If you are considering cosmetic dentistry, it’s important to make sure you’re making the right decision. You need to make sure that the procedure is the right one for you–and you need to know if you’ve found the right dentist.
Here are five questions you should ask before you commit to any cosmetic dentistry procedure.
What Are My Other Options?
Modern cosmetic dentistry has developed many techniques for dealing with most common complaints people have about their smiles. It’s unlikely that there would be just one way to address your issues.
It’s important to understand which procedures can help you get the cosmetic dentistry results you desire as well as the benefits and limitations of each procedure. For example, dental bonding, porcelain veneers, and orthodontics can all be used to close a gap in your smile. Dental bonding is the least expensive and quickest, but may not be as attractive or as long-lasting. Porcelain veneers take a little longer and are more expensive, but can be more attractive and last longer. Orthodontics takes the longest and may be the most expensive, but the results are permanent and preserve your natural teeth.
Another great insight from asking this question is learning whether a dentist is likely to pressure you into a particular procedure or if they’re focused on giving you the information so you can decide for yourself.
Is This Temporary, Reversible, or Permanent?
Not all cosmetic dentistry procedures are made to last. For example, the effects of teeth whitening may last only a few weeks to a few months, although they can often be extended indefinitely with maintenance treatments.
Few procedures are reversible, so it’s important to understand what are the consequences if you change your mind. You need to know how the procedure will permanently impact your teeth.
If you aren’t happy with the consequences, then maybe this isn’t the right procedure for you.
What Training Do You Have in This Procedure?
Once you’ve decided that a particular procedure is right for you, you have to make sure this is the right dentist to provide it. All dentists receive some degree of cosmetic dentistry training, but not all of them have significant, specialized training in the area.
It’s important to understand how much a dentist knows about the procedure. Detailed training can help a dentist provide better cosmetic results that are longer-lasting with a lower risk of complications. More recent and ongoing training helps dentists remain current in the latest techniques and technologies. It’s also good if a dentist has cosmetic training from more than one school–that way they’re less likely to be constrained to one point of view.
How Often Do You Perform This Procedure?
As important as training is, experience may be even more important for cosmetic dentistry. Much of the success of cosmetic dentistry depends on the manual skills of the dentist, which develops with practice. And even the conceptual foundations of cosmetic dentistry can be lost if a dentist doesn’t regularly utilize them.
A dentist who has extensive, recurring experience with cosmetic dentistry is more likely to be able to deliver quality results.
Can I See Recent before and after Pictures?
When you look at before and after images on a dentist’s website, you don’t know when those pictures are from. They can be ten years old or older. They may even be of cases done by another dentist, possibly one who used to be at the practice but is no longer there–or maybe was never at the practice.
If a dentist can’t show you before and after images that back up their claims about how often they perform a procedure, maybe they’re not the best dentist for you.
Are You Looking for a Cosmetic Dentist in Westchester County?
If you are considering cosmetic dentistry in Westchester County, we are ready to help. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you find the best procedure to achieve the results you desire.
To learn whether we’re the right cosmetic dentists for you, please contact us today for an appointment at Advanced Dentistry of Mohegan Lake.
