State dental board cracks down on ads
Thumb through a phone book and you’ll find plenty of ads in which dentists promise whiter, straighter teeth. Some even tout a “cosmetic dental practice.” Although they can advertise teeth bleaching, bonding and veneers, dentists can’t call themselves cosmetic specialists, says the Ohio State Dental Board, which oversees more than 6,100 practitioners. Cosmetic dentistry is not a specialty recognized by the state or the American Dental Association. Among specialties that are recognized: pediatric, general dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics and periodontology. State officials say advertising must be clear: They’re general dentists who provide cosmetic services. “To hold yourself out as a cosmetic dentist is to mislead the public,” said Lili C. Reitz, the board’s executive director. “There’s no standard program one would take to become a specialist in that area.”
