Trusted Care
How to select the best Restorative and Cosmetic Dentist for you
The tried and trusted way is to ask for a referral from a friend or co-worker. This will tell you that the patient is satisfied with the dental office’s services. However, what if your friend has never really needed any work and only sees the hygienist for routine cleanings? This only tells you the hygienist is good and the doctor may or may not be highly trained to do your major work.
A great way to find out if the dentist is highly trained and has the appropriate credentials is referring to the website. But what should you look for?
Below are eight key questions to look for on the website or to ask about:
1. Is the dentist accredited by The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry?
This one will be hardest to find as there are only 200 in the world, but what this means to you is that your dentist is capable of creating a smile that looks beautiful and feels natural. The accreditation process can take a minimum of a few years; the dentist presents cases to a board of highly accredited cosmetic dentists, takes a written exam and must pass both aspects.
2. Is the dentist a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry?
This means the dentist has extended his educations into the 8 specialties of dentistry and lets you know the dentist has a broad knowledge in all areas of dentistry. This can take a minimum of 1500 Continuing Education hours to achieve. Often, this means you will need to be referred out to specialists less as the dentist is trained and confident in doing the work himself. There are 500 Masters of the Academy of General Dentists in the world.
3. Do they use new technologies to improve you treatment, care and overall health?
For example, do they have the laser decay detector, Diagnodent, which detects cavities before a human can? Do they have Digital x-rays which reduces your radiation exposure by 76% over traditional x-rays? Are they licensed with the State to administer conscious sedation to make long appointments effortless?
4. Do they have an In-House Dental Ceramic Technician to custom make veneers, crown and overlays especially for you? When you want the best results, it is important that the dentist and ceramicist work closely with you, can accommodate you during your appointment, therefore, achieving the best for you.
5. Is the office certified by a third party organization to meet or exceed all State and National Infection Control standards for you protection?
All dental offices are required to have Infection Control monitored to ensure that OSHA guidelines are being upheld.
6. Have they been voted by their peers as One of the Best Dentists in their City, State or Country?
Magazines like “D” Magazine, Texas Monthly and the book “Best Dentist in America” publish these peer polls.
7. Do they teach, lecture or publish articles on Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry?
This will allow you to know if they are considered an expert in the field.
8. Are they used as a resource for the Media in Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry?
When the media is seeking out a specialist for their consumers, this says a lot about the expertise and excellence.
