Can a practice survive on Cosmetics?

[busupshot83]

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Can an office survive on strictly cosmetic procedures?

I know it would be limiting what you do, but autonomy is one of the great aspects of this profession. 😎

 

[busupshot83]

For everyone unfamiliar with this type of dentistry:

Cosmetic Dentistry- An area of dentistry that seeks to create a more aesthetically pleasing smile. Cosmetic dentists can whiten teeth, replace missing teeth, and repair chipped teeth through a variety of cosmetic dentistry options, including tooth bleaching, porcelain veneers, dental implants, bonding, dental crowns, and bridges.

Cosmetic dentists use a variety of techniques to create a more pleasing smile. The following is a list of common cosmetic dentistry options:

Tooth whitening- there are two methods for whitening teeth: laser teeth
whitening (performed in the cosmetic dentist's office) and at-home bleaching (involving the use of take-home bleaching kits).

Porcelain veneers - a ceramic shell applied to the front of the teeth to create a whiter appearance.

Dental implants - artificial teeth used to replace missing teeth.

Bonding - the use of a tooth colored material that is applied to the teeth. It can then be polished and shaped to look like the rest of the teeth.

Dental crowns - a cap used to repair decayed or damaged teeth. The cap is shaped to look like the rest of the tooth.

Bridges - two crowns and a dental implant used to fill in a gap where a tooth is missing. The crowns are placed on the two teeth on either side of the gap, and are connected to the dental implant that fills the empty space.

In addition to the options mentioned above, another area of cosmetic dentistry is orthodontics, which uses various methods to straighten crooked teeth and repair an irregular bite. This is accomplished through the use of what are known corrective appliances, including braces and retainers. Orthodontic procedures are performed by an orthodontist and can, in some cases, take several years to achieve the end result.

 

[UBTom]

Actually, if you do "cosmetic dentistry," you are doing practically ALL aspects of clinical dentistry. Operative, Prostho (crowns, veneers, bridges), Perio (gum recontouring), Ortho, OMFS (extracting ugly broken-down unrestorable teeth, placing implants), probably endo too (ex. RCT when needed prior to placing a nice ceramic crown).

So the question "can you survive on cosmetic dentistry alone" is moot! Most GPs ARE "cosmetic" dentists!

 

[Zurich5]

I think this is a question of how good at marketing are you, and how well do you sell advanced procedures to patients, it is certainly doable, and there are a ton of dentists who do it.... mostly pita patients though.

 

[trypmo]

I think this is definitely possible. One dentist I know, rather than calling it "cosmetic dentistry" (which to some people may sound superficial) calls it "restorative dentistry" and refers people out to specialists, even just for a root canal.

Personally, I look forward to being able to do a host of different procedures as a general dentist, but exactly as you said, one great thing about this profession is the autonomy, so to each his/her own! 🙂

 

[busupshot83]

I think this is definitely possible. One dentist I know, rather than calling it "cosmetic dentistry" (which to some people may sound superficial) calls it "restorative dentistry" and refers people out to specialists, even just for a root canal.

Personally, I look forward to being able to do a host of different procedures as a general dentist, but exactly as you said, one great thing about this profession is the autonomy, so to each his/her own! 🙂

Exactly T!

I've done research on "restorative" dentistry, and the majority of them are in Cali. After visiting some of their websites, it seems many of them list the "procedures" that they do as only things pertaining to making the perfect smile.

Here's a list of some dentists in Cali that specialize in cosmetics. While feature general procedures too, some only do restorative dentistry:

http://www.dentistryfyi.com/west/california/no/health/directory/dentists/mma.html

You can find other state's dentists too here. Check it out. 😎

Personally, I think this is great. Being able to totally makeover someone's smile gives a new sense of confidence to that person. I was watching that "I want a famous face" show, and saw that they called in a dentist to make over someone's smile for the show. Good stuff.

 

[Meggs]

Can an office survive on strictly cosmetic procedures?

I know it would be limiting what you do, but autonomy is one of the great aspects of this profession. 😎

Ask that doctor from ABC's Extreme Makeover. I bet he'll know. 😛
The show's team was on Larry King the other night, and Larry ask him if he ever does regular fillings, and he made this "I don't like it face" and then said only if he needs to.

 

[busupshot83]

Ask that doctor from ABC's Extreme Makeover. I bet he'll know. 😛
The show's team was on Larry King the other night, and Larry ask him if he ever does regular fillings, and he made this "I don't like it face" and then said only if he needs to.

yeah, i saw it too

 

[DrJeff]

Ask that doctor from ABC's Extreme Makeover. I bet he'll know. 😛
The show's team was on Larry King the other night, and Larry ask him if he ever does regular fillings, and he made this "I don't like it face" and then said only if he needs to.

After having seen Bill Dorfman (the Extreme Makeover dentist) speak a number of times, I can tell you from his lectures that he doesn't place alot of "regular" fillings, and not just becuase he's 100% cosmetics (granted he had tons of before/after photos of veneer cases on Playboy Playmates(I think they came out look nice, but I wasn't exactly looking at their teeth 😀 😉 ) but he also is the President of Discus Dental which is a HUGE dental materials company(Zoom, Nite White, Splash, Breath Rx, etc) and spends alot of time in R+D and product testing, as well as the lecture circuit.

The best case I thought though that he showed in his lecture was the full mouth rehab of a full mouth rehab on Ozzy Osborne. That British dentistry that he had as a starting point was horrendous! 😱

 

[tatadds]

as I am yet to begin Dental school, I was curious how one can classify themselves as a cosmetic dentist. Is there a specialty program, like endo or ortho etc., or is it just a personal designation one can make after Dental school. Thanks

 

[drPheta]

Nope, no specialty. Cosmetic dentistry is more a description of what that specific general dentist enjoys doing most, esthetic dentistry. As a GP, you can do whatever you want within the dental field, and "cosmetic dentists" don't bother with things other than esthetics (for the most part).

Some GPs like crown and bridge, some GPs like endo. Cosmetic dentists like porcelin, ceramics, whitening, etc.