Veneers Are Still Too White

I need some advice. I had eight ceramic veneers placed. Four on the top and four on the bottom. The first time they came back it was obvious they were too white next to my natural teeth. I did not think this would be hard as my natural teeth are an exact match for one of the shade guide colors. I wanted them to match so asked him to send them back. The second time they came in he just bonded them on without me seeing them. but, they are still too white. I don’t understand why he couldn’t just tell them the shade guide “code”. He felt they were just prettier than my other teeth so I’m “not used to it yet” and if I gave it time I’d see he was right. Just a week into me “giving it time”, which made no difference in my opinion whatsoever, one of the ceramic veneers broke in half. I called and he said that it wasn’t a problem and he’d just replace it and said they had a two year warranty. I’m a bit worried about this. If they broke after just a week, will two years be a long enough guarantee? Can you tell if the ceramic was defective. Would getting porcelain veneers have been stronger? I’m not sure what to do. Any advice you have would be appreciated.

Leida

Dear Leida,

If I understand you correctly, you have some great leverage for a refund here. The first thing that will work in your favor is that he bonded these veneers on without you giving your approval. This is especially bad because he’d already set that precedent that you would see and approve them first. That is the right way to do it. Bonding them on without that is tantamount to him doing dental work you did not consent to and a big no-no.

Secondly, one of them has already broken just a week in. I noticed you asked if porcelain veneers would have been stronger. Porcelain is one of a group of ceramics used for veneers, but it is not very strong. None of them are. You could crush a veneer with your finger. What gives them their strength is the bonding procedure. If they broke, it is because the dentist did not properly bond them on. What is to say the rest of them won’t break?

My suggestion is that you ask for a refund. If he gives you a hard time you can bring up the points I made here and let him know you’ll be speaking to the dental board and contacting an attorney. His insurance will quickly tell him to give you your refund.

Then, you will want to have this redone properly. You should know most patients don’t need to pay for porcelain veneers on their top and bottom teeth. Unless there are structural changes you want made, the standard procedure is to have teeth whitening done first so all your teeth will be uniform in color and then have the veneers placed on your top teeth. This saves you a significant amount of money. Of course, if you want them on both arches, that is your right and it’s your money.

Moving forward, you will want a cosmetic dentist with more expertise than the one you used this go-round. If you look on the mynewsmile.com website, they have a “find a cosmetic dentist” link. Each of these dentists has been pre-screened for their technical prowess and artistry. If they’re listed, you can feel confident you will receive a gorgeous smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Warren Krutchick.