I’m having a hard time with my smile “makeover”. I have always had short teeth which embarrassed me. I saw on Instagram that Kyle Richards (from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) had a smile makeover done for the same problem. I did some checking and it turns out she had porcelain veneers done. I figured if it worked for her it would work for me too. It didn’t. Hers looks gorgeous. Mine looks weird. They’re super long and bulky. I’m even having problems speaking. I feel like I have donkey teeth. What went wrong? Can it be fixed?
Brianne
Dear Brianne,
Porcelain veneers are a great choice when you want to makeover your smile. When done well, you can get a stunning smile. For your particular problem, porcelain veneers will do wonders. They can lengthen, reshape, and whiten teeth simultaneously.
While the treatment you chose was spot on, it sounds like your choice of which dentist to do the procedure missed the mark a bit. That’s why her case resulted in a beautiful smile and yours did not.
Picking a Dentist for Porcelain Veneers
What many people don’t realize is that a smile makeover is an art form. Like any art, some will be more skilled than others in creating beautiful results. Smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. A dentist has to invest time and money in the training and practice of creating beautiful smiles after they graduate.
Because cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty it’s quite difficult for patients to separate the skilled from the wannabes. Smile makeovers are a pricey procedure to take a risk on the dentist. That is one of the reasons the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) began their accreditation program.
Dentists who wish to be accredited have to pass stringent oral and written exams. In addition, they have to provide visual evidence of a large number of cases they’ve recently done demonstrating their artistic ability. Those who reach accreditation are the best of the best.
For the dentist, this is a distinction. For the patient, it’s insurance. Getting a smile makeover from an AACD accredited cosmetic is a guaranteed beautiful smile.
Can Your Porcelain Veneers be Fixed?
Once veneers are bonded on it’s permanent. When you have a gorgeous result, that is a benefit. In your position, it makes things harder. The only way to “fix” this is to have it redone. You can tell your dentist that you don’t like the result and it’s so bulky you’re having trouble speaking. Ask for a refund. Then, go to an accredited dentist to get your smile redone properly.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.