge the quality of their work. You might be better off finding a dedicated cosmetic dentist in your area. One way to do this is contact professional associations of cosmetic dentists and asking for a directory. These dentists, in order to keep their membership in these groups, must constantly go to seminars and update their knowledge of techniques and technologies useful in cosmetic dentistry.
A warning: this will not be cheap. Few dental insurance plans cover these types of procedure, and the out of pocket costs could be thousands of dollars, depending on the condition of your teeth and what work you want to get done. But one cannot put a price on beauty, nor on confidence, so it might be an investment that could change your life.