Is Your Dentist Qualified to Do Porcelain Veneers?

Chances are that if you have a family dentist, s/he does an excellent job at keeping your teeth clean, administering fluoride treatments and other preventive treatments, and filling the occasional cavity. But is s/he qualified to do porcelain veneers?

The difference between someone who practices general dentistry and a cosmetic dentist is the same as that between a doctor who is a General Practitioner and a skilled plastic surgeon. While both have a solid medical background, the latter is a dental specialist who has done a significant amount of post-graduate work and completed extensive training; in addition, cosmetic surgery and dentistry are as much art as they are science. A good eye for form, color, design and overall aesthetics is necessary, and while these can be studied, they can rarely be taught. One such a dentist is Sam Muslin, a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry.

The unfortunate difference between cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry is that the latter is not a “legally recognized specialty.” Whereas the cosmetic surgeon must be certified and licensed as such by his/her state agency, this is not the case for someone claiming to be a “cosmetic surgeon;” legally, any licensed dentist can call him or herself a “cosmetic dentist.” Having your porcelain veneers applied by any dentist - even a competent one - who lacks the special training in cosmetic dentistry could be an expensive mistake.

Consider this: you may take your automobile to a technician for tune-ups, oil changes and mechanical repairs, and this technician is probably very good at what he does. However, if you had a dent or scratched paint, you would go to a body and fender shop. Likewise, family dentist makes certain your teeth are healthy and working well, but is less concerned with their looks.

If you are dissatisfied with the look of your teeth, you should by all means share your concerns with your family dentist - who in all likelihood not trained in cosmetic dentistry (if s/he was, s/he would probably not be your primary care dentist!) Chances are good that s/he can refer you to someone who has not only the extensive training and experience in porcelain veneers and other cosmetic dentistry techniques, but also a highly developed sense of aesthetics, design and creativity that makes for a good cosmetic dentist.