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	What to Look for in a Cosmetic Dentist To provide cosmetic dentistry to the public, cosmetic oriented dentists acquire additional training by attending half day/full day/weekend seminars throughout North America. Dentists who are committed to cosmetic dentistry also attend hands-on-workshops or structured curriculae throughout North America to gain and develop the skills necessary to provide the best possible care for the public. Although Cosmetic Dentistry is not yet recognized as a dental specialty, dentists committed to cosmetic excellence will travel the globe to world renowned educational facilities (The Dawson Center, Seattle Institute For Advanced Dental Studies, The Pankey Institute, etc) to increase their skills and training. It is typical for the esthetic/cosmetic oriented dentists to surpass the required educational requirements for provincial/federal licensure. Being focused and committed to the cause of cosmetics, many invest large amounts of time, effort and money into their specialized skill sets. In time, Cosmetic Dentistry will gain the "Specialty Status" as did orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, etc. The Canadian Academy of Cosmetic Dentisty (CACD) will actively promote the educational and Hands-On-Workshop route to help develop a well planned template system for aspiring dentists to follow. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD)(www.aacd.com) is the world's largest non-profit academy for cosmetic dentistry. With over 7,000 active members globally, the AACD has laid the foundation for excellence in cosmetic dentistry. With many committees and boards and utilizing the democratic process, the AACD has provided the framework to establish itself as the voice for cosmetic dentistry on an international scale. Annually, the AACD holds an annual conference within North America. Dentists who are serious about delivering cosmetic excellence to the general public, regularily attend these conference/workshops. The courses offered at these conferences aid dentists in updating their knowledge base and skills. Some years ago, the AACD created two processes called "Accreditation Status" and "Fellowship Status" The accreditation process involves many months/years of intense study and education, the completion of exams, and treatment of patients with specific esthetic problems. This information is then submitted for evaluation to a panel of specialized dental examiners who grade the dentists on their ability to restore the patients' smiles to a natural form. The "Accreditation" process is the most difficult credential to acquire in dentistry. It has also become to be recognized as the premier credentials for cosmetic dentistry. In Canada, 16 dentists have have been granted this status as of Dec 2005. Presently, only 244 dentists have been granted this status globally. AACD - General Members Only Membership in the AACD is divided into various levels. By submitting a small registration fee annually, dentists are recognized as members of the AACD. These members generally attend the annual conference to increase their knowledge of cosmetic dentistry. AACD - Sustaining Member Dentists actively pursuing the Accreditation Status after completing a written examination are referred to as sustaining members. AACD - Accreditation Status Dentists seeking accreditation must complete five (5) distinct cosmetic cases on patients using different techniques to achieve the natural looking smile. These dentists must also provide written reports on all cases to be reviewed by a panel of accredited specially trained examiners. The identity of the dentist seeking accreditation is kept secret from the examining board to prevent bias. Once the dentist seeking accredition receives approval on the remitted cases, he/she must now defend the provided thesis personally in front of the board. AACD - Fellowship Following Accreditation, the highest level of distinction offered by the AACD is Fellowship Status (50 cases). An elite group of Accredited Members pursue Fellowship each year which further proves a member's dedication to the art and science of cosmetic dentistry. To date only 33 dentists globally have achieved this honor. How does this affect the CACD? The Canadian Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (CACD) is presently working on a "Canadian" versions of Accredition and Fellowship. As the CACD is affiliated with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Accreditation process has been adopted to recognize our own Canadian dentists who have achieved this honor. Not every Cosmetic Dentist chooses to participate in the Accreditation process with the AACD. Many others may participate in other associations or institutes focussing on Cosmetic Dentistry. A wide and varied background in this subject provides the Cosmetic Dentist with an assortment of information that may be utilized in the most challenging of cases. Currently,as you may flip through the Yellow Pages (print or online) you may notice most ads include the usage of the words "cosmetic dentistry". Currently, any dentist can utilize this above phrase to market their practice. But the question to ask is "Does your Dentist have the extra qualifications and training to provide you with better service, more effective techniques, and the results you are looking for?" When looking for a dentist to perform your cosmetic dentistry we suggest the following: 1. Check our "Listings by Region" section to see if the Dentist is listed, and find their educational and accreditation status. 2. Ask the dentist to show you before and after photographs of cases that they have completed. Also ask if you may speak to some patients who have had similar treatment. 3. Ask the dentist about his/her affiliation with existing Cosmetic Dentistry educational societies, such as the Canadian Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (CACD), American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), International Federation of Esthetic Dentsitry (IFED) or the Toronto Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (TACD). 4. Ask the dentist if he/she regularly attends national cosmetic conferences from the groups listed in number 3. 5. Ask the dentist if your type of problem is something that they treat regularly. A dentist who has a practice concentrating on Cosmetic Dentistry will be completing several of these cases per week, as opposed to a General Family Dental practice which may be only treating one case per month. 6. If you agree to have treatment completed by the dentist of your choice, expect a very thorough examination including x-rays, photographs and study models to be taken. After which a thorough discussion of the treatment required should follow. The dentist may also offer a cosmetic preview in the form of computer imaging/simulation, waxing the study model of the potential treatment or even providing a preview in your own mouth by using plastic filling material to pretend to lengthen teeth or close gaps. 7. When discussing treatment with a dentist who has advanced training in cosmetics, ensure that you feel comfortable with the explanation and treatment plan. The discussion should entail an understanding of the existing problems and a description of the procedures required to treat the problem. Often the dentist will indulge in qualities of the natural smile. The goal of a dentist (with the specilized training in cosmetics)is to provide cosmetic work that looks like it belongs to you. This involves incorporating shape and color of teeth that match your face, your gender and your age. Unfortunatley there are always some limitations. The restrictions should be discussed with you in detail along with another option in case the ideal proposal cannot be accomplished. Your expectation of the end result should be reasonable based on the information given to you at the time of the initial consultations. 8. The dentist with advanced training will discuss more than your teeth with you. Many aspects of the mouth and face are incorporated in creating a new smile. For instances, the gum line will be drawn to your attention. The bite will be discussed, along with the position of the jaws. Even the lips that frame the teeth will be important to the disucssion. The dentist (with advanced training) has specialized training in all of these areas and will work with you to create the smile you have always dreamed of. 9. Be careful if you are shopping by price. In order for the dentist (with advanced skills in cosmetics) to make your teeth look their best, considerable amount of work must be completed, their highly trained staff, other Dental Specialists and the dental laboratory. All of these individuals involved have received advanced training in Cosmetic Dentistry. This extra time and expertise generally will cost extra, and this will result in a higher fee than that quoted by the General Practitioner's Fee Guide or Basic Dental Insurance. 10. If you are still unsure, just contact us at registrar@cacd.net and we will be happy to help you.