When Do I Need a Second Opinion for My Smile Reconstruction?

A smile makeover is a very sophisticated process requiring expertise, experience, and extensive attention to detail. To begin with, you need to feel comfortable that the general dentist or prosthodontic specialist has a comprehensive understanding of your specific problem in relation to your complete dentition.

Too often, patients come to us at Prosthetic Dentistry of Washington, D.C. (PDWDC), a prosthodontic specialty practice, who have received a smile makeover opinion without having had adequate records taken. This is problematic because there are often other issues such as failing root canal therapy, bone loss, or decay that would dramatically affect the long-term prognosis of the proposed smile reconstruction. The appropriate records, when considering a smile makeover, include comprehensive X-rays and examination, models, digital photography, and, when implants are involved, a CBCT scan.

Some of the following questions need to be answered to your satisfaction before you embark on smile reconstruction therapy:

• Has the general dentist or prosthodontist obtained the complete records outlined above?
• Have you been presented with a thorough treatment plan?
• Have you been shown examples of prior work similar to your anticipated therapy that have been performed in that practice?
• Will you be receiving custom dental crowns or veneers, or are they being milled in a software program?
• Is the practice using its own custom dental lab or a commercial one to create your smile reconstruction? Second only to the expertise of the practitioner is whether the general dentist or prosthodontic specialist is using a state-of-the-art dental lab, with an in-house laboratory being ideal.

If you feel that you have unresolved questions, you should obtain a second opinion before committing to the proposed smile makeover treatment plan.

In this smile makeover example, the patient was not satisfied with her overall look, which was significantly affected by her extensively discolored teeth. Simply put, her beautiful eyes and facial structure were being dominated by her imperfect smile line. She was quite excited by the smile reconstruction driven by “simply radiant, simply natural” crowns, which enhanced her natural beauty.

Schedule Your Washington, D.C. Smile Makeover Consultation

As a greatly skilled prosthodontist, Dr. Gerald Marlin takes every measure to ensure that you understand your treatment plan and feel comfortable with it. That is why many patients visit our practice for a second opinion on services proposed elsewhere.

Schedule a virtual or in-office smile makeover consultation today by calling 202-244-2101. Prosthetic Dentistry of Washington, D.C. serves Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Arlington, and nearby areas of Maryland and Virginia.