You've delayed long enough, and now it's about time you took care of your dental concerns. But before you book your appointment to get those cosmetic porcelain veneers, you should take a few more minutes to do some homework and find the right cosmetic dentist to do the job properly. (It's not like pulling teeth you know.)

Since it seems you are the only person you know who doesn't have perfect teeth, you'd think you'd know someone who could give you a referral, but flipping through the yellow pages probably isn't the best way to select a dental professional. After all, it's not the size of the ad that matters.

Perhaps if you had taken a course on the history of dentistry you might have learned a few tips and pointers (and no, those aren't nicknames for your teeth) about cosmetic dentistry. But instead of worrying about this until your teeth fall out, have a look online at a dental referral agency, or talk to your regular dentist about referring a reputable cosmetic dentist, one who will do a professional job, giving you that million-dollar smile you've always wanted, but for which you didn't want to pay a million dollars.