Last week, I began a series of posts from a patient I call D, titled Agonizing over the choice of a dentist. Click the preceding link for the first e-mail in the installment.
Here is the reply I got from D, and my reply to that:
Hi Dr Hall,
Thank you for your quick reply. This helps because I am scheduled to see Dr. Willardsen on Friday and I will try to see Dr Latner first. I live very close to his office. I am only going to Willardsen because Vincent Devaud recommends him. I am definitely using Vincent for the lab work. He is definitely a step above others I have used. It isn’t cheap ($3200 a tooth!) but I have seen Vincent’s work and it’s amazing. Isn’t most of the artistry from the lab? The dentist just does the work?
Thanks for your time! I went and sent in a “like” on Facebook! Happy to do it!
– D
Dear D,
As far as picking the lab and then asking the dentist to work with that lab, if I were the patient I would never do that. A great cosmetic dentist definitely needs to be supported by a great ceramist, but it’s a team effort, a joint project, and it’s the dentist who supervises and instructs the ceramist and who drives the success of the case. I might make it as a suggestion to the dentist, but leave it up to the dentist whether they wanted to do that or not. It’s a teamwork and there is synergy there, and asking the dentist to work with a ceramist when they have never worked together before, there could be some rough spots. No matter how good the ceramist is, the case will not be beautiful without a great cosmetic dentist.
And I agree that Vincent Devaud’s work is beautiful but it isn’t without equal. Daniel Materdomini is at least as good, maybe better. And the ceramist I used was also from the LA area – Uri Yaroveski, who is also one of the best in the world. And there are other great ones.
Take your case for an illustration. Dr. Willardsen wants to do six teeth when you probably should do either two or eight. That’s a decision the dentist makes and the ceramist has nothing to do with, but it will fundamentally alter the beauty of the case.
– Dr. Hall
Read the next installment: Agonizing over the choice of a dentist, part 3.
And: Agonizing over the choice of a dentist, part 4.
Finally, my reflections on Why some people agonize over the choice of a dentist.
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Interesting to hear Dr.Hall’s comments…
I do not know or have ever spoken to Dr.Hall nor did any cases with him Ever!
Yet Dr.Hall has a very strong opinion about my work and capacity how so?
I also agree there is other very talented ceramist however there is much more then the ceramic work
To be considered on a Inter disciplinary reconstructive approach.
Either way the patient should always be able to know who the Dentist work with as a lab.
All labs vary in prices and service quality
So if you want a Bentley the ceramist should be at the same level.
Transparency is very important including for the patient to have the right to know.
– Vincent Devaud
Response by Dr. Hall
No, I don’t think I ever had you do work for me, but I have seen photographs of your work and that’s why I said it is beautiful. But I stand by the point I made above – that I think it’s a mistake for the patient to pick the ceramist. Beautiful cosmetic dentistry is a team effort, and a great ceramist such as yourself paired with a poor cosmetic dentist would likely produce an unsatisfactory result. But a great cosmetic dentist will always be working with a great ceramist, so I would pick the dentist and leave the choice of ceramist to the dentist.
But I might add that I think it would be fine to go to the ceramist who does beautiful work and ask for a recommendation for a cosmetic dentist. You would know who you are comfortable working with and which dentists help you produce beautiful work.