The trend these days is dentists calling themselves cosmetic dentists, regardless of the fact there is no such specialty in dentistry. To the 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 dentist are general dentist, and marketing themselves as ‘cosmetic dentists’ is an ethics violation of the ADA[1]. Their undergraduate degrees are either a DDS or DMD as result.
Not one of them has a ‘cosmetic specialty’ in dentistry because it doesn’t exist. The ADA only has recognized nine (9) post doctoral dental degrees 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 has a dental 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 ‘Pro’, a prosthodontist.
If you are in need of a cosmetic dentist[2], we are here to serve you.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
www.rightsmilecenter.com
Related articles
- Prosthodontist (therightsmile.wordpress.com)
- Dentist East Cobb: Why you might be better off seeing a Prosthodontist (therightsmile.wordpress.com)
[1] ADA is the American Dental Association
[2] Cosmetic dentist equals Prosthodontist.
