I want a smile makeover. My dentist told me he was just certified to place Lumineers and they’re great for makeovers. While he’s the dentist and likely knows best, I can’t get past this nagging feeling that if he just became certified he’ll be practicing on me. He can’t have been doing it long. Should I look elsewhere or am I worrying over nothing?

Anna B.

Dear Anna,

Your gut feeling is serving you well. First, let’s talk about certification with Lumineers. Their only requirement for certification is for the dentist to attend a seminar. There is no evaluation of his actual skill as a cosmetic dentist.

Another thing to be concerted about is that this particular brand of porcelain veneers is often marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being “easy” to place.

They say that because they are slightly thinner than some other brands. Because of that, they contend that there is no need for tooth preparation. While this sometimes works out, in many cases it makes the smile look too bulky.

What Do You Want From a Cosmetic Dentist

Think of cosmetic dentistry as an art form. It takes experience and some natural artistic skill. You can have two artists creating the same sculpture and one will likely be more beautiful than the other.

You want both an artistic and experienced cosmetic dentist, who is a true artist.

What I’d like you to do is an internet search for a list of cosmetic dentists in your area. Then, check out their smile gallery. Make sure it’s their own work and not stock photos. If you don’t like what you see, move on. The work in their smile gallery should be something they’re proud of.

If they’re proud of it but you’re unimpressed, that’s not the dentist for you. If you find some dentists whose work you love, the next step would be to check their reviews on sites such as Google Reviews and Yelp!. It’s always useful to know if patients who’ve actually used them felt they had a good experience.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam.