In our New York dental office in Tribeca, we are sometimes asked if we have a cosmetic dentist or we specialize in cosmetic dentistry. This is a difficult and somewhat misleading question to answer correctly. Most people go see a dentist because they want to maintain or improve their appearance. Our practice specializes in treating advanced dental aesthetic and restorative cases.
Any dental work from simple such as teeth whitening to sophisticate such as dental implant placement can be thought as “cosmetic dentistry”. American Dental Association, the oldest and most prestigious association for American dentists, doesn’t recognize “cosmetic dentist” as a dental specialty. There is no residency for “cosmetic dentistry” post-dental school where a new graduate can receive specific training unlike those available for such specialties such as periodontists, prosthodontists, endodontists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons. We think periodontists, prosthodontists, and orthodontists come closest to the definition often ascribed to cosmetic dentistry. All these three specialties require three years of additional training. Periodontists such as Dr. Moldovan, are experts in treating gum (periodontal) disease, prosthodontists, such as Dr. Malkin, are experts in the restoration and replacement of teeth, and orthodontists treat improper bites and crooked teeth. Our Tribeca Advanced Dentistry New York office have both periodontist and prosthodontists who often work as a team to treat complex cases such as an all-on-4 procedure to replace diseased and broken teeth and immediately load dental implants. We believe it’s important that patients, especially in complex and difficult dental cases, are treated by dental experts with advanced post-graduate training.