“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
- Testimonials by patients
- 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.”

“In June 2007, our local news channel ran a story about a young man named Rudy, who crossed the border to Juarez, Mexico to get discount dental care. It seemed he wanted his teeth capped, and his dental benefits didn’t cover cosmetic dentistry. He couldn’t afford the $14,000 price tag in the U.S. to get it done.When the story began, I thought, “”Why in the world would someone cross the border to another country to get ‘cosmetic’ dental work done? Is he crazy or just really, really desperate?”" Then I looked up at the screen to see a “”before”" picture of Rudy. His teeth (if they could be called that) were so tiny and broken and crooked and discolored they looked like they belonged to a vicious little Chihuahua rather than to this nice young man named Rudy. The Rudy who was now smiling back at me with a full set of nicely capped, white teeth, didn’t look like he regretted his decision at all. He paid $3000 for a mouthful of neatly sculpted caps-a fraction of what the dentist wanted in the U.S.The news reporter on the story interviewed an American dentist to get a professional opinion about Rudy and others who cross into Mexico to get discount dental care, and it was this. ‘There are risks when you go to another country, whose standards are not as high as ours, to get discount dental care,’ she said. ‘When you go outside of the US in search of cheap dental work, you’re likely to get what you pay for.’ But she offered no viable choice for Rudy to get quality care inside the U.S.I wondered why neither of them had ever heard of Consumer-Driven Discount Dental Plans. CDD dental plans just make good sense. They offer dental care without restrictions at an affordable price, with the same quality care as the $14K dentist, and they are backed by the American Dental Association, as well. With an average discount dental program, Rudy’s total payment would have been 56% below his dentist’s standard rates-and without the added cost of airfare, hotel stay, car, bus or taxi service, and other travel expenses. Without dealing with passports or birth certificates (or whatever legal documents are tendered on your way to Juarez). No missed work. And, should there be a problem with Rudy’s dental work under the a US Consumer-Driven discount dental program, Rudy simply drives up the street to get the problem fixed rather than having to book a flight and deal with all the aforementioned details needed for travel to Mexico.For Rudy, the story appears to have had a happy ending. His teeth look 100 percent better than before his trip to Juarez. But the warnings from the American dentist in his story are partly true. You do need to think carefully when you go to another country for discount dental work. The question of whether the dentists in Juarez (or anywhere outside the US) are as skilled as those inside the US is perhaps a question for another news reporter. But the cost in time, money, risk and convenience is much too high for me.Good luck, Rudy. I wish you the best.”