Smile Makeovers

When your car breaks down, would you just go to your friend who loves to dabble with tools to try to fix it? When your dog is sick, would you go to someone who just loves pets to figure out what's wrong? Don't you think these choices would be a big waste of time and money and that you would be extremely disappointed with the results? Of course these examples seem silly, until you realize that when it comes to enhancing your smile, perhaps you're most permanent accessory, people just go to their regular dentist, someone who at best just dabbles with cosmetics, all too often leaving frustrated and disappointed patients.

Not all dentists are alike. This is the first and most important realization that you, as potential smile makeover candidate, need to realize. Some dentists are great at treating kids. Some dentists are great at pulling teeth. Some dentists are great orthodontists, and some are great at placing dental implants. But when you are looking for a life changing, dramatic, exquisite, smile makeover dentist in Hartsdale, Rye, Scarsdale, Yorktown, or anywhere is Westchester County NY, you must realize that NOT all dentists are trained to perform cosmetic dentistry. The dentist who is great at treating kids, doing fillings, and pulling teeth, is not likely going to be the same dentist who has spent a great deal of time on training in the intricacies of dental veneers, cosmetic dental implant crowns, and smile makeovers.

When looking for a dentist to perform elective cosmetic dentistry in Westchester NY, look for a dentist with significant cosmetic dental training and actual results. This smile makeover dentist is the one who most likely will offer you the most choices and esthetic dentistry results. Here are a few important questions to have in mind when looking for a smile makeover dentist in Scarsdale, Rye, Hartsdale Yorktown, or anywhere in Westchester County NY.

Four 4 Important Questions to ask when looking for the right Cosmetic Dentist for Veneers, Smile Makeovers or Esthetic Dental Implants in Westchester County NY

"Cosmetic Dentistry" is not a formal specialty. This means any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist (as many dentists do). The main problem having a dentist who only dabbles in cosmetic dentistry perform your smile makeover can be summed up best by the old quotation "if you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail." A dentist who has not had extensive cosmetic dentistry training and who does not perform cosmetic procedures frequently may only have one option to offer all of their patients seeking cosmetic dentistry. This option a) may not be your best choices and b) may not be performed frequently enough by this dentist to be done predictably well.

1. Ask the dentist how much specific training they have in cosmetic dentistry. Was the training, a few 8 hour classes? Or does the dentist have hundreds upon hundreds of hours of actual formal training by world renowned dentists?
   
   
2. Ask the dentist to see pictures of their own cosmetic dentistry results (not a book with photos that they purchased from someone else). Ask to actually call a few of these patients, or view videos.
   
   These two simple questions should go a long way in separating general dentists from cosmetic dentists. Ask these next 2 questions to really find the best cosmetic dentist.
   
   
3. Ask if the dentist has ever been recognized by their peers (in other words, by other dentists) for their cosmetic work? Have they won cosmetic dentistry awards? Have they been chosen as a top dentist in their field?
   
   
4. This next question is really sneaky, as it will almost certainly separate dentists who routinely perform simple dentistry (ie. dental fillings, extractions, children's dentistry, etc.) from dentists who perform more highly complex, detail oriented dentistry-like cosmetic dentistry. Ask the dentist (not their receptionist, not their hygienist or assistant, but the dentist) how many patients they would like to see in an ideal day? If the dentist answers just a few (like 1-3), then you know that this dentist, day after day, week after week, focus' on more complex and detailed dentistry. This is the kind of dentist you would want to see for cosmetic dentistry.

Dr. Bard J. Levey's Smile Design Studio, located at SkinCentre in Hartsdale, Westchester NY and Croton on Hudson, is a cosmetic dental practice whose practice focus is on cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Levey has been awarded the Empress Cover Model Award and has been named Top Dentist in Westchester Magazine for several years in a row.