Cosmetic dentistry is not a speciality that is officially recognised in the field of dentistry so any dentist can be a cosmetic dentist. But there is a level of expertise that is required of a cosmetic dentist and you need a lot of training and experience to become proficient at it.
Cosmetic dentistry can transform your smile and bring you a lot of confidence. This is a part of dentistry that is both art and science as it deals with enhancing the smile of a person and therefore their appearance. Choosing the wrong dentist can result in pain and in severe cases, it can mean trauma to your teeth. So you have to be very careful in selecting the right cosmetic dentist.
There are different treatments that come under this umbrella and you can see some of these services offered by Richmond dentist on their official website. There are many things that will be corrected by a cosmetic dentist such as dealing with missing teeth, correcting misaligned teeth, concealing chips and cracks, correcting teeth discolouration etc. There are other aspects that are considered when improving your smile in addition to teeth such as the facial structure, mouth shape, lips and gums.
Research is a crucial step in finding the right cosmetic dentist. You have to consider their education and training to get an idea of the quality of care they can provide. Look for cosmetic dentists that belong to professional organisations and carry accreditations from them. Other aspects to check are graduate and undergraduate degrees and whether they have continued education after their school.
This information will usually be given on the official website of the cosmetic dentist. There are also third party websites that will carry information. Otherwise, you can call up a few dental practices and clarify these points. Some of the questions you can ask are whether they have received their training and how long they have been training in this speciality.
While any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist, you have to look beyond this to see if they have training and expertise in advanced dental procedures and a good reputation in cosmetic dentistry. You can also ask them about how many porcelain veneers or crowns they have done in the past few years. You can also look at their portfolio to get an idea of their scope of services. Past work is a good way of judging their expertise. This will usually be shown as before and after photos on their official website and social media profiles. But check if the photos are heavily edited.
Another way of confirming the authenticity of the cosmetic dentist is by asking for referrals. You can check with people who have had similar procedures done. Ask them if they are satisfied with the results of their procedure and whether they were made comfortable throughout the procedure by the dentist. And you can also check online reviews on both the official website of the dentist and other independent websites to get an idea of their patients’ opinions. You can also ask your general dentist to give you a recommendation.
