High-Tech Cosmetic Dentistry
Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentistry
Thirty years ago, nobody could have guessed that cosmetic dentistry could have such a positive impact on the lives of our patients. Today there are thousands of cosmetic dentists in and around the Los Angeles area. It is amazing how many people have felt so much better after getting cosmetic dental treatment. The levels of cosmetic dentistry and speed of treatments available are so impressive that Los Angeles patients can have a whole new revitalized look without ever having to get a shot or injection.
Grinding down the natural teeth is no longer necessary when placing modern high tech Porcelain Veneers. The advent of dental bonding combined with artistically skilled dentist can completely change how a patient feels about themselves the rest of their lives. Some patients have said, "That old picture of me is not me anymore, I am a new person." Cosmetic dentistry is better than a new car or diamond jewelry because high tech cosmetic dentistry, and now Face Lift Dentistry ®, benefit the patient all day every single day everywhere they go. These high-tech cosmetic dentistry procedures are now available to patients in the Los Angeles area.
Is My Dentist a Cosmetic Dentist?
When a dentist says, "I am a cosmetic dentist”, the first thing that comes to mind is "what is a cosmetic dentist”? How is a cosmetic dentist defined? During 25 years of practicing high tech cosmetic dentistry in Los Angeles and Santa Monica I have found that there is a huge difference in the skill level and knowledge of all the technologies available. If the cosmetic dentist doesn't know all the high tech choices available to the patient, how can he or she offer the best Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentistry?
Generally, the patient is limited by the ability of the cosmetic dentist they choose. The dentist may be great at producing brilliant teeth whitening, but can your dentist perform perfectly alligned Dental Implants?
Cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles are like all other professions; there are bad ones, good ones, great ones and incredibly talented ones. If you need a cosmetic dentist in and around Los Angeles, be sure to study my work and consider my services.
Qualifications of Cosmetic Dentistry
Some patients have said, "my cosmetic dentist lectures at the university”. Lecturing at a university does not mean you have chosen a skilled and talented cosmetic dentist. It takes a great deal of time to present a well-researched lecture at a university that takes away time from patient care. Others have said, "my dentist is a cosmetic dental specialist.” Does this mean that he or she took a weekend course and now is suddenly an expert?
Choosing a Cosmetic Dentist
How do you choose a Los Angels cosmetic dentist with so many choices? The best way is to see photos of his or her actual cosmetic dentistry patient treatments. Let’s look at the work completed by the cosmetic dentist and critique the quality. Be careful, some dentists have photos that were purchased and placed in notebooks to give the appearance that the work is his or her cosmetic dentistry. Ask the dentist, "is this your work?” Fortunately, most of the dentists that I have had the pleasure to meet are sincere, dedicated and honest people. They may have the very best intentions, be a very nice person and convincing. Photos of cosmetic dentistry and live patients treated by the cosmetic dentist are the best way to choose your dentist. If the cosmetic dentist is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry or even better, a Master of the Academy of General the odds are great that the dentist is very good.
Foundations for Successful Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental health is the foundation to successful cosmetic dentistry. The health benefit to the patient can be significant if the cosmetic dentist can coordinate the treatment. We have seen patients that had porcelain veneers recently completed but had thick swollen gums surrounding the porcelain veneers. Health was not achieved. We have seen patients with porcelain veneers that keep falling off because the bite was not treated; again the health of the patient’s bite was not addressed. We have seen patients that cannot speak clearly after getting new Dental Crowns placed on their teeth. Clear speech is a necessity and in these cases the crowns were not properly shaped to harmonize with the speaking patterns of the patient. We have seen patients that have headaches after porcelain crowns; porcelain veneers or Dental Bridges were placed. The TMJ and the cosmetic dentistry were not in functional balance. Patients with headaches have gone to chiropractors, neurologists, headache specialists, migraine headache specialists, had CAT Scans, MRI Scans when the reason for the headaches was the bite and the new porcelain crowns. Not all headaches are caused by a bad bite but the bite can be a contributor to the cause of headaches.
The foundation to successful cosmetic dentistry is the health of the patient. Healthy gums, a healthy bite, no dental decay, no abscesses, clear speech, a comfortable TMJ and a full compliment of teeth are the keys to the best cosmetic dentistry. The first area to cover is the gingival health of the patient. Some patients have gums disease so badly that they require a "gum infection treatment phase” before we start the rest of the cosmetic dental care. (see Rod)
Standard of Cosmetic Dental Care
Today’s patients demand a much higher level of care. They want their teeth to look natural. They are not satisfied with porcelain veneers that look better then their natural teeth but yet, do not look great. Some patient’s have come in and say, "I don’t want porcelain veneers because my friend had them done and they look fake.” The ceramic labs have gotten much better and the translucency and shape of the porcelain veneers has improved. Less tooth structure is being removed and stronger bonding had also been developed. Dentists are better trained but there are too many weekend courses that give dentists a false sense confidence. Cosmetic dentistry and dental health treatment are totally individualized. The cosmetic dentist needs to be prepared to evaluate every element before treating the patient.
Changing Cosmetic Dentists
Right in the middle of complex high tech cosmetic dentistry, even after half of the final porcelain work is completed, we have had patients come for a consultation out of desperation. These patients knew that the treatment was not going well and began to doubt the ability of their cosmetic dentist. They had already paid tens of thousands of dollars and were ready to quit their present cosmetic dentist if they could find a more qualified alternative. The level of care was adequate but not the best possible level for these patients. As one patient said, "I would probably have been satisfied with the treatment by my first cosmetic dentist that lectures because I would never have known the level of care possible with Face Lift Dentistry ®.” He was encouraged to change dentists by an existing patient.
Levels of Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry implies that the patient will look better when they smile. There is a big difference between the levels of care and sometimes simple cosmetic dentistry is the best dentistry for the patient. Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentistry should be complete care that addresses every single aspect of the patient’s characteristics and dental health and maximizes the care to achieve the best TMJ or jaw comfort, the best possible bite, the best possible lip support, clear speech, the best facial length so you look younger even when you are not smiling.
Replacing Old Silver Amalgam Fillings
Some patients want white teeth and don’t like to color of the silver amalgam fillings that are turning their teeth dark. Cosmetic dentistry can be used to replace these fillings however there are huge mistakes being made. Far too often, the silver filling is replaced with a white "porcelain” filling referred to as composite fillings. Composite fillings have pieces of porcelain mixed with plastic. The composite fillings do not work well on molar teeth with large cavities. The white fillings wear down too quickly. If you are going to replace your silver fillings, it is better to use porcelain or some of the new hybrid porcelains. They are stronger, last longer, support the tooth, more expensive and add strength to the tooth.