My sister just spent a small fortune on a smile makeover. To me it looks fake. The teeth seem a little opaque and bulky to me. I don’t know what to tell her. She’s trying to pretend she’s happy with it, but I can tell deep down she’s not happy. Does she have any recourse?
Amanda P. – Missouri
Amanda,
You sound like you’re a great sister. Unfortunately, there is very little recourse for going to a bad cosmetic dentist. The standard with the dental board is generally “Is it functional?” If your sister’s smile is functional, but ugly, there is not much in the way of getting her money back. However, that doesn’t mean her dentist isn’t scrupulously ethical. If she tells him how disappointed she is with the results, he may be willing to at least give her a partial refund.
If she wants to have the smile re-done, so she can have the gorgeous smile she was hoping for, she’ll need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist.
Most people don’t realize there is not a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. Any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist, regardless of the limits of their training. However, training isn’t always enough. It is an art, which means it requires an artistic eye.
I know it is hard for a layman to know who is skilled and who isn’t. I’ve looked on mynewsmile.com, a website that recommends really skilled and artistic cosmetic dentists, and there are four in Missouri. Two are in the Kansas City area and two are in the St. Louis area.
You might want to consider getting a second opinion from one of them and see what they recommend.
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