Is there such a thing as a cosmetic dentist?

Are there cosmetic dentists?

While cosmetic dental procedures are incredibly popular and some dentists may choose to focus on cosmetic procedures, there is no such thing as a 'cosmetic dentist.'

What cosmetic procedures can my dentist perform?

If your dentist decides to offer cosmetic procedures at their clinic, you may be wondering which procedures would be beneficial to your smile. Teeth whitening, dental veneers, crowns, dental bonding, and inlays or onlays are some of the cosmetic procedures commonly offered at dental clinics.

Your dentist may be able to perform these procedures, but that does not make specifically make them a 'cosmetic dentist' as that is not a recognized dental specialty in Canada.

What Dental Specialties are recognized in Canada?

There are nine recognized dental professions in Canada. The Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) reviews and accredits the education programs in those nine dental specialties. 

These are the nine dental professions:

Dental Public Health - Dental Public Health is concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and control of dental diseases and the promotion of oral health through organized community efforts.

Endodontics - Endodontics is a branch of dentistry that focuses on the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the dental pulp and periradicular tissues. Its study and practice include basic clinical sciences such as normal pulp biology and the etiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries to the pulp and associated tissues.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - This branch and specialty of dentistry is concerned with and includes the diagnosis, surgical, and supplementary treatment of disorders, diseases, injuries, and defects involving the functional and aesthetic aspects of the mouth's hard and soft tissues and related structures.

Oral Medicine and Pathology - This dental specialty is concerned with the diagnosis, nature, and primarily non-surgical management of oral, maxillofacial, and TMJ diseases and disorders, as well as dental management of patients with medical complications. This specialty's applied components include oral medicine and oral pathology.

Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology - This dental specialty entails the prescription, creation, and interpretation of diagnostic images for the diagnosis and management of craniofacial diseases and disorders.

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics - These dentists specialize in the supervision, guidance, and correction of developing or mature dentofacial structures, as well as the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of any abnormalities associated with these structures.

Pediatric Dentistry - Pediatric dentists provide a primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health diagnosis, care, and consultative expertise to infants, children, and adolescents of all ages, including those with special care needs.

Periodontics - This specialty is concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions affecting the supporting and surrounding tissues of teeth or their substitutes, as well as the preservation of health, function, and appearance.

Prosthodontics - Prosthodontists diagnose, restore, and maintain the patient's oral function, comfort, appearance, and health by restoring natural teeth and/or replacing missing teeth and oral tissues with artificial substitutes.

If you would like to learn more about cosmetic procedures performed by our Woodbridge dentists, contact us today.