Cosmetic Dentistry

Establishing an outstanding elective cosmetic dentistry practice is easier to do today than at any time in the past twenty-five years.  Technological advances, patient desire and professional receptivity have all spiked at the same time. However, the one obstacle that holds many patients back from enhancing their smile is – you can guess it - the relatively high fee associated with porcelain veneers.

THE SET-UP "Fractured ceramic crowns are an everyday problem in dental practice. It is not always feasible or cost effective to replace the ceramic restoration for the patient if a repair can be made using composite resin. In this article, a new self adhering flowable composite, Vertise Flow, will be used to demonstrate a simplified approach to porcelain repair that does not require the use of Hydrofluoric acid or silane priming." -Dr. Robert A. Lowe, team lead

November 5, 2010 | dentalproductsreport.com Esthetic dentistry is one of the most desired services the dental profession has to offer patients. But only a fraction of potential cosmetic cases are being done. But you can increase patient awareness and acceptance of cosmetic dentistry cases. Here’s how:

Cosmetic dentistry is one of the few services the dental profession has to offer that is “want” based. You may have heard the expression, “people buy what they want and rationalize it as what they need.” But dentists and team members do not like to sell. The good news is you don’t have to.

For many years I have been asking my patients to complete the following statement:  The best cosmetic dentistry is ____?  You can imagine some of the responses I have heard.  Some have been quite amusing. 

If you are looking to be the "the best cosmetic dentist" and learn how to avoid problems other cosmetic dentists encountered on their journey, you will enjoy reading this edition.

In the last edition of Best Cosmetic Dentistry Practices I discussed the 7 Steps to help your patients understand how recent advances in cosmetic dental technology can directly benefit them. With the Holidays upon us I want to add to those suggestions and share a few thoughts on how you can help your patient's have a radiant, self-confident smile when they are at family gatherings, office parties or simply celebrating the season with friends. Give back

Bad economy or not, patients still want to look good. And with so many options and more awareness about what it can do for their smile, many patients are turning to professional whitening to give their smile that little something extra. In the September 2010 DPR Cosmetic Survey, 55% of dentists said chairside whitening is the cosmetic dentistry procedure that has been most profitable for their practice.

Teeth whitening kits are popping up at shopping mall kiosks, cosmetic departments and beauty salons. Is it legal?

01 What experience do you bring to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry?

In last months issue of Best Cosmetic Dentistry Practices I introduced the Silverman Institute’s Cosmetic Dentistry Boot Camp program and how you can use some of the systems I teach in Boot Camp to transform your cosmetic practice in one day. However, one of the essential ingredients in accomplishing this goal is the ability to determine predictable results with less stress before you expand your cosmetic program. In Boot Camp I teach dentists exactly how to do that.

The set-up

There is no material in the history of dentistry that has undergone as much evolution as composite resin. The face of restorative dentistry changed forever when successful bonding to dentin was achieved. Since then, the goal of clinical and material science has been to find simple, predictable approaches to the composite restorative process.

You can't use the economy as an excuse. Just because the economy is down doesn't mean you shouldn't offer your patients the best possible care, or that you should assume they can't afford that care. It just means you and your team have to work a little harder to educate your patients about their options, and that includes veneers.

Has the economic downturn negatively impacted patients’ ability to afford smile makeover procedures? If you work on Main Street the answer is most likely, “of course it has!" In this edition of Best Cosmetic Dentistry Practices, I will share with you seven action steps that will help your patients understand how recent advances in cosmetic dental technology directly benefit them. The result will be more patients leaving your office with renewed self-confidence and feeling empowered when they are in business or social situations.

A team at the Vienna University of Technology recently set a speed record for 3D printing on a nano-scale with a new "two-photon lithography" technology that uses a focused laser to print solid objects from a liquid resin.

When John Lennon's tooth went up for auction, Canadian dentist Michael Zuk realized he had to have it.

It's been a good fall season for Barbara W. Wojdan, CDT, AAACD. In September she was named as one of Dental Products Report's Top 25 Women in Dentistry, and in early October she named President of Knight Dental Group.

The new movie "Contagion" is being marketed as a big-budget thriller about the rapid spread of a new infectious disease, but for The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), the film's launch is a teachable moment and a major opportunity to raise awareness of how proper infection control procedures can help prevent the movie's fictional story from becoming prescient to a real-world catastrophe.