Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

Archives for April 2019

Prosthodontist Horror Story

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I’ve been crying for two days and have just decided I need to write a cosmetic dentist and ask what to do. I don’t live in your state, but have a sister who’s used you for her smile makeover and LOVED her smile. I need a full-mouth reconstruction. I went to a reputable prosthodontist because I was told that was the wise thing to do because they work in reconstruction. I brought an image of my smile before my car accident and told him this was the color and look I wanted. I wasn’t asking for a celebrity smile, just to look like I used to. He said, “Trust him. He’s been doing this for years.” When the tryins were made they didn’t look white enough. I mentioned that and he said I’d picked the wrong color but they’d look right in. I couldn’t see what they looked like in because they kept falling out. Then when the permanent ones came in the top ones seemed darker than the bottom. I mentioned that and he told me I was being impossible and I could take these or leave without teeth. I was in shock and couldn’t help but cry when they were putting them in, which seemed to annoy him more. I have a smile that I’m ashamed to let people see. They look like real teeth, but ugly real teeth. I just wanted my smile back. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Marylynn

Marylynn,

Woman covering her mouth with hand.
You shouldn’t have to be ashamed of your smile

I am sorry you are going through this. Though many prosthodontists claim to also be skilled in cosmetic work, most of them still have a dental school mentality of they know best. It’s so bad that Dr. Hall, who runs the mynewsmile.com website which recommends skilled cosmetic dentists, has only approved one prosthodontist who has requested to be listed because their cosmetic skills were too subpar.

Your prosthodontist, in particular, seems more arrogant than most. Now to tell you what to do to make this better, I’m going to start by saying you’re going to need to be tough.

You’ll likely need an attorney to threaten to sue him. I think once he talks to his insurer, they’ll let him know he’s on unstable ground and encourage him to settle with you.

What this dentist did was malpractice. He essentially forced a treatment on you, without your consent. He wouldn’t see it that way, but informed consent is the backbone of true dental practice. Any good lawyer acquainted with this industry will tell you when you’re under duress, as you certainly were, you can’t give your consent.

What you want to ask for is for him to pay for an excellent cosmetic dentist to fix this. They’ll likely need to fix the visible top porcelain crowns so they match the bottom teeth.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

You have two great resources to help you locate a great cosmetic dentist in your area. One is the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Website. They have a link which allows you to look for cosmetic dentists. You want to check that you’re looking for an accredited dentist. These are the ones who’ve proven both their technical skill and artistry.

Your second resource is the mynewsmile.com website I mentioned earlier. Dr. Hall, himself an accredited dentist, though he no longer is in practice, personally screens everyone who wants to be listed on his site. He only allows top of the line dentists to be listed. Using one of their listed dentists is safe. Most of them have a beautiful smile guarantee.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Cosmetic Dentistry Malpractice

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I need help. I’ve spent over $25,000 to get my smile makeover. I had teeth which had composite bonding on them but they were old and needed to be replaced. I was told the best thing to do would be crowns on the top teeth, with whitening on the bottom. I was nervous about this because I had healthy teeth and wasn’t keen on grinding them down to nubs only to have a smile I don’t like. They assured me over and over they wouldn’t be bonded on unless I liked them. That’s not what happened.

We went over extensively the smile design I wanted along with the color. When the temporary crowns were ready they were okay. When the permanent ones came in, I wasn’t too happy. They were too dark. I said that before they put them in, but they insisted once I saw them in, I’d like them. They were still too dark. I still told them I didn’t like them but they insisted they were exactly what I requested and bonded them in.

Not only are they ugly, but uncomfortable. I am not getting anywhere with this practice. Even when I told them they hurt they suggested I give it a couple of weeks first. What do I do? I’m out quite a bit of money and am worse off than I was before agreeing to this debacle.

Katherine

Dear Katherine,

A Woman Giving a Thumbs up in the dental chair
The Best Dentists Listen to their Patients

First, you did not agree to this debacle. You agreed to get a beautiful smile makeover. They didn’t do that. In fact, you have a good case for malpractice. One of the tenents of dentistry is informed consent.

Though they promised you’d love your smile or it wouldn’t be bonded, they seemed to have had no intention of keeping their word. They bonded those crowns on without your approval.

Another thing I will bring up, though there is nothing that can be done about this particular bit, is they shouldn’t have used crowns for a smile makeover on healthy teeth. Smile makeovers are most often done with porcelain veneers which don’t require the teeth be ground down.

If you want to get your money back, you are going to have to get tough. This doesn’t sound like the kind of practice that cares about what their patient thinks. They likely won’t just give you a refund, though do ask.

If they say no, tell them you are willing to go to a lawyer and follow through. You may also show him this post as well. That should get them moving a bit.

They may offer to just do the case over for you. That’s up to you. Personally, I wouldn’t let them near my teeth. Instead, I’d like you to have your dentist pay for a better cosmetic dentist to re-do the smile makeover properly.

Finding the Best Cosmetic Dentist

What you’ll want to do is get the best cosmetic dentist in your area to do this. It will even be worth it if you have to drive to a nearby city. With true cosmetic dentists, your smile will be stunning.

In your place, I would look for an AACD accredited dentist to re-do your crowns. They are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. In fact, I don’t think you’d find one of them who’d be satisfied if you weren’t. Most of them have a beautiful smile guarantee. You can find them by doing a search on aacd.com. Just be certain you check that you’re looking for an accredited dentist. That makes all the difference.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

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