I have had a disastrous smile makeover and don’t know what to do. I had a chipped tooth which had dental bonding on it. It was wearing out. A new dentist took over my old dentist’s practice. He suggested I get porcelain veneers on six teeth in order to remake the smile. I was excited about the idea. However, when he found out I had some dental fillings, he said I need to get dental crowns instead. I figured he knew better, because he is the professional, but I’ve since learned that is not the case. Plus, my two front teeth look disastrously gray compared to the rest of my teeth. I just don’t even want to smile anymore. I feel like I’d have been better off without any of it being done.

Misty

Dear Misty,

What you’ve experienced is a family dentist who dabbles in cosmetic dentistry. He doesn’t understand how it really works. It is an art form which is not taught in dental schools. A dentist has to invest time and training in learning to do beautiful cosmetic dentistry. You are correct that he gave you bad advice, but there is nothing you can really do about it at this point except try to fix this so you can be proud of your smile again.

Here’s what you’ll need to do. First, speak to your dentist and ask him to re-do the two front teeth. They don’t match your teeth and he should care enough about his work to be willing to fix this.

One work of caution. You’ll want him to do a try-in before you agree to have the new dental crowns bonded on. He needs to use a clear try-in paste in order to give you a true representation of what the color will look like once it is bonded on.

Because he is just a dabbler in cosmetic dentistry, he likely won’t have these try-in pastes on hand. In that case, he can use any clear glycerin or water soluable gel.

Finding a Great Cosmetic Dentist

If he balks at any of this, you are better off just going to a different dentist to have these re-done. You’ll want to look for one of the recommended dentists on the mynewsmile.com website.

They screen cosmetic dentists who want to be listed for both technical skill and artistry. You can input your zipcode and how far you are willing to travel. They’ll provide you with a list of the best cosmetic dentists in that area.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam.