Scott Greenhalgh DDS - Cosmetic Dentistry

Friday, April 16, 2010

Everyone is NOT a Cosmetic Dentist

Simply put: Everyone is not a cosmetic dentist.

I appreciate the opportunity to invade your thoughts for a few moments with my blogs. After practicing for over twenty years as a cosmetic dentist in Denver, I find I have a lot of opinions about how cosmetic dentistry is done.

I think there is a lot to the adage: "If you can't say something nice about someone, then don't say anything at all". I have had some great mentors in cosmetic dentistry along the way. The GREAT ones, were not only outstanding clinical dentists, but beyond that they were a class act: in how they spoke, in how they handled "dumb" questions, and in how they taught. Those are the characteristics that I aspire to.

I rarely make negative comments about other dentists. I don't think that serves the profession of dentistry very well, and also, it puts patients to the side of the conversation, rather than in the middle where they should be.

Simply put: Everyone is not a cosmetic dentist. Many WANT

to be, many TRY to be, but few actually produce amazing smiles, or perform profound services. I saw a gentlemen for a consultation recently. he had BIG spaces between many of his teeth. When he grew up, some of the teeth moved into the wrong spots. MANY difficult alignment problems. A very difficult plan.

A real cosmetic dentist has the goal to create a REAL result. A smile that will fit that person's personality and lifestyle. When the veneers are done, our patient ought to feel like WOW, that's amazing. I can't believe I waited this long to have this done!

And off they go, smiling at everyone and anyone they meet (stop by and visit our smile gallery with before and after photos to see some of these transformations!).

For this gentleman, his care starts with the right smile design. It's my job to listen to him, find out what he REALLY wants, and find the easiest route to deliver it to him. The smile design process has to include: his preferences, comfort options during his care, and clear communication about what the results are predicted to look like (by using a smile simulation).

Many dentists can fix teeth, many can make veneers, or a smile makeover. But unfortunately, not all dentists can perform the whole of cosmetic dentistry. I invite you to come see the difference a cosmetic dentist can make (contact us today!).

Labels: before and after photos, cosmetic dentist Denver, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dentistry, Denver cosmetic dentist, Dr. Scott Greenhalgh DDS, Smile gallery, smile makeover