I would like to make several points. Firstly, there will always be people within the profession who feel that treating the appearance of the smile is frivolous and simply a money-making scheme, despite the important benefits it provides the patient (ask any of the recipients of the AACD’s Give Back a Smile program!). Modern dentistry allows us to marry beauty and function.
Secondly, I disagree that one has to be a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to be skilled at assessing the balance and overall esthetics of the face. In fact, any dentist who provides quality aesthetic dentistry MUST be skilled in this area or risk doing their patient a major disservice. There is nothing in specialty medical training per se that gives a dermatologist or surgeon an artistic eye. The ability to assess balance and esthetics, while innate in some people, is a learned skill that is taught in many classes outside medical school.
Janet Roberts, BSc, DMD
