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Simple Steps to Assist You in Finding a Cosmetic Dentist

19th May, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Your general dentist probably provides the usual dental health services. However, Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentistry focuses on a completely different area of dental processes. As most of us become increasingly concerned about our teeth and our smile, cosmetic dentistry is becoming more popular than ever before. Because of this growing desire for their services, it is essential that we know how to find the right Fort Lauderdale dentist for our specific dental needs.

The first logical step to finding the right dentist is to get a proper referral from your general care dentist. Your dentist is the best person to get advice from as he or she is most knowledgeable about your special needs and requirements as far as cosmetic dentistry is concerned. Your general dentist will be able to provide the most appropriate professional advice on how to address your unique condition.

The Internet is also a good source of relevant information about cosmetic dentistry and the list of qualified cosmetic dentists who can perform specific dental procedures. There are several sites with directories of dental professionals with the specialized services that they offer and their contact details.

You can also search for the appropriate cosmetic dentist using the telephone directory. You will be able to compile a long list of prospective specialists and from this pool of information you can call those who make it on your short list.

There are no tried and true methods in selecting the most appropriate cosmetic dentist who can meet your expectations. In general, most of us would want to verify the education, relevant training, experience and feedback from former patients, friends and relatives. Others may also include information about the affiliation of the cosmetic dentist with professional organizations.

Here are some key issues that should be considered if you are looking for a cosmetic dentist.

1. Verify the qualifications and education of the cosmetic dentist. Your dentist must hold certification by the regional or state board. He or she must have earned his or her degree in dentistry from dental schools accredited by the ADA Commission.

2. It is also important that your cosmetic dentist has the license to practice in your state. You can verify if your cosmetic dentist is licensed to practice in your state by referring to the local dental society. You can also check if the name of your cosmetic dentist is included in the roster provide by the AADE.

3. Inquire about the record of continuing education of your dentist. verify memberships in professional organizations, associations and societies.

4. Verify if there are many complaints and pending cases lodged against your cosmetic dentist. For obvious reasons, you should fully investigate the competence and integrity of your cosmetic dentist.

Once you have done all the verification of the dentist’s background, you can then proceed to arrange for an initial consultation with your best candidate. This is the most important part of the selection process as the consultation will help to establish what you can expect with regard to your needs for the services of a skilled cosmetic dentist.