I had porcelain veneers made, but when they came in the first time, they were way too white. I asked my dentist to do them again so they would match my teeth. He did send them back. When they returned, my dentist bonded them on without me even getting to see them. They still don’t match. I just let it go and figured there was nothing I can do about it, but now one of them has broken in half. My dentist said not to worry about it because he replaces broken porcelain veneers for up to two years. However, these puppies are pricey. I want them to last way more than two years. Do I have unreasonable expectations?
Lindsey Anne
Dear Lindsey Anne,
Your expectations are not unrealistic. Plus, your dentist put on your porcelain veneers the second time without your consent. This is a problem for him especially because he tried them on the first time. You had an expectation of that, especially because he had done that the first time. I think you have the right to ask for a refund in this case. I especially think you should because one of them has already broken, so soon into their creation. These should last many, many years. I am concerned about his skill level.
Once you get that refund, what should you do? Obviously, you will want to have these replaced but you do not want to end up in the same situation you are in with this dentist. You want to get a top notch cosmetic dentist. Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That makes it up to the dentist how much training they invest in doing this well.
The best cosmetic dentists are accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists have passed stringent exams and had their artistry evaluated on a large number of cases by an accreditation board. If a dentist reaches accreditation, it means they are in the top 3% of dentists in the world.
One other word about matching your teeth. If you want whiter porcelain veneers but your natural teeth that are not being veneered would make your smile look fake, I would simply get your teeth whitening before having your porcelain veneers placed. This will allow the non-veneered tooth to blend in much more seamlessly.
This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.