What is a Cosmetic Dentist?

What is a cosmetic dentist? Is it the dentist down the street who advertises a few cosmetic procedures like tooth whitening? It most certainly is not. That dentist may well offer excellent general dentistry, but probably does not know much about cosmetic dentistry.

A qualified cosmetic dentist has completed intensive post-graduate dental training, both theoretical and hands-on. Undergraduate dental schools typically do not offer cosmetic dentistry training.

Cosmetic dentistry is an art as well as a science. The training encourages a different mindset than that of a general dentist, so that when Dr. Dooley, for example, approaches your general dentistry work, such as a filling, he has two things in mind besides filling the cavity:

• Filling the cavity in a way that enhances your smile
• Preventing future dental problems

Enhancing Your Smile

If the cavity is in a front tooth, he will consider your natural tooth color, the way your lips move when you smile, the line of your front teeth, and the overall shape of your face. You will have a choice of a white composite filling or a porcelain filling.

Dr. Dooley has been trained in how to work with dental porcelain, so he will choose a shade of porcelain to blend in beautifully with your natural teeth. When completing the filling, he will check your bite and if any of your teeth are not meeting correctly, he will let you know and suggest how that might be corrected.

Dr. Dooley received his cosmetic dentistry training from the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. That is the world’s premiere center for cosmetic dentistry training and also for neuromuscular dentistry, which Dr. Dooley has also completed. Another of our doctors, Dr. Lewis, has also received training at LVI.

Preventing Future Problems

A qualified cosmetic dentist does not work reactively. He or she works pro-actively, looking ahead at what might result from your present dental conditions. For example, if you have a missing tooth, our cosmetic dentists will explain the option of dental implants as an excellent way to fill the gap.

Traditional dentistry has used bridges and dentures to replace missing teeth, and this can work well for filling the tooth gap, but it does not fill the invisible gap left by the tooth root. An implant is embedded in the jawbone to serve as a new tooth root. It can hold more than one tooth and if you need even an entire mouthful of new teeth, eight implants can hold them all.

By filling the gap in the jawbone, implants prevent bone resorption – shrinking to fill the gap. This will preserve your jawline and facial shape.

Coordinating Your Dental Work

When you entrust your dental care to a qualified cosmetic dentist, you can avoid the potential problem of mis-matched dental procedures. Of course, most of us move at least once or twice and therefore must change dentist. But when you put a cosmetic dentist in charge of your dental care, it will all fit and blend together smoothly. The forward-looking approach will prevent many future problems, no problems will “fall between the cracks”, and you can develop a more long-term plan.

For example, if you have many metal fillings, you could schedule them to be replaced with porcelain fillings over a comfortable timeframe. During that period, your cosmetic dentist will monitor those teeth, checking for the fractures that metal fillings inevitably cause, and will thus determine which filling should be replaced next.

To learn more about cosmetic dentistry and how it can enhance both your dental health and your smile, please contact our Chicago, Illinois cosmetic dentists today.