Many dentists in my area offer cosmetic servcs such as veneers, but i don't know how to go about finding one who is truly qualified. what should i do?

Interview them: Perhaps the best way to find the best dental home for your treatment is word of mouth. Ask your friends or call the local dental society. The next step is to visit the office, see if it feels like a good fit, ask to see examples of the kind you are interested in, and perhaps look at their web site.

Veneers: I would ask the local dental school or society for several names of the best cosmetic dentists in your area. If your teeth are crossed and you want a straight smile orthodontics is a better option, less costly and has less upkeep (nothing better than your enamel).

Look for IACA/ AACD: American academy of cosmetic dentistry is a well recognized organization that offers a very stringent accreditaion process. I would not hesitate once seeing someone who is an accredited member or fellow. You can use the dentist finder on thier website. http://www.aacd.com/index.php?module=aacd.websiteforms&cmd=memberreferral.

Research, ask: Research the training levels, laboratories used and look for testamonials. See before/after photos. Ask to talk to patients who have had the treatment. Be your own advocate. It is a big step but can be rewarding. You want the right person doing them. Seek out a few opinions -- sometimes free, but worth the investment. Be up front and tell them you are looking for the right person. It is about you.

Interview and CV: There is nothing wrong about interviewing different dentists about the procedure you are interested in having done. Talk to them, ask to see there cv (credentials), evaluate the office and staff, ask to see before and after photos of cases done, and ask how your treatment would be handled. Once you've found the practice that gives you the most confidence and comfort, proceed with your case.

Before and after: A good cosmetic dentist will have many before and after pics of their work. They will have either written testimonials from their patients, or they will have patients willing to tell you about their experiences. I wouldn't trust many online testimonials.

See answer: Talk to patients who had this type of work done by this dentist. Look for a dentist that has done a lot of cosmetic veneers. Ask the dentist how many cases has he or she done. See before and after pictures. Are there any video testimonials from happy patients who had veneers. Look at facebook or google reviews on the doctor.

Great dentists...: I personally would search for great online reviews or from friends who have received veneers. This is an important decision. This is too large of an investment to repeat unnecessarily.

Ask a Periodontist: Most periodontists can give a good recommendation to a cosmetic dentist who is concerned about designing a cosmetic restoration while keeping the patient's periodontal health in the spotlight as well.