What is the difference between a Cosmetic Dentist and an Accredited Cosmetic Dentist? Well, the difference is in the details.
Understanding facial aesthetics, not just teeth, is critical. The goal with every cosmetic smile makeover is to improve the whole smile, the whole face, the whole person, not just the teeth.
Here are a few cases I found online that are touted as “Smile Makeovers“. You be the judge. Are these smiles complete? What is missing? More after the pictures.
Please remember, these cases are NOT MY DENTISTRY!
Do these cases sound like “Smile Makeovers?”
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A smile goes from one corner of the mouth to the other. Teeth are framed by the lips and need to follow the lip line. A “black corridor” will result if one side of the smile, or frequently both sides, are neglected. This dreaded black corridor makes the person look like they have no teeth on that side when they smile, especially in photos! Who wants that? How is that “cosmetic/aesthetic?” All these patients above spent a lot of money on their smiles, significantly more than their insurances would ever cover. Why would you not finish the case and get rid of that black corridor? Until that is done right, it is not a “smile makeover”, but simply a few veneers on some teeth.
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Bulky. Teeth are not bulky, why are so many veneers bulky? They shouldn’t be. It does not look real, and it is not good for the teeth.
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Shine through. Meaning, you can see the prepared tooth shine through the porcelain. Look at the last before and after. Can you see the darkness in the middle of the two front teeth? That is of course ignoring the blackness of the back lower teeth and the black corridor on the top side.
Long story short, everyone is a cosmetic dentist, but if you are going to invest in your smile, why not see someone who has the experience to give you a result that really can be called a Smile Makeover?
Most of our Smile Makeovers are Smile Redoes. Who wants to go through this whole process twice, not to mention pay twice?
That is what being an Accredited Cosmetic Dentist is all about. Having the experience to do it right the first time!
You have an accident and get a facial laceration – a big cut across your cheek. Where do you go to get that fixed? A General Surgeon? No, a Plastic Surgeon.
You have a bad case of acne, nothing seems to make it better. You want the best and right treatment. Where do you go? Your regular MD? No, a Dermatologist.
You have a heart condition that concerns you. You want the best treatment possible. Where do you go? Your regular MD? No, a Cardiologist.
The list goes on and on, and everyone knows the answers, they are common sense. Or are they? Let’s look at another example:
You have an accident and break off your front teeth. Or, you just plain want the most beautiful smile possible. Where do you go? Your regular Dentist? No, a Cosmetic Dentist.
The only problem is, EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE A COSMETIC DENTIST!
The same principles apply as with all the other examples. You want someone that has the expertise, experience, and training to deliver the best possible result.
I still have yet to meet a dentist that is not a self proclaimed cosmetic dentist!
So, what do you do?
So, if you want to have the most beautiful smile possible or just need to repair a cosmetic issue on your teeth, where do you go? Ideal Dentistry.
You would be surprised how many patients come to me dissatisfied with cosmetic dentistry they just spent a lot of money for. It is very sad. Going through all that time and spending all that money to not be completely thrilled with the result. What a waste. Now it will cost more time and money to fix. Plus, the situation is complicated by the fact that someone else has worked on the teeth and tissue, possibly making the situation even more complicated. It would be so much easier for even an accredited cosmetic dentist to treat the situation first, rather than be the fix-it guy.
Cost is always an issue. Everybody wants a good deal, including myself. How much more expensive is it to do it right the first time? Well, in short, not much at all. The cost of redoing it or just not being happy with it is much more! Just like all the examples above, cost should not be the determining factor when deciding such important issues as your smile – the gateway to your soul (shared equally with your eyes!). The difference in cost is not as much as you might think!
So, the next time you consider cosmetic dentistry, think about the examples above, do your online research and find out for yourself why you would be better off with an accredited cosmetic dentist. Your smile is too important to be experimented on!
I will try to answer questions from my patients as they arise. Today I want to answer one of the most common ones: Why are you not “in network” with my insurance?
The answer goes back several years to the point when I had to make a decision: What type of dentistry did I want to provide to my patients? Well, about 10 years ago I chose to provide only the type of dentistry to my patients that I would accept for my myself or my family. It was not an easy decision. Providing top quality dentistry comes with its own challenges.
First, you must have the skills and education to provide that type of dentistry.
Second, insurance companies are in the business to “not” provide dental benefits. If every insurance company paid for dentistry on their members then they would be broke (or are they already – AIG?). Seriously though, insurance companies try to pay as little for as little as possible.
So, 10 years ago I became an “out of network” provider for all insurance companies for the benefit of my patients. It was a tough move at first, but my practice grew tremendously because I focused on my patients and their needs instead of what the insurance would cover. Over the past 10 years I have been following my patients and am now able to point out a few tremendous benefits of top quality dentistry:
- LESS Emergencies – Yes, I have nearly zero emergencies with my patients! A thorough new patient exam coupled with a complete exam annually virtually eliminated emergencies for my existing patients! What a great benefit. All my patients know exactly where they stand with their oral health. Everything is outlined after their consultation. There are no surprises.
- LESS Root Canal Treatments – Yes, I do very few root canal treatments on exiting patients! Root canal treatments are due to accidents, severe decay or poor dentistry. Accidents are accidents and will happen. Severe decay should never happen as a dentist needs to find the initial warning signs way before it gets that bad. And poor dentistry, well, that we just don’t have here. That being said, I think it is very sad to see holes in crowns (caps) that were placed by other dentists. This usually means the cap was cemented and required a root canal treatment afterwards. I can’t remember the last time I had to do a root canal on a tooth after cementing the final crown.
- LESS Dentistry– The best benefit of all, top quality dentistry and meticulous exams result in less dentistry over the patient’s lifetime. I address dental problems when they just begin to appear, hopefully preventing the need for more invasive dentistry down the line. Quality dentistry lasts longer, fits better and functions correctly. This is not as common as you might think. These factor together result in less visits to the dentist, less redoes, less pain. You actually will save money in the long run by choosing top quality dentistry! Not to mention the increased comfort, better function and beautiful aesthetics.
The difference between exceptional dentistry and average dentistry, financially, at first, is not as much as you might think. Most insurance companies will pay towards dental treatment even if you are out of network. Even if you are in network, they might reduce your benefit to something smaller and make you fight for your money. It is a game they play. With a practice like mine we exclusively focus on you and your needs. As a benefit to you we will file your insurance information and fight to get you your benefits, but we will never have a dental insurance company tell us what we can and can’t do for you!
The ONLY reason I am not in network with insurance companies is to be able to provide quality care for my patients. Period.
I hope this helps. Most of the patients in my practice understand this answer perfectly and would not go anywhere else regardless of insurance. I invite you to stop by and see the difference for yourself!
