The Cosmetic Dentist: Communicating For Best Results

If you're thinking of visiting a cosmetic dentist for whitening, crowns, or any other procedure to beautify your smile, your primary concern should be getting ready to communicate openly and effectively. Remember, dental professionals may be wizards when it comes to making your teeth look bright, shiny, and new, but they aren't practiced in the art of psychic ability. If something is wrong, you'll need to speak up and say so. If you want results you can be proud of, you'll have to do the same. Accomplishing this doesn't require knowing everything there is to know about the subject; it just means being prepared.

Before and After Pictures

If you want to evaluate a cosmetic dentist, there are no better ways to do so than by looking at the before and after pictures of his patients. Granted, he's only going to show you the most impressive results, but this can be telling as well. If he shows you pictures that aren't particularly impressive, imagine what the other patients looked like! Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean he is a bad cosmetic dentist. It could simply mean the results of the procedure you want aren't as dramatic or pleasing as you thought. In any case, it's information you can use.

Align Your Thinking

Sometimes health professionals go on autopilot to a certain degree. Twenty patients come in wanting the exact same thing and the cosmetic dentist may assume the twenty-first (you) wants the same thing as well. This is why communication is so important. If he begins talking about results that you have no interest in and skipping over the results you really want to see, you need to speak up and tell him. Don't worry about sounding foolish or ignorant. No one expects you to have a comprehensive knowledge of dentistry when you walk in the door. If you have misconceptions, it's best to find out now.

Payment

A surprising number of patients find themselves embarrassed to ask how much this or that procedure will cost. If money is no object, you may not need to worry about it. If you're like most people, though, that price is going to matter. Don't get so far down the consultation path that you've wasted time talking about a procedure you wouldn't be able to afford on your best day. Ask your monetary questions as they come up so you can spend your time wisely. If it's a procedure you can't quite pay for but really want, inquire about financing options.