I have a good general dentist. I was asking him to recommend a great cosmetic dentist because I want to get porcelain veneers. He told me he can do them because he is a member of the AACD. But I’ve been doing some research and the consensus seems to be to look for someone who is AACD accredited. What is the difference between the two or are they the same?
Lauren B.- San Diego, CA
Lauren,
I am really glad you’ve been doing your research, otherwise you could have ended up with a disastrous smile. Any dentist can be an AACD member just by joining the organization. So being a member is not a demonstrative qualification of being an artistic and skilled cosmetic dentist. It sounds like your dentist wants to do more cosmetic work, and that is great, but you want to make sure he has more to qualify him than just paying a member fee. What post-graduate cosmetic courses has he taken? Does he have photographs to demonstrate the artistic quality of his work? Is he recommended by the mynewsmile.com website? These are some basic things to look into.
When it comes to the AACD as a qualification, look for someone who is accredited, rather than just a member. In order to reach accreditation status, a dentist has to pass a stringent written examination, as well as pass an oral examination, and submit specific required photographs of their work. It is not easy to obtain this level of expertise, but the results are well worth the effort. You’ll love your porcelain veneers if they’re done by an artistic cosmetic dentist.
This does not mean you are dumping your current dentist. You can still get all your general dentistry work done by him and then just use the other dentist for your cosmetic needs.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.