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!
Louisville has lots of “family dentists“, “cosmetic dentists“, “we cater to cowards dentists” and now even “advanced cosmetic dentists“.
Trying to work out who’s right for you is probably pretty confusing, especially when so many dentists are claiming to be experts.
Truth be known, “family dentistry” never was and never will be a speciality and, “cosmetic dentistry” is just about on any dental sign these days. Who is not a cosmetic dentist?
So the question remains:
How do I pick a good dentist?
Perhaps you already have a dentist that you are very happy with and would never change. But, if you are looking for a dentist at the moment, here is what I have to offer.
A simple concept
My dental practice is based on a very simple and very old idea:
“Do unto others as you would have them do onto you”. That’s right – The Golden Rule. So, how does The Golden Rule translate into dentistry? Please let me give you a few examples:
The office is state-of-the-art
When I have dental treatment done for myself I want it done as well as today’s technology will allow. I want treatment that looks great, feels great and lasts as long as possible. This cannot be achieved using 1970s, 1980s or even 1990s technology. Dentistry is evolving fast and I invest time in keeping up so that whatever treatment I do, I know that it’s the best around.
I do not use amalgam (mercury) fillings
Having three children made me realize that I could never use amalgam. I wouldn’t even consider putting amalgam in their teeth, so in good conscience I could not put it in any one else’s. Quite simply – I believe amalgam is second-rate.
I recommend for you exactly the treatment I chose for myself.
Every treatment recommendation I make for you is what I would choose for myself. That means I would never recommend a denture if there is a better alternative and I never recommend patch ups or short-term solutions. What I do is look at your teeth and give you straight advice – the treatment I would choose for my family, my best friend or myself.
I only do treatment I can do very well
I am sure you have heard the expression “Jack of all trades, master of none”. I decided that at Ideal Dentistry I would focus on things I do really well. At Ideal Dentistry I only do adult restorative dentistry – that is I look after adults who want their teeth restored, enhanced and maintained. I do not routinely see children less than 12 years of age, I do not extract wisdom teeth unless they are simple and I don’t do treatment I don’t believe in.
An adult environment with no waiting
When I go to a doctor I don’t want to be kept waiting an hour in a room, with tatty magazines to read and a crowd of people all around me. So you’ll notice my client lounge is a little bit different. It’s modern, sunny, and we have an espresso machine. There are quality coffee table books to read. But, nice as it is, you won’t spend long there because the chances are better than 95% that I’ll see you on time.
Personalized attention
Have you ever been to a dental office where the dentist was hopping around from room to room or, even worse, where you never knew which dentist you were seeing until they turned up? That’s not what I would want. So, at Ideal Dentistry, I am the only dentist and I set aside the time to focus 100% on you. You’ll find you get your dentistry done in a lot less appointments this way.
Limited openings
Ideal Dentistry commenced in January 2006. By the reaction and acceptance so far we are obviously filling a need in the area. We are not a high volume office.
Please may I make a suggestion
If you decide that this is the kind of treatment you want, then here is what you do. The first step is to have a thorough check-up and get any needed x-rays. When you’ve had that done I’ll be able to tell you the full story about your teeth, give you clear, no-mucking around recommendations and an exact cost for any treatment you need. Where you go from there is up to you, but if you like what you’ve read here I hope you stay around and bring your friends.
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!
