I’m wanting to upgrade my smile. I’ve got enough for a teeth whitening right now and thought I had enough for porcelain veneers too. I priced the dentist I wanted and he’s quite a bit more than I was expecting. My family dentist will do the porcelain veneers for half of what the other dentist is charging. Should I go with the dentist I can afford or is it worth it to wait?
Brandon
Dear Brandon,
A lot of that depends on the two dentists. Price isn’t necessarily the best factor in judging the skill of the cosmetic dentist. Some excellent cosmetic dentists have average prices. Some have high prices. Some terrible cosmetic dentists have average prices. Some have high prices.
So, how does one determine the skill of the dentist? Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty, nor are smile makeovers taught in dental school. If a dentist is interested in doing cosmetic dentistry, they have to invest time and money in post-doctoral studies at reputable institutions.
It also takes some artistic abilities, which don’t come naturally to everyone. Think about it like commissioning a painting. If I hired two artists to do my portrait, both with the same exact materials, it is very likely one will be better than the other because of their artistic abilities.
Finding a Great Artistic Cosmetic Dentist
There are two great resources to know whether or not a dentist is skilled enough to give you a beautiful smile with porcelain veneers. The first is to see if they are AACD accredited. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the world. The second is to see if they are listed on the mynewsmile.com website. Many of these dentists are also either accredited or on their way to accreditation. All of them are highly skilled and artistic.
If your family dentist is listed as an accredited or a mynewsmile dentist, you will be safe to move forward. If he’s not, get the teeth whitening done, which can be done by any dentist. Then, save up your money for a dentist who can give you the stunning smile you’ll want.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Cosmetic Dentist Dr Fred Arnold.
