The trend these days is dentists calling
themselves cosmetic dentists when there is no such specialty in dentistry. Contrary of this trend, all dentistry is
cosmetic. I don’t know anyone who took
the ‘ugly’ teeth class in dental school.
Regardless, the fact remains that the majority of dentists are general
dentists and marketing themselves as ‘cosmetic dentists’ is an ethics violation
of the ADA[1]. Not one of them has a ‘cosmetic specialty’ in
dentistry because it doesn’t exist.[2] The ADA only has recognized nine (9) post
dental degree specialties and cosmetic dentistry is not one of them. These specialties range in one to six years
of advance training beyond dental school that results in additional certifications
considered experts within their fields of dentistry. These ADA specialties are:
Dental Public Heath, Oral and Maxillofacial
Pathology, Radiology and Surgery, Orthodontics, Endodontics, Pediatric
Dentistry, Periodontics, and the least known, but the closest to what would be
considered a cosmetic dentist, Prosthodontics.
Prosthodontics:
(crown, bridge, and implants) A Prosthodontist is the ‘holy grail’
of dentistry and has a specialty license pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment
planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with
clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth and/or oral and
maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes. Most dentists are not trained prosthodontic graduates
of a dental school - rather they take short continuing education and utilize
trial and error experience to be able to understand how size, shape, color and
symmetry all work together to create what a prosthodontists is trained in their
post graduate work. On the other hand, the prosthodontist is
trained at a university to create the smile that implements the use of veneers, crowns, bridges and the
increasingly more common procedure of dental implants
to ensure that the right smile is achieved, both functionally and aesthetically
beautiful. If anyone has a specialty in cosmetic dentistry, it would be the
prosthodontist. So when you are
seriously looking for a cosmetic dentist, look for a prosthodontist.
If you are in need of a cosmetic dentist[3],
we are here to serve you.
ZoAnna Scheinfeld, MS, DMD
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
www.rightsmilecenter.com
info@rightsmilecenter.com
Related
articles
· Dentist
East Cobb: Why you might be better off seeing a Prosthodontist
(therightsmile.wordpress.com)
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