Finding a Cosmetic Dentist: Hard, But not Impossible
By
A good smile can improve virtually every aspect of how we are perceived. People with a bright smile seem not only more attractive, but more kind, and more intelligent, according to a study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists (AACD). In fact, 99.7 % of adults believe a smile is an important social asset. But if you have a smile that’s less than perfect, it is very hard to share that smile, and the inevitable consequences can include a loss of social esteem, damage to your personal relationships, and even impairment of your career advancement.
The problem is that, once we have decided to get our smile fixed, finding a dentist we trust to do the work is virtually impossible. After all, with something this important, we want to know that our smile is going to look great, that we won’t be getting more treatment than we need for our problem, and that the solution will not hurt the functionality of our teeth, which is just as important as their appearance. After all, there are so many dentists around, especially in a large metropolitan area like Irvine.
Not only is it necessary to find a dentist who is competent and experienced in performing a wide range of cosmetic dentistry procedures, including tooth whitening, dental bonding, cosmetic fillings, and porcelain veneers, but you must find someone you are comfortable working with. After all, you have to be able to tell the dentist about some of your most personal insecurities, something you can’t do if you don’t wholly trust the person.
The Longest Journey Begins with but a Single Step
Although it seems daunting to find someone who is both competent and caring, the only way to get started is to actually get started with small steps. First, mention that you’re thinking about having the work done to some friends and family. See if anyone has had any work done and would recommend their practitioner. If so, you’ve lucked out. Not only can you get a personal testimony from someone you know, but you can actually look up-close at the dentist’s work.
If you’re not so fortunate, you have to go the harder route by:
* Searching online
* Looking in the phone book
* Asking your physician or even a general dentist if they recommend anyone
Especially in a large area like Irvine, these methods are likely to give you several to choose from. Of course, rate any cosmetic dentist recommended by your physician or GD very highly, but you should not make it your only factor in making your decision.
Study the Dentists’ Websites
Nowadays, any dentist capable of performing the procedures you need is likely to have a website. You will want to look at all these websites, but don’t be fooled by mere cosmetic trim. You want a dentist whose website is not only cosmetic, but functional, just like you want your smile to be. In particular, look for:
* The dentist’s education, training, and experience
* The dentist’s professional affiliations, especially positions showing they are respected by other dentists
* Before and after pictures, especially current ones
* Descriptions of procedures you think you might need done
Take in all this information, write down notes and begin to prepare for the next step.
Schedule Complimentary Consultations
Reputable cosmetic dentists will offer free initial consultations, and you should take advantage of this to find out which dentist you would like to work with. Take all the information you gained from the website, and a list of questions. Be sure to ask:
* For any clarifications about education and training
* Whether the images on the website are actual patients or models
* For testimonials or contact information from former patients
* Whether the dentist is just cosmetic or if s/he practices other areas of dentistry
* What types of veneers, crowns, and bonding the dentist uses
* What comfort level the dentist has with the various procedures
* Whether you will get to see the same dentist throughout your course of treatment
While you are at the office, be sure to make careful observations of its condition, and the condition of the patients, both before and after they see the dentist. Arrive early for your appointment and see whether a large number of patients are kept waiting and for how long.
Of course you should not choose the first dentist you go to. You should visit several to establish a basis for comparison and choose from among them to find the one that is most likely to make you feel comfortable and well-cared-for.
Watch the video related
—READ FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ME AND CRAP— Hey guys please follow my twitter, you can always see what I’m doing, or when I’m streaming: www.twitter.com Here is my stream: www.ustream.tv Where I buy all Rock Band Accessories: www.rockbandparts.com My other youtube site, I make guitar hero and rock band videos over there: www.youtube.com —————————– Episode 10 JLC SHOW Dentists Fail. I was having a lot of fun with this one 
I’m gonna be out today hanging with Mr.Bl00dBlitz …
Help answer the question
What kind of painkillers do Dentists usually give after wisdom teeth extraction?
Im 20, Its a week before my surgery, the oral surgon has me on Clindaylin (some bacterial fighting medicine) cause one of my wisdom teeth has an infection. Im just curious what painkillers do oral surgons usually percribe to ease the pain after the numbness goes away? Also, Do oral surgons/dentists ever not give out painkillers after wisdom tooth extraction?
dentists
19 Comments
October 18th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
This is one of those dodgy things that "everybody knows." And not just the uninformed public, either–dentists themselves believe it. Since the 1960s dental journals have been carrying articles with headlines like "The Suicidal Professions." Dozens of studies have looked at suicide not only among dentists but among health-care workers in general. With few exceptions, research over the past 40 years has found that dentists (and doctors) take their own lives at a higher-than-average rate. But how much higher? To hear some tell it, you'd better not leave these guys in a room alone.
Dentists' odds of suicide "are 6.64 times greater than the rest of the working age population," writes researcher Steven Stack. "Dentists suffer from relatively low status within the medical profession and have strained relationships with their clients–few people enjoy going to the dentist." One study of Oregon dentists found that they had the highest suicide rate of any group investigated. A California study found that dentists were surpassed only by chemists and pharmacists. Of 22 occupations examined in Washington state, dentists had a suicide rate second only to that of sheepherders and wool workers.
But the sheer diversity of results has to make you suspicious. I mean, which is it–dentists, chemists and pharmacists, or sheepherders and wool workers? (What, the bleating gets to them?) And what about psychiatrists? One school of popular belief holds that they have the highest suicide rate.
Read the studies and you begin to see the problem. Suicide research is inherently a little flaky, in part because suicides are often concealed. Equally important from a statistical standpoint is the problem of small numbers: dentists represent only a small fraction of the total population, only a small fraction of them die in a given year, and only a small fraction of those that die are suicides. So you've got people drawing grand conclusions based on tiny samples. For example, I see where the Swedes think their male dentists have an elevated suicide rate. Number of male-dentist suicides on which this finding is based: 18.
But you aren't reading this column to hear me whine about the crummy data. You want the facts. Coming right up. All we need to do, for any occupation of interest, is (a) find a large, reasonably accurate source of mortality statistics, (b) compute suicides as a percentage of total deaths for said group, and (c) compare that percentage with some benchmark, like so:
PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS DUE TO SUICIDE
U.S. white male population 25 and older (1970): 1.5
U.S. white male dentists (1968-72): 2.0 (85 of 4,190)
U.S. white male medical doctors (1967-72): 3.0 (544 of 17,979)
U.S. white male population 25 and older (1990): 2.0
U.S. white male medical doctors (1984-95): 2.7 (379 of 13,790)
October 18th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
man did you tell your mother???
i know i would have sewed him
October 18th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
“GIMME THE SUCKY THING I WANT THE FRICKEN SUCKY THING! durrrhurr thats what she said…” Dude…LMFAO EPIC.
October 18th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
where have u been ur vids are great. u need to start making rants again
October 19th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Unless dental care become a part of the universal healthcare package, they will be unaffected. (no change–just market forces)
October 19th, 2009 at 10:51 am
i like the begining i pissed my pants lol
October 20th, 2009 at 5:22 am
they make molds before so you can see the difference in how your teeth have shifted from before you get them on and after you get them off. they will make a mold the day you get them off for making a retainer for you, and to have in case you lose or break a retainer and need a new one, they use the mold to make it
October 20th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Today when I was laying down on the dentist bed thing I got a giant boner while being operated on
October 20th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Sorry, I'm not sure I understand the question. Dentist learn medical terminology like doctors do. They have to write a thesis in order to graduate from dental school. Some Universities require an essay along with your application. Some schools require letter of recommendation with the application. What you have to write or submit will depend on what school you will attend. Hope this helped, but your question wasn't very clear.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
They will give you some 5mg vicodin (5mg hydrocodone and 500 mg acetaminophen (tylenol)) *only like 15 or so, tell them your a big baby cause its better to have them and not need em then to not have em ya know*, as well as 800 mg motrin (about 15 of them), and possibly an antibiotic such as penicillin.
I just had mine out 3 days ago. I had an infection in mine as well before I had them removed. Oh and don't be afraid of getting a dry socket if you smoke. You most likely will get one, but just go back to the surgeon and he will stick this piece of long paper coated in a paste substance in the hole. It stings a lil when he puts it in there and has a nasty taste (clove) but it only lasts a little while. So go ahead and smoke, lol. And I don't know about yours but my surgeon's office didn't charge me any more for the whole dry socket treatment (its considered post-op care, but you should ask before hand to make sure)
October 20th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Most hospitals' Emergency Rooms have a dentist or oral surgeon on call…….. get him there if no one calls you back.
Even if you aren't a patient of record at a dental office, an emergency is an emergency, especially in your case……..someone should have had the courtesy to call you back.
Best of luck to you and your Dad.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I’ve been using the same toothbrush for the last year or so… For some reason it still works.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I think that unless you can find a way to get rid of your own fear, you will probably find it quite difficult to not pass that along to him. Children are very receptive to their parents emotions, particularly when they are young, because they are learning how to react to the world.
So if you cannot hide or remove your own fear, I would say you should get someone else to take him. Is there a good friend or relative that wouldn't mind taking him along once or twice a year? Someone he knows and trusts who is not scared of the dentist and could teach him to not be scared himself. Or maybe you could take him to the dentist and both sit down together with him/her so that the dentist can explain what they do and how it isn't scary at all. He'll see you interacting with the dentist so naturally be less afraid, and hopefully will be comforted by the calming things the dentist is saying. And you never know, it might help you to calm your own fears!
After all, as I'm sure you know, there is nothing really to be scared of at the dentist. Even the worst things that they do are barely more painful than a vaccination with a doctor.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:54 am
a BIT long, but here you go!
General dentistry concentrates on diagnosis and treatment of dental problems in people of either sex and at any age. General dentistry is often called family dentistry and is not considered one of the specialized types of dentistry described below.
Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that specializes in preventing and treating teeth and facial irregularities, such as a "bad bite," jaw alignment and more. Treatment involves design, application and control of corrective "appliances" such as braces, retainers, etc. to achieve proper facial balance and occlusion (bite).
Endodontics is a specialty that deals with diseases of the tissue, blood vessels, and nerves inside the tooth. This field is practiced by endodontists. The most common endodontic treatment is called a "root canal," the removal of infected tissue and refilling of the nerve canal inside the tooth. Endodontists are also experienced at finding the cause of oral and facial pain that is difficult to diagnose.
Oral surgery is the specialty involving surgical treatment of diseases, injuries and deformities of the mouth, teeth, gums and jaws. Oral surgeons treat problems caused by wisdom teeth, facial injuries, and jaw disorders, and are skilled in reconstructive and dental implant surgery.
Periodontics specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of the gum and bone that hold teeth in place. Periodontists are experts at recognizing such gum disorders as gingivitis, an infection of the gums, and the more destructive gum disease known as periodontitis. Some of the more common treatments a periodontist might provide include: cleaning and scaling teeth to remove harmful substances called plaque and tartar; prescribing medicines like antibiotics and special mouthwashes; and for more severe dental problems, oral surgery.
Prosthodontics, also called prosthetic dentistry, involves restoring and maintaining oral function, health, comfort and appearance by replacing teeth and gum tissue with artificial substitutes (sometimes called false teeth). Prosthodontists can fit patients with such prosthetic devices as single or multiple tooth replacement implants, crowns and bridges, partial dentures and complete dentures.
Pedodontics is a dental science focusing on the treatment of children. This specialized care helps children feel comfortable with dentistry; restores and maintains primary and permanent dentitions; assists in the prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease; and corrects difficulties of occlusion.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:45 am
Wait… Was that opening thing a Fred + Billy Mays thing?
October 21st, 2009 at 9:18 am
I remember when I got my filling… my dentist didn’t use the pain killer…
October 21st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
why?
October 21st, 2009 at 10:17 pm
james is an anti-dentite
March 26th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Well the healthcare bill passed now so maybe things will change?? Guess we will find out.