My teenage daughter has had slightly discolored teeth all her life. At one of her recent dental appointments we discussed how this could be fixed for her, and the dentist recommended composite bonding. We went back in today to have it done and after we got home and looked in the mirror, it quite obvious that her two front teeth are yellow! I took her back in right away the next day and demanded that he fix the color, so he lightly shaved off some of the bonding and applied it again. But it’s still yellow and even looks like it’s peeling off! After this second go-around, I’m convinced our dentist has no idea what he is doing and that this can’t be fixed. He suggested doing a porcelain veneer, but it’s she too young for that? What are our options? I’m thinking another dentist altogether. But shouldn’t our dentist have to cover the costs to fix this since he messed it all up? – Cassandra
Cassandra,
By all means, find another dentist to fix your daughter’s teeth! And I don’t think it’s out of the question to ask that your dentist pay to get this done; however, legally you may not be able to force it, but maybe a threat of legal action may get him to respond.
Many dentists neglect to understand that direct tooth bonding takes artistic skill. Most (about 95 %) are in the profession to fix things and even if they have training in artistic areas (like color) it isn’t very good. Plus, when you look at the other 5% who are artistic, many lack the advanced training needed to be considered true cosmetic dentists. So when you think about it, there’s only about 1-2% of dentists who can really do beautiful cosmetic work.
Find a cosmetic dentist that can remove the current bonding material and do it over again – the right way. Porcelain veneers could work, but based on the results you got from your dentist with the bonding, it’s likely he has no idea how to do beautiful veneers either.
So how do you find a skilled cosmetic dentist? Do your research and homework. A lot of dentists will advertise that they do cosmetic dentistry because it’s a very lucrative portion of the business. But what you will find in most of those cases is that they are not artists. True cosmetic dentists are rare, and that’s what you need. Consult, interview and ask for patient testimonials and before and after pictures before deciding who you will entrust your daughter’s smile to. Good luck!
This blog is sponsored by Dr. Stephen Doan. Find out more about the services he provides by visiting his La Jolla cosmetic dental website.