I spent a small fortune on getting my teeth redone and was quite disappointed in the results. I did spend time telling my dentist exactly what color I wanted. He knew I wanted a white smile. All he kept telling me was to “trust him” he’ll give me a nice smile. I did trust him. After all, he’s the dentist. But, when I saw the Lumineers he bonded on, I was quite distraught. They weren’t white like I’d asked for. When I mentioned it he said that was intentional. He put a stain on them so they’d look natural. I tried to like them. I really did. It just wasn’t the smile I’d asked (and paid) for. Because of that I went back. He was irritated but said he’d take care of it. What he ended up doing was shaving (?) off the stain. The color looked better, but now I am sure it is picking up stains. Did he damage them? If so, can they be fixed?
Belinda
Dear Belinda,
So, here is what is going on here. Your dentist may be a fine family dentist, but he doesn’t understand cosmetic dentistry. There are a few hints toward this. His “trust me” is one of them. In other words, he knows better than you. This is an attitude taught in general dental school and why he stained the Lumineers against your express wishes for a white smile.
When dentists study cosmetic dentistry they have a different attitude. Success is making a smile the patient is thrilled with. That’s why those who understand this have a beautiful smile guarantee.
Another reason I don’t feel he’s invested in a great deal of cosmetic work is the fact he damaged your veneers under the guise of “taking care of it.” What he did is remove the glaze from your veneers. The glaze is what protects them and keeps them stain resistant. This is why yours is picking up stains.
This is actually good news for you.
Because he damaged your Lumineers, you have the right to a refund. This will allow you to have the re-made by someone who actually knows what they’re doing and will follow your desires for your smile makeover.
Before paying another dentist, make sure you look at their smile gallery to see what type of results they get for their work. Then check their reviews to see what type of experience other people have had with them.
Finally, make sure they will not bond your porcelain veneers on until you have approved them. This means the dentist should first let you try them on with a temporary try-in paste and let you look at them in a variety of lights. If you’re not thrilled, they go back to the lab. Never let them bond them on permanently until you are thrilled.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Stephen Collins.