$30K Smile Makeover Disaster
Posted by Annmarie SanSevero
I spent a little over $30,000 for a smile makeover that has ended up as a disaster. I have a small mouth with some missing teeth. He placed dental crowns on six of the front teeth and then used mini implants for the back teeth.The problem I am having is that the dental crowns make my teeth stick out so much that I look like Wallace and Gromit. It also makes my mouth ache. I’m too embarrassed to smile and my jaw aches. I did mention my concerns to my dentist but he said it is only because I am not used to it and to give it time. I really have given it time. Nothing has changed or improved. I don’t know if there is anything that can be done about this or not. I was hoping given the amount I have spent on this that I would have a pretty smile. At the very least, I’d like a pain free one. Do you have any advice for me?
Kristin
Dear Kristin,
I am sorry this happened to you. I’m going to add this to the folder of cosmetic dentistry horror stories people have told me. Believe it or not, one of the things that make up a large part of expert cosmetic dentist’s business is repairing horrible work done by unqualified dentists.
I have some questions about your smile makeover. You said he did crowns on your teeth. Was this because they already had crowns or that they had enough damage that they needed dental crowns? If not, I don’t understand why that is what was placed. The typical procedure for a smile makeover is to get porcelain veneers. If he used crowns unnecessarily, which removes a lot more tooth structure than is necessary, that hints to me that he does not know how to do veneers and went with the basic procedure he is comfortable with. That does not mean he will be able to give you a beautiful result. There is a difference between form and function.
This will obviously need to be redone. Normally, when the only issue is that you don’t like the appearance, it is hard to get a refund unless your dentist has a high standard of ethics. Given that the results are causing some pain, that tells me that the crowns and/or the mini implants are not properly placed, which can cause a problem with occlusion. If that is the case, then you have some real leverage to get a refund. However, you will need a second option from an expert cosmetic dentist who can tell you (and the original dentist) that there is a problem with how the work was done.
That being said, you will still need to redo the makeover. I would not let this same dentist do it. Instead, you need to find an expert cosmetic dentist. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited. In fact, if a true cosmetic dentist would never leave you with a smile that you weren’t thrilled with. They’d let you look it over before permanently bonding it on. If you weren’t thrilled, then the dentist would send it back to the lab to make changes. Nothing will be bonded permanently until you love it.
This blog is brought to you by Franklin Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Christopher Weber.
