There is a magazine in Denver that published the same information. But when
I called the "best cosmetic dentist in Denver" they informed me that the
original dentist is not accepting any new patients and his practice was
taken over by another dentist, but that the original dentist would not have
done that unless the new dentist was very, very good.

The new dentist was a quack who loosened a crown during a routine exam.  So
people will do anything for money, especially if they are retiring. Beware.

    There is no one best doc in town.  The best one for you is the one who
is caring, empathetic, spends time determining what is best for what
your particular needs are, considering your clinical picture, special
requests, time and money issues.  He/she knows what they can do, and
(maybe more important) what they cannot do well, and when to refer.
    First off, they have to be able to sit down with you and determine if
what you are looking for is realistic, and where is the best place for
you to get as close to the best result you can--keeping in mind your
past history, current condition, general health, capacity to spend the
required time in the chair, ability to prioritize treatment.
    I have had patients that I discover (better sooner, but unfortunately
sometimes later) would be better served going to another dentist, and I
refer them.  There is no magic here, and the fact that you apparently
have a complicated situation increases the chances that there is no one
magic dentist who is going to solve all your dental problems.
    But if you have a competend, caring individual who is truly committed
to getting you what you want (within the limits of what is good clinical
dentistry), they will do their best to get you from here to there.

Steve

Steve has given good advice here -- be sure to read both of his
replies.

One idea would be to check with a good prosthodontist. But again, the
problem is choosing WHICH prosthodontist. So it might be wise to simply
get evaluations and treatment plans from a couple of different
prosthodontists, as well as some general dentists too.

Multiple exams and treatment plans should start to form a pattern of
what is possible for your treatment, and what the best choices might
be.

Who is in charge of the "peer reviews?" It's quite possible that the
results are skewed according to who was invited to make the reviews.

I thought so; then, I found

Some of the very best dentists in my city are NOT booked months in
advance. They do not advertise loudly, they prefer to keep their
practices low-key and concentrate on the patient's treatment, not on
marketing.

And some of the worst dentists are fully booked, as they spend all
their time with buying advertising and exposure -- instead of investing
their time in their patients.

Many of the busiest dental offices in this region are busy because they
are cheap, sloppy, and have huge insurance contracts. The insurance
companies love them because they can ram a large volume of patients
through the mill in record time.

In my opinion it is better to avoid the offices that are busy-busy, and
aim for a dentist who has time to devote to you.

The more I think about it, the

You have a lot of company. Finding a good dentist can be complex.

You're not paranoid. Yet, you do have control over the consequences as
you have the freedom in this country to visit as many dentists as you
want before you make your selections. Many countries with state-run
health plans prohibit that, and you would be stuck with whatever the
local authorities want for you.

With a complex dental case, my advice is to obtain as many second
opinions as you are able, and to follow the advice of Steve regarding
the type of dentist that would be best for your health in the long run.

Best regards,
- dentaldoc

Steve has given good advice here -- be sure to read both of his
replies.

One idea would be to check with a good prosthodontist. But again, the
problem is choosing WHICH prosthodontist. So it might be wise to simply
get evaluations and treatment plans from a couple of different
prosthodontists, as well as some general dentists too.

Multiple exams and treatment plans should start to form a pattern of
what is possible for your treatment, and what the best choices might
be.

Who is in charge of the "peer reviews?" It's quite possible that the
results are skewed according to who was invited to make the reviews.

I thought so; then, I found

Some of the very best dentists in my city are NOT booked months in
advance. They do not advertise loudly, they prefer to keep their
practices low-key and concentrate on the patient's treatment, not on
marketing.

And some of the worst dentists are fully booked, as they spend all
their time with buying advertising and exposure -- instead of investing
their time in their patients.

Many of the busiest dental offices in this region are busy because they
are cheap, sloppy, and have huge insurance contracts. The insurance
companies love them because they can ram a large volume of patients
through the mill in record time.

In my opinion it is better to avoid the offices that are busy-busy, and
aim for a dentist who has time to devote to you.

The more I think about it, the

You have a lot of company. Finding a good dentist can be complex.

You're not paranoid. Yet, you do have control over the consequences as
you have the freedom in this country to visit as many dentists as you
want before you make your selections. Many countries with state-run
health plans prohibit that, and you would be stuck with whatever the
local authorities want for you.

With a complex dental case, my advice is to obtain as many second
opinions as you are able, and to follow the advice of Steve regarding
the type of dentist that would be best for your health in the long run.

Best regards,
- dentaldoc

Steve has given good advice here -- be sure to read both of his
replies.

One idea would be to check with a good prosthodontist. But again, the
problem is choosing WHICH prosthodontist. So it might be wise to simply
get evaluations and treatment plans from a couple of different
prosthodontists, as well as some general dentists too.

Multiple exams and treatment plans should start to form a pattern of
what is possible for your treatment, and what the best choices might
be.

Who is in charge of the "peer reviews?" It's quite possible that the
results are skewed according to who was invited to make the reviews.

I thought so; then, I found

Some of the very best dentists in my city are NOT booked months in
advance. They do not advertise loudly, they prefer to keep their
practices low-key and concentrate on the patient's treatment, not on
marketing.

And some of the worst dentists are fully booked, as they spend all
their time with buying advertising and exposure -- instead of investing
their time in their patients.

Many of the busiest dental offices in this region are busy because they
are cheap, sloppy, and have huge insurance contracts. The insurance
companies love them because they can ram a large volume of patients
through the mill in record time.

In my opinion it is better to avoid the offices that are busy-busy, and
aim for a dentist who has time to devote to you.

The more I think about it, the

You have a lot of company. Finding a good dentist can be complex.

You're not paranoid. Yet, you do have control over the consequences as
you have the freedom in this country to visit as many dentists as you
want before you make your selections. Many countries with state-run
health plans prohibit that, and you would be stuck with whatever the
local authorities want for you.

With a complex dental case, my advice is to obtain as many second
opinions as you are able, and to follow the advice of Steve regarding
the type of dentist that would be best for your health in the long run.

Best regards,
- dentaldoc