I had an interesting exchange with a visitor named Robin, and in this case, I am not even going to identify what part of the country she is from. But here is what she asked me:
Dr. Hall,
I recently endured an all-porcelain full mouth restoration with crowns and veneers due to bruxism and tetracycline stains. The dark margins of the tetracycline-stained teeth are becoming visible. Also, I am unhappy with the bulky, opaque appearance. Do you know of an artistic dentist in [name of state] who is very experienced with the complexities of masking these stains while retaining the translucency of the natural tooth?
– Robin
Robin,
That full mouth reconstruction with porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers
cost you well into five figures. What a shame that it was done by a poor cosmetic dentist. But that’s the state of the profession. Any dentist can claim to be a cosmetic dentist, because the profession doesn’t require any special training or certification, but 98% of dentists could not do a decent smile makeover.
Robin, one of the standards I have before I list any dentist on our website is that they would be able to do the type of work you want done and have it turn out beautiful. One of the basic differences between a dentist who takes appearance-related dentistry seriously and one who doesn’t, is what happens when the work is tried in and you finally get to see how this will look in real life. The vast majority of dentists will give you a quick look and say something like, “How’s it look? Good. Let’s hurry and put them in.” The excellent cosmetic dentist will actually want to know what you think of it, and if there is even a hesitation in your voice as you maybe say, “I guess it looks okay,” they will ask you what is wrong. “Why don’t you just love how it looks?” Every excellent cosmetic dentist will have that approach to their work. So you would be safe going to any dentist on our list.
[I then gave her the names of what I feel are the top cosmetic dentists in her state. But what surprised me was her answer and what I had learned about the dentist she visited. See the following post for that exchange.]
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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.
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