Tag: dental implants

NOT so “Cosmetic” Dentistry

December 3, 2009

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?”

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!

Why chose a Cosmetic Dentist with experience?

May 26, 2009

This patient came to see me after spending a fortune at another office.  He was not happy with the final result.

Disclaimer: This is NOT my dentistry

The sad part is that yes, the aesthetics are not good, but there are many more problems than just the aesthetics…Now I need to meet with the patient and try to explain all the underlying issues that may not have been discussed before.  Not my favorite type of discussion.

  • The back teeth show severe wear and cannot support the bite as it functions right now
  • The front teeth, supported by implants, are possibly failing due to the distribution of load on them
  • The final aesthetics did not meet the patients expectations
  • The soft tissue/gums were not managed ideally which will/has resulted in poor aesthetics

This case is very complex, no matter how much experience you have.  The expectations of the patient need to be realistic as well.  In my opinion we need to focus on the reason behind the wear of the teeth so that we can make this patients dentistry last!  It makes no sense to only focus on the front teeth when the back teeth won’t work correctly!

If you have a complex case or very high expectations, make sure you see a dentist that has the experience and background to tackle the case!