The following article was published in the Boise Beauty Examiner:
A smile is the universal form of communication. With a smile we can portray happiness, excitement, approval, energy, and love. Smiling is sexy- and if we smile with confidence, it’s one of the most beautiful things we can do!
The color, shape, and alignment of the teeth all contribute to a beautiful smile. Tooth whitening or bleaching has become one of the most popular beauty treatments, and thanks to our Idaho cosmetic dentists, we can have straight teeth without even needing braces! The first step to getting the smile of your dreams is to consult a cosmetic dentist specializing in aesthetics.
Choosing the right cosmetic dentist, one with extensive training, substantial experience and a gentle approach that understands clients’ needs, is the key to achieving a successful outcome through whitening or bleaching your teeth, or for achieving straight teeth and a beautiful smile! Below are some guidelines for successfully choosing a cosmetic dentist. Does the dentist have credentials in cosmetic dentistry?
Many dentists perform some sort of cosmetic work as part of their services, but how do you know if you are paying someone who is qualified to perform tooth whitening, bleaching, or give you straight teeth and a beautiful smile? In cosmetic dentistry, as in medicine, specialties exist that are indications of a high level of education and training. Presently, however, no specialty in cosmetic dentistry recognized by the American Dental Association exists. In 1984, however, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) was formed and has the filled the need for credentials in the area of cosmetic dentistry. The organization currently has 7,000 members in the U.S. and in 40 countries around the world. It is the largest international dental organization dedicated specifically to the art and science of cosmetic dentistry, and it administers the leading accreditation program for cosmetic dentists. This accreditation process requires dentists to attend many continuing education courses in cosmetic dentistry, to be tested and to submit a number of cosmetic cases to be judged by a panel of cosmetic dentistry experts.
Have you ever wondered what dentists do to keep up and get ahead in the wonderful world of dental science?
When most dentists get out of dental school, they are ready to start practice and save the world’s teeth.It seems almost universal that a new graduate feels that they are up to date on all there is to know about teeth and that everyone else is behind the times.“You are better off seeing a new graduate, who knows everything, rather than one of those old timers who must be behind.” is a common thought often expressed by the new dentist.
Of course it only takes about a week or two in practice to realize that maybe you don’t know everything.In a few more weeks, you quickly discover that your dental school education prepared you for private practice in only the very basic sense.Actually, your dental school training gave you a very good foundation on which to grow, learn and eventually become a very good dentist.What it cannot give a young dentist is experience.
To learn more and to keep current, dentists take continuing education courses.Local dental societies and universities traditionally gave these courses. Over time there has evolved a large business of supplying dental courses to dentists and dental staff. These are either through private businesses or non-profit organizations.
Another way for a dentist to learn and improve is to pursue a fellowship or accreditation by a recognized organization.
An example is the American Academy of General Dentistry.This organization is dedicated to dental continuing education and has set a standard for quality in this area.The AGD has set up a system to track and record the courses taken by a dentist member.When the dentist has taken 500 hours of course study, they are then eligible to write the fellowship exam.After successfully writing and passing the 400-question examination the dentist would be awarded a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry.
Another organization is the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.The AACD is an organization dedicated to appearance related dentistry.This organization has a credentialing procedure that recognizes achievement in the art and science of esthetic dental care.A written examination, clinical case presentation and an oral examination are required to achieve accreditation.
While it is kind of cool to be awarded a fellowship or an accreditation status, the real benefit of pursuing these is the education and professional development that occurs in the process.The true benefactor is the patient of dentists who go through these processes.
If you are in the process of choosing a dentist, be sure to ask your dentist about the continuing education he or she pursues.
Like everything else in the world, technological breakthroughs have changed dentistry.Today, the modern dentist is doing things, which were technically impossible even five years ago and unimaginable twenty years ago.With all this change, the average perception of a dental visit has not changed.When most people go for a dental check up, they expect the dentist to tell them what is wrong, and what “needs to be done”.This attitude is still shared by many dentists as well.The dentist will look for problems and disease and fix these.This “patch and fill” approach has served us well for many years, however, there is another approach which is better.Give the patient some choices!
One of the first things you and your dentist should do when deciding you get together is determine your long-term objectives concerning your teeth.Do you want to have your teeth for the rest of your life?If you want to keep your teeth (most people do, and most should have no problem in this regard) is there anything you would change about the appearance, or function?Would you like to prevent any future dental problems?Once you have determined these goals, your dentist should perform a very thorough examination and give you some treatment options to help you achieve the desired results.It is morally and ethically imperative that your dentist present to you a treatment plan which outlines the best treatment that is available in 1999 style dentistry.This treatment plan should achieve your dental goals; cost, time of treatment, complexity or other factors should not be part of this planning phase.You have the right to know what is the best available, and the dentist is morally and ethically obligated to let you know what you could have, if you so choose.Now that you have an idea what could be done, you can now look at the other factors involved in making the decision: How many appointments would it take?Would braces be required?How much would it cost?Would there be any discomfort?Your dentist should be able to answer all of your questions or concerns.If the treatment plan is not to your liking, it may be possible that there are other treatment modalities available which would be acceptable to you.The dentist’s job is to let you know what treatment is available, your job is to determine if this is something you would like, is this the right dentist to perform the treatment, and what time frame you would like to do the treatment.
Today, a person can have almost anything they want when it comes to how they would like their mouth and smile.People without teeth can now have teeth implanted so they no longer require dentures.Those unhappy with the appearance of their teeth can have their smile changed to give them a perfect smile.Dental restoration can be constructed which will last a very long time, and broken teeth can be avoided.Fillings can be made that look just like natural teeth, giving the appearance of having no fillings.Unfilled teeth can be sealed to prevent cavities.Missing teeth can be replaced easily.Worn and aged appearing teeth can be restored to give a more youthful appearance.All you have to do is decide what you want.
Most people are familiar with a dental check up, either having had one themselves or knowing someone who has had one.While almost everyone is aware that the dentist is looking for cavities in the teeth, there is more to a dental examination than merely looking for holes.
Today, I would like to walk you through a typical complete dental examination.Hopefully, this will help you to understand what is going on at your next dental check up.
The first part of the examination involves an interview with the patient, either by the doctor or one of the staff members.In this interview, we hope to discover what your long term plans are regarding your teeth.What do you want your teeth to be like in the future, are there any changes you want to make regarding the appearance or function?Are you currently having any dental problems, and if not, what brought you to the dental office today?What are your concerns regarding dental treatment?These are the types of questions that help your dentist establish a treatment plan that custom fits your desires. (more…)
We are very fortunate to live in Canada where our standard of living is amongst the highest in the world.Our consumer driven economy allows us to have choices in almost every aspect of our life.We get to decide on what level of service and quality of consumer products we would like to obtain.
Let’s say that you decided you wanted a larger television for the family room.Not many of us would be happy if the salesperson were to inform us that they had looked at our old television and decided that it was still pretty good and they would not sell us a new television until it quit working completely.
If you decided to get a new car, you would be shocked if the sales representative told you that you didn’t need a new car right now.“Your old car is fine, you can probably get another 100,000 km out of it, come back and see me in a few years.” Is something you will not likely hear at your auto dealer.
