Cosmetic Dentistry Is Not a Recognized Dental Specialty

Dentists are opposed to the cosmetic dentist getting a separate specialty, according to a survey by dental practice marketing resource The Wealthy Dentist. Most already practice some form of cosmetic dentistry, and general dentists want to be able to continue to offer their patients cosmetic options. Only 11% expressed the opinion that it is time that cosmetic dentistry be recognized as its own specialty. (The American Dental Association does not currently recognize a “cosmetic dentist” category.)

Finding cosmetic dental patients is often easiest via dental web page design. Most dentists already perform some cosmetic procedures. Survey comments suggest that they don’t want to lose their ability to perform these procedures, and they’re not eager to jump through any administrative hoops in order to get board certification. “We do not need to give the government more money,” said a general dentist from California. “Every dentist thinks about cosmetics when delivering any restoration to a patient.” An Alaska dentist opined, “The ADA needs to open up more areas for specialty consideration, but cosmetic dentistry is not one of them.”

Many doctors scoffed at the idea of cosmetic dentistry as separate from other forms of dentistry. An Iowa periodontist commented, “All specialties (and general practice) have cosmetic elements.” “All dentists are cosmetic dentists!” insists a Florida orthodontist.

“The term ‘cosmetic dentistry’ is marketing - every dentist practices it,” said a Michigan doctor. A New York dentist remarked, “I do better cosmetic dentistry than the local guys who spend a fortune to advertise and boast they are leaders in the field.” A Virginia dentist asked, “Should we limit the use of the term ‘cosmetic’ in practice promotions? Yes!”

Some did feel that regulation would help ensure quality. “Everyone today is a cosmetic dentist,” said a California doctor. “As with any specialty, any dentist could still provide cosmetic dentistry services, but they could not claim to be a specialist, which is every cosmetic dentist’s claim today. This would give the public another criterion in deciding who they want to provide their cosmetic services.”

“Anyone offering ‘full-mouth makeovers’ should already have a specialty - it’s called prosthodontics!” pointed out a California dentist. A Mississippi dentist and dental professor had a similar thought: “Prosthodontics could engulf cosmetic dentistry. If anything, we should make general dentistry a specialty as medicine has done for family practice. I graduated in 1970, and the body of knowledge in dentistry has multiplied many times. Perhaps, like medicine, dentistry should require a residency for licensure.”

“The dirty little secret about ‘cosmetic dentistry’ is that it probably has more to do with a good ceramist than a good dentist,” wrote an Ohio doctor. A prosthodontist from Georgia went even further: “My definition of a cosmetic dentist is a mediocre operator with an excellent lab, doing mostly unnecessary treatment on healthy tissues, charging too much for services, and failing to inform patients of the risks.”

“One way or another, cosmetic dentistry will continue to play an increasing role in modern dental care,” commented The Wealthy Dentist founder Jim Du Molin. “Who exactly will ‘own’ cosmetic dental care is a contentious issue. These survey results clearly show that few dentists want to get out of the cosmetic dentist business!”