How Do I Find the Best Cosmetic Dentist?

Finding the best cosmetic dentist requires a little of work on your part, but the little effort certainly out weighs the benefits you will gain. Your best bet is to to do your research on line, regarding the dentist background, the reviews posted and the before and after cosmetic treatments the dentist has performed similar to your needs and wants.Then making appointment with 2 or three of your top cosmetic dentists, you selected, for a consultation. At the consultation observe how detailed is their examination and consultation, and address all your questions, such as:How many procedures similar to what I want have you performed? Is it a few times, or hundreds or thousands?Usually a cosmetic dentist expert has performed at least a few hundred times that particular cosmetic procedure. Can the Cosmetic dentist show you a "mock up" in YOUR MOUTH, of how the results might look like ?Does the cosmetic dentist, listens to your needs?Do you have one option or several?Listen if the cosmetic dentist is going over the pros, cons, risks and benefits of the procedure with you? and over all the options?With these few questions, you will be getting a feel, If you want that cosmetic dentist to do the dental procedure for you or you are ready to move on.Of course the next questions will be in regards to how many visits it takes? how long of an appointment time ? Does it involve any discomfort ? do you have an option to have sedation dentistry done while you have your cosmetic dentistry done ?After, inquire regarding the cost, How much is the cosmetic dentistry going to cost ?Do not get shocked if there are huge price differences, each cosmetic dentist fee differs, and it usually depends on the reputation, the expertise and the knowledge and know how to give you the best possible results in an efficient manner, AND use the least invasive procedure on you, to give you what you really want.

Cosmetic dentistry is not a sub-specialty of dentistry, therefore skilled cosmetic dentists are self taught through working closely under a mentor and continuing education. When I taught at Columbia University, I made it my mission to teach cosmetic dentistry to my eager residents but because most of our patients were insurance based, I rarely got the chance to treat patients in cosmetic procedures. If a practice or clinic is in-network with insurances, it is not positioned to treat cosmetic patients because most insurances do not cover cosmetic procedures. 
Best way to find a cosmetic dentist is to look at their portfolio, experience level and overall philosophy towards facial aesthetic. After all cosmetic dentistry is more than just smile design and teeth have a significant impact in overall facial balance and appearance. 

Cosmetic dentistry is not recognized as a specialty. But, it needs to do complete search before you make a decision to rely on a cosmetic dentist. Now, you can easily find the cosmetic dentist online. When you search online for cosmetic dentist, you need to check credentials and reviews as well as experience of a particular dentist. 
It is crucial to rely on a qualified and an experienced cosmetic dentist, if there are complications during a cosmetic procedure, then a well-experienced cosmetic dentist knows well how to handle the situation.

This is much more difficult to do today because every dentist who does porcelain crowns and veneers nowadays calls themselves a cosmetic dentist. What most people want is a cosmetic dentist who has been well trained, who is experienced, who has great artistic ability, who REALLY listens to you, and then someone who follows through and delivers what was promised.

Where do you find such a dentist?  Well, the internet is probably the best place to start searching for cosmetic dentists who you are thinking of evaluating to see if they are a match for you.

I would suggest doing a Google search for "porcelain veneers plus the city or county that you live in."  Look for a dentist who has many examples OF THEIR ACTUAL COSMETIC DENTISTRY, not just stock photography.

Read their bio.  How many years have they actually practiced dentistry?  Where did they get their post doctoral cosmetic training?  LVI or the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies has one of the most highly acclaimed programs for cosmetic dentistry in the world today.  Also, the dentist a member of any of the major cosmetic dentistry organizations, like the AACD (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry), ACE (Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics), etc.  Just from the web sites you'll get some good or uncertain feelings about the dentist.  Try to narrow your list to under five and then call their office.  Tell them what you're looking for and see how they respond.  It should be easy to see if they are genuinely concerned and want to help you, or too busy to answer any questions and give you any personalized care.  You should be able to narrow your choice down to 2-4 dentists.  Next make a cosmetic consultation.  Look at the office, how neat and professional is it.  Are there before and after photos demonstrating how proud the dentist is of the treatments he has been providing his cosmetic patients?  Do they see you on time?  Do they carefully listen to your concerns and show the confidence that they can solve your problems and deliver the kind of dentistry that will meet your expectations?  In many areas there are so few great cosmetic dentists that really stand out that it shouldn't be difficult to find one that you trust and and relate to.  Ask to see before and after photos of patients they have treated with dental problems that looked similar to theirs.  Do your homework and be careful whom you choose.  In our practice about one third of all the patients we treat are people who were dissatisfied with their previous cosmetic dentistry and are asking that we redo the porcelain veneers or crowns that were done by their last dentist.  I can't tell you enough how much better it is to do the treatment right the first time than having to redo someone else's treatment who was not able to meet the patient's expectations.

Good luck,

Dr. Norman Huefner

While the internet has become a fast and easy tract to finding a so-called cosmetic dentist, the hard part come when deciphering who is the best in the bunch. Often search optimization and other internet marketing tricks can lead you to a cosmetic dentist who looks great online, only to find out the hard way that he/she not all they claimed to be "cracked up to be." So here are my TOP 3 Questions to help you find a great Cosmetic Dentist:

1. What is your training in Cosmetic Dentistry? Here you want to hear that this dentist had formal post graduate training in cosmetic dentistry including some artistic interest. In fact, many fine cosmetic dentists enjoy painting and sculpture as well. For example, as a pre-dental  undergraduate with a major in biology, I took a minor interest in fine arts, enjoying photography and sculpture. Expanding my interest in this area helped to refine the "aesthetic eye" which cannot be learned but developed from an innate place. 

2. How many years of cosmetic dentistry practice and what percentage of your practice is devoted to Cosmetic Dentistry? This answer should include at least 5-10 years and at least 70% including reconstructive dentistry (the foundation for good cosmetic dentistry). There are many young dentists who have great potential, but you need to find a cosmetic dentist who is primed. While I have had over 29 years of practice in cosmetic dentistry having pioneered the placement of porcelain laminate veneers since 1983, I did not really feel I was able to master my abilities until 5 years of practice.

3. Can I see examples of your cosmetic work and speak with a few of your patients? While most dentists love to show photos of their work (which can often be "photo shopped"), I like patients to be able to see cosmetic dentistry on a live patient, and actually speak and ask questions from willing patients. I have found that many patients are flattered to meet or speak with a prospective patient who may be considering the same treatment or similar cosmetic dental problem. I often find that this really helps a fearful or unsure patient understand the process and experience. 

I'm sure you know if you have done your homework, that every dentist offers cosmetic procedures.  The big difference however is the amount of continuing education and experience the dentist has.  After doing your research of the dentists in your area you are considering working with and settling on one, ask to see:

- actual before-after photos of the dentist's cosmetic work

- testimonials from actual patients, or better yet ask to speak with patients who have had the same dental work done that you are thinking about

Any dentist that can do that will be a leader in their area.  Hard to find but worth the effort. 

For what it's worth, NEVER base your decision on price, speed, insurance, etc.  You get what you pay for, and most will offer interest-free payment plans to make that easier anyway.

All general dentist do cosmetic dentistry-for example,fixing a chipped or decayed front tooth,etc.  "Cosmetic dentists"-there is no official standard/accreditation for "cosmetic  dentist"-it is a self-proclaimed title- often over treatment plan patients for cosmetic procedures. Dr. Gordon Christiansen, one of the most highly respected voices of dentistry, has written frequently of the overtreatment of patients for cosmetics and the lack of  informed consent about the procedures.

There are a few helpful ways to find a cosmetic dentist.

One, look for solid online reviews. When you read reviews listen for someone who thinks and write the way YOU do. There are many bogus reviews, so use a critical eye to look for thoughtful comments. Look specifically for comments about the cosmetic treatments, such as porcelain veneers or bonding such as "my new veneers look amazing, and they look so natural", not just "the hygienist was nice".

Two, look at the cosmetic dentist's before and after photo gallery. Generally, if they are good at cosmetic dentistry, they understand good dental photography and take the time to make sure their photos look great too- that's a reflection of attention to detail.

Third, go for a consultation, listen to the style of the dentist, pay attention to how well they listen, do they offer more than one option to solve your problem?

Ultimately, do you see something that looks like what you imagine you want for your results? And, do you have good chemistry with the cosmetic dentist and the office? Make sure you feel listened to and understood each step of the way. (and then just DO IT! you will be surprised by the results!)

It is a very good point that since cosmetic dentistry is not typically covered, your insurance list will be of no relevance.  As such, I would choose the BEST provider in your area.  

The worst thing you can do is choose by price and regret it.  One of the saddest conversations we have is when people come to us to redo cosmetic dentistry done elsewhere in search of a better price.  It's not cheap when you have to pay twice!

"Pretty good cosmetic dentistry" is not what you want - you want a gorgeous smile!  You want friends saying, "How have I never noticed what a gorgeous smile you have?"  NOT,  "Who did your teeth?  They look better."  

Most of us have websites with lots of before and after photos of cases we have done.  This allows you to see for yourself what that dentist can do.  If they can't show you pictures of their work, it's because they haven't done much or they don't want you to see it.

Actually, I do not think anyone of the dentists who replied actually really answered the part of the question that you wrote.
You mentioned you were tempted to go a cosmetic dentist who took your insurance plan. Most dental insurance does not cover cosmetic dentistry. It is not essential and unless you can prove to the insurance company that the work was done for a NECESSARY reason, they will not cover. You will have to pay with your own credit card, or check, or if it is expensive work (as in 8 veneers), you might want to check out a no interest finance plan such as care credit, chase health advance, or citibank. These are like credit cards for dental work.
I would find a good cosmetic dentist who offers good finance plans, since you are going to be the one paying for it and also one that is recommended by someone you know or know is reliable and with reasonable prices. Shop around. Prices vary from city to city. In California, Beverly Hills, veneers will be much higher than ones done in Burbank and I am assured some cosmetic dentists in Burbank are just as good if not better than the ones in beverly Hills. Do your own home work and ask for a free consultation.