Pasadena, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2014 -- Cosmetic dentistry is far more involved than traditional dentist work and care should be used when picking the right clinic for the work. LA dentist Dr. Dustin Nelson offers some advice on how to select the best clinic.
Pick a patient-centered practice. Dr. Nelson describes this as one a place where the staff and the doctors are more concerned with how you are doing and feel than a payment plan.
“Yes, money is important, but you as a patient are more important that that. When you make an initial consultation appointment, some things to watch for are: What questions does the dentist ask? Does he ask why you want certain procedures done? Does he suggest changes and explain why he’d do something differently?” Dr. Nelson said. “If the dentist shows more interest in you than the exact procedures you’ll have, then you have someone who cares.”
Continuing education (CE) is required for dentists, but what kind of training the doctor has is very important.
“The field of cosmetic dentistry is advancing. A good cosmetic dentist is going to stay abreast of changes and get advanced continuing education classes. The staff should be glad to show you a list of what CE the doctor has recently received and what is on the calendar,” Dr, Nelson said. “There are many, many CE courses for dentistry, but they are not all aimed at the cosmetic practice.”
Ask for before and after pictures.
A smile is extremely important because it makes a very strong first impression. Dr. Nelson said an aesthetic dentist should improve a person’s smile tremendously. The dentist should also be willing to share before and after pictures. Understand these pictures will probably only show a person’s mouth and not the whole face. That’s because of patient confidentiality requirements.
“Expect to see some really bad looking before pictures. But that’s less important than the after pictures. You want to carefully consider the after pictures. Look at each tooth as well as the overall row of teeth,” the Pasadena dentist said. “You want to look for a natural appearance, evenly white teeth and proper spacing and placement.”
Check the list of services and ask which are the most common procedures and which are not common.
“An aesthetic dentist practice will have specialities just like other speciality doctor’s offices. You want to choose one that does the kind of procedure you want on a regular basis,” Dr. Nelson said. “The old saw, “practice makes perfect” applies to dentistry as well as every other profession. A dentist who does a certain procedure many times a year is going to be better at it than a dentist who does the same procedure only a few times a year.”
Experience does matter, he said.
Ask about the technology level in the office. Dr. Nelson suggested asking about CAD/CAM restoration, dental lasers, dental sedation, and intraoral imaging. Just because a clinic does not have one of these technologies doesn’t mean it’s not the best place for a certain procedure.
“Do your own research on the procedures ahead of time. Find out what technology and devices national dental associations recommend. Then, take that list and compare it to what the clinic you are considering has,” he said.
Check the comfort level of the office and patient rooms.
“If you are going to a dentist for cosmetic procedures, once you sit down in the chair, you will be there for a while. You need to know, ahead of time, that you’ll be comfortable while the work is being done,” Dr. Nelson said. “Background music sounds like a minor item, but if you’re sitting in a chair for 45 minutes with someone working on your mouth, music can be a comfort or a major annoyance.”
For more information about cosmetic dentistry, please visit http://www.dustinnelsondds.com/.
Dustin Nelson, DDS
536 S Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: (626) 577-1819
Fax: (626) 577-1463
http://www.dustinnelsondds.com/