Why you can't trust online ratings when choosing a dental professional
A surprising fact is dentists are now using private companies to beef up their online profiles to fight the problem of online slander. Patients who are upset often go online to vent their frustrations. This can sometimes be the dentist's fault but often the patient simply has a disagreeable personality and they may even have been asked to leave the office.
In other cases negative comments come from jealous competitors, disgruntled employees and patients who were sent to collections for not paying their bills. These days many people are vindictive and use this passive-aggressive outlet to get even.
Positive comments are equally unreliable because the can be coached, altered and as mentioned at the start, even fabricated by an outside company. While they may base the comments on actual patient testimonials they likely use professional staff writers trained in sales. Even actual raving fans may be foolish to rely on because they may simply love the dentist's personality and not know the treatment is suspect.
A patient may LOVE their new smile and brag endlessly about their extreme veneer makeover. What they may not know is they could have saved $24,000 if they had read the book before agreeing to the treatment.
Dental boards can be consulted but the best way to choose a dental professional is to ask a trusted family member or friend, do your homework on the type of treatment options you may need and consider a second opinion as discussed in the book. Awards, accreditation degrees, fellowships, board certification and celebrity are all unreliable ways to choose a dentist and online ratings are generally even less reliable due to the numerous factors mentioned.
HOT TIP for those with darkening/discoloring Porcelain Veneers:
If your expensive porcelain veneers are changing color, you may have leakage that should be treated ASAP. This
new technique of using a laser to remove them without more drilling could be the best idea yet. If you have this common veneer complication consider visiting this cosmetic dentist (Dr. David Hornbrook, San Diego, CA) or find one that offers this option of re-bonding after a less traumatic removal of the restoration.
Tips for Brides on how to save Money on a New Smile
You don’t have to blow your wedding budget on a new smile if you follow
the advice of a conservative smile expert. Cosmetic dentists sometimes 'think veneer' when other options are easier. While veneers may be best for some
situations the vast majority of smile challenges can be improved much
more affordably.
Here are some of the top smile makeover tips to consider:
1. Don’t wait until the last minute to think about your smile.
2. Get your basic dental health taken care of well ahead of
the big day and never plan extractions/dental injections within a few
months of the wedding. Bruising can even occur after a simple injection
because the needle can accidentally puncture a blood vessel and this can
take weeks to disappear. Why take the risk unless you need emergency
dental care?
3. Get smile whitening from a dentist before changing
fillings/veneers/crowns on your front teeth. The take-home trays work
fine but the one hour whitening (like ZOOM®) can save you some trouble
and prices have come down drastically.
4. Get a little sun. A slight suntan makes your teeth look
whiter and reduces the need for heavy foundation that can stain your
wedding gown.
5. Avoid tartar fighting toothpastes within a month of the
wedding date because for people susceptible to mouth sores they can
result in an outbreak that can make you wince.
6. Sometimes a short application of “speedy” braces can give you a new look more
conservatively than veneers (sometimes with fewer risks/costs). If longer treatment times are needed you
can have the visible brackets removed for the wedding and put back on
for a nominal fee. The gains you make prior to the wedding can be held
with a clear retainer that can be removed for the wedding and worn
intermittently during the Honeymoon!
7. Cosmetic bonding using composite (white filling material)
can look as good as, or sometimes even better than porcelain veneers in
photographs. It’s a myth that porcelain veneers are the ultimate,
nothing is better than your own healthy teeth!
8. Your gum line may be the problem and treatment can be very
easy or a little more advanced (needing the help of a periodontist).
Ask your dentist to evaluate the level of your gums in a full smile.
9. Tooth sculpting- an advanced technique is reshaping odd
shaped teeth that seem to have unusual proportions. If teeth are too
narrow they can be instantly widened with bonding and if some edges are
too long they can be reshaped, often without a needle.
10. The website called RateYouSmile.com which
offers online evaluations of your smile to help give you some
additional advice.
11. Cosmetic dentists may suggest porcelain
veneers, but don’t let the pressure of wanting to look your best make
you do something you’d regret later. Ask for three good options and
many times you’ll look fantastic with proper brushing and flossing, a
professional cleaning, affordable dentist whitening and maybe a touch
of bonding.
FRANKLY, and on the record I am overly biased against some forms of treatment because they are sometimes used when more conservative choices will suffice. I have many prejudices and opinions that are a little extreme so simply do your homework before making a big decision.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Consultant: Michael Zuk DDS, author of the book Confessions of a Former
Cosmetic Dentist, Copyright 2010. Use advice at your own risk and
consult a trusted dental professional for more information related to
your own situation.
