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Cosmetic Dentistry
Not a specialty. Any licensed dentist may advertise cosmetic work, which makes this the part of dentistry where the gap between the marketing and the training is widest.
Cosmetic dentistry covers everything from twenty minutes of polishing to rebuilding an entire arch, and there is no board that decides who may use the word. That is not a scandal, but it does mean the label carries almost no information.
What carries information is the order of operations. Health first, then function, then appearance. A practice that whitens and bonds over untreated gum disease has produced something that photographs well and will not last.
What we look for
Sequencing: gum health and bite addressed before elective work, documented in that order. The most conservative option that solves the problem, offered first — contouring before bonding, bonding before veneers. Finished cases photographed years later under consistent lighting, rather than a gallery of the week each case was completed. Continuing education in aesthetics that is more than a weekend certificate. And case notes that record what the patient asked for, which is often narrower than what was proposed.
Questions worth asking
What is the least you could do that would fix this? The answer tells you whether you are being sold a treatment or offered a solution.
What needs treating before we do anything cosmetic? If the answer is nothing at all, ask how that was established.
Can I see cases like mine at five years? Anyone can show a photograph taken the day the work was finished. Longevity is the whole question with elective work.
What maintenance does this commit me to? Whitening fades, composite stains, ceramic needs care. Ask what the next ten years cost, not just this appointment.
Where we've reviewed cosmetic dentists.
No city has completed a review for this procedure yet. Every market is open to nomination.
Nobody is listed for this yet.
We only list dentists where the review has actually been completed. Nominate a dentist and this page becomes the first market covered.
Cosmetic Dentistry.
Is cosmetic dentistry a recognized specialty?
No. In most jurisdictions there is no cosmetic dentistry board and no restriction on the term, so any licensed dentist may advertise it. Judge the individual clinician's training, documented cases and peer reputation rather than the label.
Will whitening work on my teeth?
It depends on why they are discolored. Surface and age-related yellowing usually responds well. Intrinsic staining from trauma, tetracycline or fluorosis often responds poorly, and repeated whitening is unlikely to change that — which is worth establishing with your own dentist before you start paying for it.
How do I judge a cosmetic dentist without being able to judge the dentistry?
Look at what they decline, how conservative their first suggestion is, whether they show you long-term rather than same-day results, and whether other dentists refer aesthetic cases to them. That last one is hard to manufacture.