I am about to get four dental implants on my front teeth, but I want them to look beautiful. I’ve been doing research and read that I need to have a porcelain and not a porcelain fused to metal crown or they will look ugly.  My dentist is talking about putting crowns (not implants) on the two adjacent teeth in order to make sure everything matches. I realized after reading that we never talked about what type of dental crowns he’s planning on using. I should talk to him about that before moving forward. What else should I be looking into?

Catherine

Dear Catherine,

I am very glad you wrote. You are correct that you want all-porcelain crowns. For front teeth, it is essential.  You mentioned something else that has concerned me, however. You said your dentist is planning on placing two extra (and if I understand correctly, unnecessary) dental crowns on your adjacent teeth in order to get everything to match.  That is a particularly bad sign that tells me this dentist is inexperienced in cosmetic dentistry.

Neither the cosmetic or dental implant fields are recognized specialties. This means that any general dentist can do the procedures regardless of the amount of training they’ve received. For cosmetic dentistry, this means people spending a fortune for smiles that end up disappointing at best. For dental implants, it has become one of the leading litigated malpractice procedures. For some patients, that has led to serious complications, including losing part of their jaw.

You are going to need to find a dentist who has both dental implant and cosmetic training. Because it is your front teeth, I would start with the cosmetic qualifications and then look for someone on that list who also has the right dental implant training.

Finding the Right Dentist for Your Implants

My suggestion is to find a dentist who has reach accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are among the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They have passed stringent exams proving their technical knowledge about every facet of the procedures. Then they had to pass an examination board that carefully looked at before and after results of a large number of cases they’ve worked on to prove that not only can they translate that knowledge to their practical skill, but they also have the artistry to create beautiful results.

Once you’ve made a list of AACD accredited dentists you are willing to travel to use, look at their dental implant qualifications. Ideally, they will have done post-doctoral studies at one of the following institutions:

• Dawson Academy
• Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
• The Kois Center

There are others, but these three are among the top.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.