I am in tears and hope you can help me. I spent more money than I even want to type to get a smile makeover. I hate it. The color is darker than my natural teeth, even though I picked the whitest shade the color specialist showed me. Plus, there are some gaps between the veneered teeth. My dentist says they look great, but I don’t agree. He’s offered to do them again, but will have to charge me again. Is there any other recource?
Paige F. – Billings, MT
Paige,
I hate it when I hear these horror stories, especially knowing you’ve spent so much hard earned money. You’ve had the unfortunate experience of going to a dentist who knows some cosmetic procedures, but really has no expertise in doing them.
A couple of things you’ve said stand out to me. First, is the “color specialist”. There really is no such thing. My guess is either he sent you to the lab, or he has someone from the lab the comes to his office. It is supposed to be the cosmetic dentist who orders the coloring, based on the desires of his patients.
Those with an expertise in cosmetic dentistry, all have certain procedural commonalities. First, they have some method of learning what type of smile their patient wants. They’ll also do temporary veneers so their patients can try them on and make sure they are absolutely in love with them before the real ones are bonded on permanently.
The color issue also bothers me. If you’re natural teeth are whiter than the veneers, they couldn’t have given you very good color options. Even the most rudimentary cosmetic dentist knows that when someone is getting a smile makeover, they want their teeth really white.
Unfortunately, there really isn’t a way to fix what your dentist has done. The entire case will have to be redone. Whatever you do, don’t go back to the same dentist. You really need someone wtih expertise. My suggestion if you look for someone in your area who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). You’ll be in fantastic hands that way. It’s possible with their help you can get a partial refund from your current dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.