Ensure Your Cosmetic Dentist Has Advanced, Live Person Training

A Bridgeport, CT woman was awarded $198,000 because a cosmetic dentist promised her a "celebrity" smile but what she got instead was "horse teeth."

I won't comment on whether or not the dentist in question was competent.

What really matters is that as a consumer, you must ensure your dentist (and any medical professional) is licensed and has undergone rigorous live-person training in all procedures.

Any dentist can say he or she specializes in veneers, but what does this mean?

Does the dentist have live-patient training in advanced procedures from institutions such as the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies or the Rosenthal Institute?

Has he or she been trained to fully evaluate the patient, including the patient's facial structure and teeth shape?

Does he or she perform procedures with exacting detail? Sure, any dentist can perform a simple veneer procedure, but is the dentist measuring gums and teeth down to the exact millimeter?

Does he or she work with a trained ceramist in order to ensure natural looking teeth color? (And, when dentists are pressed to make their production number, do they even find it worthwhile to take this extra time?)

As a consumer, you must, must, must research your dental professional and his/her training and experience BEFORE you lay thousands of dollars on the table.

It's very easy to believe in dentists' radio and TV ads . . . but the results -- a poorly designed smile that looks unnatural and lasts only a few years -- speak for themselves.