Category Archives: Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers

A Tale of Two Dentist

IT was the best of makeovers, it was the worst of makeovers.  My dearest friend and I got our smiles redone. We live in different cities and so we use different dentists. However, we get together twic a year for two weeks each time. I was quite looking forward to our next meeting, becuase we’d get to show off our smiles to one another. I loved my new smile and ahave been enjoying flashing it around quite a bit. We were going to hit the town with our hot pearly whites. You can imagine my dismay when my friend’s smile ended up looking quite eratz. She could tell by my face I was unimpressed was hers. Plus, mine was so much more brilliant in its color scheme and looked much more natural.  Does she have options?

Cyrienne L. – St. Louis

Cyrienne,

I’m sorry for your friend’s experience. Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon one. There is a lot more to cosmetic dentistry than just learning how to bond on porcelain veneers. Not only is the technical training important, there is a significant amount of artistic training that is necessary too. Some of that can’t be taught. Everyone is different in their level of artistry and what kind of eye they have for aesthetics.

Your dentist obviously had the training and artistry. Your friend’s, unfortunately, appears not to have.  It’s quite difficult to get a refund on cosmetic work. That “ethical” standard is they have to be functionable. Well, you can be functionable and horribly ugly.  My suggestion is you have your friend get a second opinion regarding her porcelain veneers, preferably from someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

Sometimes dentists will be more willing to give a refund if their professional reputation is on the line with another successful dentist in their area.

This is important. If she gets her refund and she decides to have a new smile makeover, it is imperative she chooses the right dentist this time.  Ideally, you’ll want AACD accreditation–even if you have to drive to another city for the work to be done well. Let me know if you have trouble finding one in your area and I’ll help.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Can I look like Cameron Diaz?

I have always loved Cameron Diaz’s smile. Is there a way porcelain veneers can make me look like her?

Ariana M. – St. Louis

Ariana,

What porcelain veneers can do is make your teeth look like hers. Everyone has a different shape to their mouth and teeth, and Cameron’s are defintely unique.

The most important thing you can do is find the best cosmetic dentist possible.  You may not be aware that cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That means that any general dentist can say they are a cosmetic dentist regardless of who little training they have in the area.

It takes a lot of technical skill, which almost anyone can develop. Equally important, however, is an artistic eye. That is not something that is easy to develop.

Your best bet is to get a dentist that is AACD accredited. They are among the top 1-3% of cosmetic dentists in the country. They’ll be able to work with whatever shape your face is to help your smile look like any celebrity you wish, including Cameron Diaz.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Don’t want to wait on veneers

I have been dying to get my porcelain veneers done, but my dentist wants me to get my teeth whitening done first. He thinks they won’t match my teeth otherwise.  Shouldn’t he know what they’ll look like white so I can at least get started on my veneers? I’m really anxious to get this smile makeover going.

Aamod- San Francisco, CA

Aamod,

I can tell you’re excited about getting a smile makever. It’s understandable that you’re ready to get the ball rolling. However, with as much money as you’ll have invested in it, as well as your emotional investment, you’ll want it to be the best smile possible.

In this case, you really want to make sure you’ve completed your teeth whitening in order to do the best possible porcelain veneers.  There is no way for your dentist to predict the exact shade of whitening   that your teeth will end up.  However, once your whitening is done, your dentist wil be able to match your porcelain veneers to the new shade.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers when pregnant

Can you get porcelain veneers when you’re pregnant? I’m five months along.

Alissa M.- Birmingham, AL

Alissa,

Congratulations on your baby! Yes, it is perfectly safe to get porcelain veneers when you are pregnant. The procedure doesn’t require any anesthesia. Even if you needed novocaine, that is a safe drug that has been teste for use during pregnancy (one of the few ones).

I’d get the veneers sooner rather than later, because you don’t want to be in the late, uncomfortable stage of pregnancy, while sitting in the dental chair.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, Lousisana Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Difference in veneers

I’m going to get a smile makeover, which has taken me years to save up for. Because of that I’ve been doing a lot of research.  I want to make sure I use the perfect veneers. Can you tell me if MAC or JK veneers are better?

Olivia- Wisconsin

Olivia,

I hope you won’t mind if I don’t actually answer the question you asked. Instead, I’m going to answer the question that you needed to ask.  It is not the material that makes for beautiful porcelain veneers. There are exquisitly beautiful veneers from every type and brand.  It is the dentist you choose that makes the biggest difference. So, intead of asking which veneers should I get, you should ask how do I know if my dentist is a skilled cosmetic dentist.

There are a many ways to research cosmetic dentists, but I’ll tell you about the two I think are the quickest and most reliable.

1.  First, see if there is someone who is AACD accredited in your area.  AACD stands for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. I’m not talking about just looking for someone with a membership in the organization, but instead accreditation.  It might be difficult, because very few dentists reach that level.  Though I will say that many excellent cosmetic dentists though not AACD accredited do a fantastic job and are very likely working toward accreditation.

2. If you cannot find someone who is AACD accredited, then I would go to the mynewsmile.com website. They research cosmetic dentists for both their training and their artistry, both of which have to be verified. Any one of them would be able to give you a gorgeous smile with porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Problems with my smile makeover

I just spend an unbelievable amount of money on my smile makeover. I got ten porcelain veneers. I know most people get six or eight, but I have a really wide smile, so I wanted to make sure that everything visible was covered. We talked for a long time about what kind of smile I wanted. But, when he put it in, I thought it looked ridiculous. It seems too cloudy. I had some stains on my teeth from some medicine I took when I was a child. My dentist said he had to make it that way to cover the stains and insists it looks better than I think, but I just don’t like it. Plus, my jaw hurts and the veneers feel loose so I’m afraid to bite down too much. I don’t even smile anymore. Is there any way to fix this?

Cindy- Mississippi

Cindy,

I can’t tell you how often we hear these type of stories.  There are very few dentists that can do a beautiful smile makeover, especially in a situation like yours. I’m assuming the stains on your teeth are from tetracycline.  These take a very skilled cosmetic dentist to get right.  For the beginning cosmetic dentist there is generally one of two mistakes. Either they are made normally, which allows the tetracycline stains to show through, or they make them too opaque to cover the stains and they don’t look natural.

If you had gone to an expert cosmetic dentist he would be appalled to hear you don’t want to smile anymore. True cosmetic dentists take steps to insure their patient is thrilled with their new smile. First, they make an acrylic smile for them to try on and see how they like it.  If they don’t like it, then they would go right back to designing the smile. Then, after the smile arrives, your dentist will put it in with a try-in paste.  You would get to look at them in different lights. You could even have a friend or family member come in to look at them and give their opinion. Only when the dentist was sure that you were pleased would they be permanently bonded on. You would never be pressured into liking them.

Generally, if you received a bad smile makeover, there isn’t much recourse. The standard for judging cosmetic dentistry for refunds is whether or not it is functional. Now, here is where you are at an advantage. Your veneers are not loose. I know that because if the veneers were loose they would just fall off. I suspect, based on your jaw pain that your teeth are loose because your bite has been thrown off. This could cause some serious problems for you, including TMJ Disorder. That entitles you to to compensation for getting this repaired.

Here is what I suggest you do. First, go to the AACD (The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) website to see if there is a dentist in your area that is AACD accredited. That is different than just being a member. Any one of them could give you an opinion on the work that has been done and help you get the compensation you need to repair the damage if the porcelain veneers are what threw off your bite.  Then, you can get the smile makeover you had dreamed of.

If there is not an AACD accredited dentist in your area, then you can also find an expert cosmetic dentist by going to the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend expert cosmetic dentists by state. Anyone on their list will be safe. It will be worth it to travel if you have to.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Lousiana Cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Really unhappy with Lumineers

We had some cosmetic issues we wanted to fix with my daughters teeth. They weren’t huge issues, but they really bothered her. I want her to have a good self image, so I talked to my dentist about it, who advertises as a cosmetic dentist.   He said Lumineers would be perfect for my daughter Naia. He also told us that we would get to see them on before they were bonded on permanently. He said she could see them in different types of lights and that she could show them to others. None of that was true. One of the things we were wanting to fix were some small gaps in her teeth. We thought about doing bonding, but he said this would be more permanent. When he put in the temporary  ones, we didn’t get to look at it any of the ways he said we would ahead of time. There were no different lights, no getting up to show them to others. Just sitting in the dental chair and looking in a hand mirror. Yet even with that limited way of looking at them we knew we didn’t like them. It did fix her gaps, but the Lumineers were so bulky she looked ridiculous. We asked if he could make them a little more reasonable in  size, but he insisted they were great. He said if we “lived with them” for a week or so we realize how nice they were. We agreed to try. She was teased unmercifully in school about them. She came home feeling worse about her smile than ever. It turns out my dentist wasn’t a cosmetic dentist, just a general dentist. Is there a way I can get a refund and then go to a real cosmetic dentist?

Azida A.- Tulsa, OK

Azida,

I think you can probably get at least some of your money back if this is handled correctly, but first I want to clear up a common misunderstanding.  There is no recognized specialty is cosmetic dentistry. So every cosmetic dentist is actually a general dentist. What sets apart a dentist as an expert cosmetic dentist is the amount of training they have and artistry they’ve developed. I would not consider your dentist an expert cosmetic dentist for several reasons.

First, cosmetic dentists know that Lumineers tend to appear bulkier than other brands of porcelain veneers, because they are advertised as a no-prep veneer. Most teeth will need some form of preparation to keep that from happening.  Secondly, a true cosmetic dentist won’t try to convince you that the porcelain veneers look great. If you don’t like them, they wouldn’t be satisfied either. Period.

Here is what I recommend. Don’t let him do any more work. You know you’re wanting to get a refund and go elsewhere so it is only fair you don’t use anymore of his time. Next, talk to him about how unhappy you are with how things have gone. Let him know that you weren’t given the procedure you were promised. Also be sure to let him know everything your daughter went through with school as a result of his work. Be upfront with him about your desire to get a refund and be done with this procedure.  That may work on its own.

If not, and you need to enlist some help, go to the mynewsmile.com website and find one of their recommended cosmetic dentists in Oklahoma. Don’t go to another one in Tulsa, but another nearby city. Dentists don’t like to go up against their peers because they have to deal with them on a regular basis. It will be easier to get one from another area. Have him look at the cosmetic dental work and give his opinion.

Generally the standard for refunds on poor dental work is that it is has to be non-functional. That makes it hard to get a refund on poorly done cosmetic work. Ugly doesn’t mean non-functional. However, in this case, your dentist didn’t keep his agreement. You were told your daughter would get to see it in several lights before you agreed on the final bonding and that didn’t happen. With another dentist backing up your claim that the work is poor, you have a chance.

Hopefully, others will learn from your experience to check the qualifications of cosmetic dentists ahead of time. Two of the best ways are seeing if they are accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) and if they’re recommended on the mynewsmile.com website.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

 

Porcelain Veneers

Sonic toothbrush with porcelain veneers

I got porcelain veneers. I wanted  to get a sonic toothbrush, but just read on a website that sonic toothbrushes could damage the bond on porcelain veneers. Is that accurate?

Brooke K.- San Antonio, TX

Brooke,

I’m not sure what website you were reading, but I wouldn’t agree with it. Sonic toothbrushes are not only great for removing plague, but tests have shown that they are perfectly safe for use with porcelain veneers. If you’re interested, you can look up the 1998 survey from University of Missouri at Kansas City, where they tested sonic toothbrushes on porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Unhappy with porcelain veneers

My daughter had four porcelain veneers placed on her front teeth to help with some crookedness. We couldn’t do orthodontics because of some previous damage. He was afraid the teeth couldn’t take the movement. Unfortunately neither she nor I are happy with the results. They just don’t look as natural as we were led to believe, yet our dentist insists they look gorgeous. We didn’t even get to see them before he bonded them on. Can we get our money back? Why do people rave about porcelain veneers if they look so fake?

Desiree B. from Boston

Desiree,

Actually, porcelain veneers, when done artistically, look fantastic. I suspect your dentist is not a true cosmetic dentist. One of the problems with cosmetic dentistry is that any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic just by learning a few procedure. Unfortunately, it takes significant post graduate training to become artistic enough to make porcelain veneers not only natural, but beautiful.

A true cosmetic dentist would try on the veneers with a temporary paste and let you look at them in several different lights. They would want to be sure you were absolutely thrilled with them before they bonded them on permanently. Another thing that makes me suspect your dentist isn’t a true cosmetic dentist is that he tried to convince you the veneers were beautiful. In dental school we are taught the dentist knows best. But, when it comes to cosmetic dentistry it is the patient who knows best. We are treating your self esteem. If you don’t love them, it’s not done.

As far as getting your money back, that might be tricky. If the only thing wrong with them is you don’t like their appearance, he has no legal obligation to give you your money back. You could try.  I would also go to a truly qualified cosmetic dentist and get a second opinion. If at all possible, go to a dentist outside of your area and don’t tell him who the dentist was. See if the second dentist thinks the work was done poorly. That may help your case.

 

Porcelain Veneers

Cleaning porcelain veneers

Are there special rules for cleaning porcelain veneers? I’m worried the dental hygenist can break them or pull them off when cleaning them.

Dorothy B- Nevada

Dorothy,

They won’t get pulled off or broken. However, they can be damaged or chipped. The hygienist of an expert cosmetic dentist will know what to avoid while cleaning them. If you are not able to go to an office that has an expert cosmetic dentist, here are some guidelines to give any hygienist and  you’ll be fine.

  • Don’t use any power polishing equipment, such as Prophy Jet. This is the worst thing that can be done to your veneers. Though they get teeth clean very quickly, it will take the glaze off of your veneers. Your hygienist won’t realize that she’s damaged them because they will look fine at the end of the appointment, but the moment you get home they will begin to stain and will never look good again.
  • Using an ultra-sonic or heavy duty manual scalers can chip the edges. I do realize sometimes they need to use scalers. Just make sure when they do, they know not to scrape hard on the margins.
  • Don’t use any coarse polishing pastes. Make sure they use an ultra-fine polishing paste with aluminum oxide grit, never pumice.
If you make sure of these things, your porcelain veneers should look like new for many years.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.