Dr. Santone is the best dentist I have ever had the pleasure to go to. I am a current patient of hers and have seen her for more than 5 years. I drive from San Diego to Encinitas and it's definitely worth it because of all the personal attention and caring staff, detailed dental work by Dr. Santone, and the BEST dental cleaning I have ever had in my life by the dental hygienist Bonnie and Jodi (totally thorough cleaning compared to other dentists or dental hygienists who just do some cleaning but don't get right in there to clean your teeth). I know that Bonnie and Jodi are perfectionists at getting every crack and corner of your teeth in order to make your dental cleaning complete.
Dr. Santone is a great dentist who is meticulous and does it very well, and on top of that, her cosmetic dentistry is the best of the best. She is passionate about bringing you the best smile and teeth. My story is that I had formerly 2 crowns (non-porcelain) that were done 15 years ago and had yellowed throughout the years. The 2 crowns were darker than the rest of my teeth and my smile looked awful in person and in photographs. I decided to do something about my smile and looked around at dentists who had cosmetic accreditations like the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Plus, I had an evaluation done to see what the dentist would do for my smile. The components I took in consideration:
-costs that were within my budget, would the dentist also consider that I am on a budget and do the best that they can and work with me
-what did each dentist suggest (most dentists suggested putting 4-6 crowns on my teeth with the cost of an outrageous amount $900+ for one crown)
-would they work with me to figure out plans and options
I went to a total of 5 dentists, including the famed Dr. Lawrence Addleson from the Art of Dentistry. Dr. Addleson has worked with present and future pageant girls (that's why they all have nice teeth: cosmetic dentistry). These girls usually opt to do crowns or veneers on many or most of their teeth. His work is top of the line, but that also meant that I would have to pay top of the line prices! I couldn't afford to do this.
When I went into Dr. Santone's office, she made me feel very comfortable and I would have to say she is one of the nicest and sweetest person I have ever met. She went through many options with me compared to other dentists who said I should do all crowns on 4 or more of my teeth to fill in the gaps and replacing the old crown. I finally chose a combination of:
-teeth whitening so that my teeth would be the whitest possible before getting cosmetic dental work done
-2 crowns color matched to my now whitened teeth to replace the crowns that were stained over the past 15 years, these new crowns would never stain and will last a lifetime
-bridges by using composite bonding with veneers to fill in my gaps and to make my smaller teeth look more proportional, balance, and pronounced
And the total cost of this was so much lower than all of those other places. She is a giving and understanding person who filled what I wanted and made suggestions to really make my mouth the best it could be. The results were that everywhere I went, people commented on how white and how perfect my teeth looked. A great set of teeth is so important when you're smiling. I used to not show my teeth when I smiled, but now when friends photograph me I show off my teeth and smile. In fact, my fiance has told me that I shouldn't smile widely showing my teeth all the time. It's funny!
Her commitment to doing the best dental work in cosmetic dentistry is unparalleled. She is obviously involved in using state of the art materials and continuing to learn about even better techniques. She is an Accredited Member (second highest level) at the AACD. She is even the President of Southwest Affiliate of the AACD and is involved with other AACD dentists that share the best technique and technology possible.
If you do decide to seek a cosmetic dentist who has the best qualifications, I would go to AACD's website: http://www.aacd.com/ and choose an Accredited Member or Accredited Fellow. Accredited Fellows may charge quite a bit though because they are at the highest level within the AACD.
Bottom line, once you step foot in her office, you never end up going back to those sub-par dentists anymore.
Her website: http://www.encinitascosmeticdentistry.com/cosmetic/about.html read more