Ballantyne Dentistry was founded in 2001 with a main focus of helping patients overcome dental fears by creating a comfortable and judgment-free environment.
Dr. Yaste, Dr. Tesmer and Dr. Binns of Ballantyne Dentistry offer nearly any dental treatment a patient would need to get their smile looking and functioning its best, and they understand that choosing that perfect physician can be tough.
We talked with Dr. Tesmer about the differences in general and cosmetic dentistry and how you can make the best decision on a provider, and why Ballantyne is a well-rounded option for any adult in Charlotte.
Tell us about Ballantyne Dentistry. What sets you apart from other dentists in the area?
We understood people went to the dentist for 3 reasons: they wanted to get out of pain, they wanted to chew food better, and they wanted a more confident, healthy smile. With that in mind, we wanted to build a dental practice that fixed all those problems AND keep it under one roof so patients didn’t have to travel to other offices to get their treatment completed. Being able to provide almost all aspects of treatment for the patient at one location is true comprehensive dentistry that really allows the patient to be at the forefront of proper dental care.
What is the difference between a general dentist and cosmetic dentist?
The difference between the two would be that general dentists focus more on preventing and treating oral ailments like tooth decay and cavities while cosmetic dentists specialize in enhancing smiles by altering the tooth shape, size, and color. General dentists will make sure the teeth are strong and healthy while cosmetic dentists are dedicated to improving the appearance (and at times, the function) of your smile to make you “camera ready”.
What factors should someone consider when choosing a general dentist?
i. Get referrals – ask your family, friends, or colleagues who have had a good experience and call the office to set up a new patient exam/interview. Google Reviews are a great way to get some insight into prior patient’s experiences.
ii. Research the Dentist’s credentials and experience – this provides backing that the office and dentist know what they are doing
What about choosing a cosmetic dentist?
This can even be a harder decision than choosing your general dentist! Choosing the correct cosmetic dentist is not an easy process since currently cosmetic dentistry is not officially recognized as a specialty. A cosmetic dentist should not only have vast experience in successfully completed cases, know the literature and have training, but also be a true artist. Here are a couple tips that can help you find the right cosmetic dentist:
i. Take recommendations from family and friends who have had the procedure done already and ask their opinions. Hearing first-hand accounts from actual parents is often the most reliable and trustworthy source to find out whether a cosmetic dentist is as skilled as they say they are. This also allows you to see their actual work in real life.
ii. Look at their previous cosmetic cases! A picture is worth a thousand words. Ask to see patient’s before and after photos.
iii. Check out their biography/training and number of cosmetic cases completed – I cannot stress this enough! Reading an online biography is important to show certain professional organization involvement but really researching on their website to see cases completed and possible online google reviews from real patients goes a long way.
iv. Schedule a consultation – there’s only one way to find out which cosmetic dentist is right for you! Meeting the dentist and expressing your concerns and seeing what he or she has to say will give you the best “gut” feeling on your decision. Visit the office and get a feel for the whole process, the team members you meet, and see if it’s the right fit for you!
What are some of the highlights at Ballantyne Dentistry?
One highlight of our practice is that we are very patient focused but team driven. Each department of the office works as a piece of the pie that has one end goal in mind – give the patient a five star experience from the moment they walk in the door. It doesn’t matter who the patient is seeing at any given time of the appointment, they are always in good hands.
A second highlight would be our core values. We have 10 values that we use each day to help provide patients with a healthier and more confident smile – Teamwork, Humility, Empowerment, Greatness, Loyalty, Accountability, Compassion, Integrity, Efficiency, Respect. With these as our backbone to why we do what we do each day, I believe every patient will be cared for to the highest standard.
What would you say is the most popular service you provide to the Charlotte area?
Three of the most popular services we provide are porcelain veneers and crowns, dental implants, and IV sedation. The large majority of our patient base is in need of either enhancing their smile with cosmetic dentistry or in need of tooth replacement options to chew better and eat more properly.
Tell us about the typical new customer experience at Ballantyne.
Every new patient experience starts with a phone call that allows the patient to express their concerns and tell us exactly what they are needing. Whether that is for a specific concern about a single tooth or needing to come in for a cleaning, one of our business team members will get all the necessary information needed to get them in for their first initial visit.
Any and all necessary x-rays and photos will be taken for their dentist to review and look at before coming into the room. Once that is reviewed thoroughly, the patient will meet their dentist and a treatment plan will be formed after carefully listening to how we can best treat them.
After the dentist and hygienist discuss their findings and put together a treatment plan, we will have the patient meet with one of our treatment plan coordinators to discuss the plan in depth. There we discuss what treatment is recommended, how long the perceived time will be to get treatment completed, scheduling dates, insurance coverage and financial concerns. .
What are some dental issues that people often come to Ballantyne Dentistry with that others weren’t able to help them with?
Several of the most sought after treatments that others are referred to us for are IV sedation, specific dental implant surgeries called “All-On-X”, and cosmetic dentistry. We at Ballantyne Dentistry have really made a name for ourselves to help patients get treatment even when they have been told by their previous dentist that no treatment was possible. All four of our dentists are highly trained and skilled in at least one of these treatments stated above that allows us to treat almost any kind of patient. We really do pride ourselves on a judgment-free environment which also attracts a lot of patients who have been treated poorly at other offices. We understand how personal dentistry is and how it can affect all aspects of life.
