ADA, AACD, OMG, LOL… there are tons of acronyms out there, but the most important one that applies to cosmetic dentistry is AACD. AACD stands for The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Most professions have organizations that members of a particular field can join and in turn enjoy all sorts of benefits. If you’re thinking, I have no idea what that means or why I should care, let me break it down for you.

Per the AACD website, “The AACD is dedicated to advancing excellence in the art and science of cosmetic dentistry and encouraging the highest standards of ethical conduct and responsible patient care”. This might be the perfect time for another acronym: WTF?

If I may be so bold as to restate their mission statement in layman’s terms, I’d say their goal is to provide their members with the necessary tools so we, their patients, will receive the best possible care. The AACD wants to make sure we walk out of our dentist’s offices with winning smiles instead of a snaggle-tooth grin. By becoming a member of the AACD, cosmetic dentists gain access to a wide variety of resources and benefits to assist in their professional growth. Some of these benefits include:

• Annual conferences where all the members meet at some fancy shmancy resort that I could never afford to stay at and proceed to be instructed by the top educators in their field. They also get an opportunity to do some fun hands-on training. Who’s up for Veneers?
• Availability of a forum where experts can bounce ideas off of each other and share their knowledge with their peers. Sort of like an AOL chat room, except a lot less fun. And for dentists.
• The most up-to-date dental journals with information regarding the latest research and results.
• Discounts on a variety of dental publications. Who doesn’t like to save a buck?
• So why should you care if your cosmetic dentist is an AACD member? You should care because there are cosmetic dentists out there who graduated from dental school and then made no effort to keep up with the latest technologies and advancements. That could translate into a cosmetic dentist making an abstract art piece out of your mouth instead of a Picasso.

Here is a video of some great cosmetic dentistry before and afters.

By choosing a dentist who belongs to the AACD, you can rest assured your cosmetic dentist has been required to meet the highest standard of service and that they’re committed to continually improving their knowledge and skill set. In other words, no disfigured mouth for you!

Now that one less acronym is a mystery to you and you understand what being a member of the AACD means, you’re better equipped to evaluate which cosmetic dentist is right for you. YMMV.