I’m not sure what to do. I spoke with my dentist ahead of time about exactly what kind of a smile makeover I wanted, which included a very white smile. For some reason when he ordered them he had them put on a stain. He said to make them more natural looking. However, I really didn’t want that kind of natural looking. I wanted white. He hasn’t permanently put them on yet, because I started crying when I saw them. Do I have to take them?

Cindy M.- Nevada

Cindy,

No you don’t have to have them permanently bonded on, especially if you had already told your dentist what kind of smile you were going for.

I can tell you a couple of things about your particular case and what went wrong. I suspect your dentist is your average family dentist, who also does some cosmetic work. He is not an expert cosmetic dentist. Here is why I think that. In dental school we’re taught that the dentist knows best and that to have a natural smile there needs to be some staining. However, those dentists with significant cosmetic training know that we are treating how you feel about your appearance. If a true cosmetic dentist had a patient burst into tears, they would immediately tell them the veneers would go back and be re-done.

Another reason that makes me wonder is his choice of porcelain veneers. Lumineers are merely a brand of porcelain veneers. The biggest downside to them is their lab. The Lumineers brand requires you to use their lab, which is not the highest quality.

What I recommend is that you go back to your dentist and tell him you are not interested in the Lumineers because they are not what you agreed to. Then I would look for a more experienced cosmetic dentist in your area. You can go to the mynewsmile.com website. They list expert, artistic cosmetic dentists from each state. You’ll be safe with a dentist recommended on that site.

This blog is brought to you by Plano Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Miranda Lacey.