I’ve wanted a smile makeover for ages. It’s just been outside of my affordability. Today I saw a Groupon in my email offering a smile makeover with porcelain veneers. It’s being offered for less than half the price which I’ve been quoted by most other dentists around town. I’ve scheduled an appointment with the dentist and was about to hit “purchase” but I started having doubts. This is still a lot of money. Is it safe to do it through Groupon?
Callie A.
Dear Callie,
The answer to your question mostly depends on the dentist offering the Groupon and why he’s offering it so cheaply. Cheap can sometimes end up being very costly. I know Groupon offers generally have a time limit, but see if you can get in to have a consultation with the dentist before purchasing. The first thing you’ll want to be sure of is whether you’re actually a candidate for porcelain veneers. I’d hate for you to purchase something nonrefundable only to find out you can’t have the work done.
Here’s what you want to check out with the dentist doing the offering. How much experience and postgraduate training does he have in aesthetic dentistry? Does he have a smile gallery you can look at to see the results he’s achieved with actual cases he’s done? Does he offer a beautiful smile guarantee?
While all dentists are capable of doing a smile makeover, not all of them do it well. Don’t spend a ton of money only to get disappointing results. There have been many smile makeover disasters where their new smile ended up worse than their original smile.
Be bold in checking out your dentist’s credentials. The best, most artistic dentists are accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, though there are still very artistic dentists who are working toward accreditation. If it turns out, while looking over the dentist’s smile gallery, you realize this dentist doesn’t get stunning results it’s in your best interest to find another dentist—even if it means not getting the Groupon.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.