February 2021 - Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

I have some metal allergies so I went to a dentist who offered zirconia crowns. I had damage to two front teeth that both needed crowns. The first time they came back, they looked really opaque and I asked him to re-do them. He didn’t seem thrilled but he agreed. When the permanent ones came back, I expected he would again let me see them first, but instead of putting them in with temporary paste, he just bonded them on. They are several shades darker than my natural teeth and are shorter than I would have expected. Normally, my front teeth are a little longer than my other teeth. He insists this is the color I told him I wanted. It isn’t. First, I didn’t pick a specific shade just that I wanted them as white has my natural teeth. I don’t know what to do. He said the only way he’ll change them out now is for the other ones I’d already rejected. I didn’t think I’d need a cosmetic dentist for two simple dental crowns. I thought that was something every dentist did.

Morgan

Dear Morgan,

I am sorry you are going through this and will definitely file it in my cosmetic dentistry horror story file. Though, technically, you are correct that every dentist should be able to do a dental crown, that doesn’t mean they understand both function and form. Front teeth are tricky because they are so visible when you smile.

You have likely already figured this out, but this guy isn’t the best cosmetic dentist. He isn’t even the best dentist because he doesn’t seem to care how his patients feel about the quality of his work or their smile.

The one good thing you have going for you is that this dentist did not let you approve them before permanently bonding them on. Because he used a temporary try-in paste last time, you had a reasonable expectation that you would get to approve them this time. Therefore, bonding them on without your permission was wrong and unethical. Instead of having him re-do them..again, which I doubt will get you any better results, I suggest you just ask for a refund on the basis that you didn’t approve him bonding them on.

Once that is secured, you can find a great cosmetic dentist to do these. Those at the top of the cosmetic field are AACD accredited. They’ll give you two gorgeous crowns.

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

I went to my dentist in the hopes of having my top four front teeth fixed. They are overcrowded and misaligned. My dentist said if we did cosmetic dentistry, it could make the teeth appear aligned and not overcrowded and I wouldn’t have to deal with two years of braces. That sounded great to me, so I agreed. His assessment was to do dental bonding on the #10 tooth, a porcelain veneer on the #7 tooth, and shaping of the other visible upper teeth. He told me that would take care of all the appearance issues. By the time he finished, the teeth were still overcrowded and misaligned and he charged me a little over 9K, which included some shaping of the lower teeth, which I never signed on for. I asked him about the results he promised me and he said in order to achieve that I would need four dental crowns on the top teeth, including root canals. All of this additional work would cost me another 7K. I decided it was time for a second opinion. The next dentist said that all this smile makeover would have required would be some teeth whitening and four porcelain veneers on the upper teeth with no root canal treatments and no crowns. I am going to get this done with the second dentist. My question is, is there a way for me to get back the money I poured into this with my original dentist?

Matthew

Dear Matthew,

We are gathering together a large number of cosmetic dentistry horror stories, such as yours, in order to warn patients about the importance of choosing the right dentist when it comes to cosmetic dental work. You have certainly been taken advantage of by this dentist. First, he promised results he did not deliver. Secondly, he charged you for work you didn’t agree to (which is illegal). Finally, he changed the treatment plan once you weren’t happy with the results. If that was the right course of action, why didn’t he suggest that to begin with?

I am glad you sought a second opinion, and porcelain veneers are definitely a better option for the type of smile you’ll like. The word of this second dentist should help you secure the refund I believe you are entitled to. However, before you do that, I want you to make sure this second dentist is any more qualified to give you a better result than the first dentist. Many patients don’t realize that not only are smile makeovers not taught in dental school, but there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. This means any dentist can do the work regardless of the training they invested in (or didn’t).

In your place, I would seek out an AACD accredited dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country with proven technical skills and artistry. Then, have that dentist help you secure your refund and do the follow-up work.

With regard to your refund, under most circumstances, most dentists would care enough about the opinion of their peers to give you that refund. However, it sounds to me like your dentist may be less interested in the opinions of his patients and peers than in his pocketbook. In that case, you may have to get tough and threaten to sue him. I am fairly certain his insurance company will tell him to settle.

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

My Two Front Crowns Don’t Match

Disastrous Smile Makeover

Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

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