I need help. I’ve spent over $25,000 to get my smile makeover. I had teeth which had composite bonding on them but they were old and needed to be replaced. I was told the best thing to do would
We went over extensively the smile design I wanted along with the color. When the temporary crowns were ready they were okay. When the permanent ones came in, I wasn’t too happy. They were too dark. I said that before they put them in, but they insisted once I saw them in, I’d like them. They were still too dark. I still told them I didn’t like them but they insisted they were exactly what I requested and bonded them in.
Not only are they ugly, but uncomfortable. I am not getting anywhere with this practice. Even when I told them they hurt they suggested I give it a couple of weeks first. What do I do? I’m out quite a bit of money and am worse off than I was before agreeing to this debacle.
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
First, you did not agree to this debacle. You agreed to get a beautiful smile makeover. They didn’t do that. In fact, you have a good case for malpractice. One of the tenents of dentistry is informed consent.
Though they promised you’d love your smile or it wouldn’t be bonded, they seemed to have had no intention of keeping their word. They bonded those crowns on without your approval.
Another thing I will bring up, though there is nothing that can be done about this particular bit, is they shouldn’t have used crowns for a smile makeover on healthy teeth. Smile makeovers are most often done with porcelain veneers which don’t require the teeth be ground down.
If you want to get your money back, you are going to have to get tough. This doesn’t sound like the kind of practice that cares about what their patient thinks. They likely won’t just give you a refund, though do ask.
If they say no, tell them you are willing to go to a lawyer and follow through. You may also show him this post as well. That should get them moving a bit.
They may offer to just do the case over for you. That’s up to you. Personally, I wouldn’t let them near my teeth. Instead, I’d like you to have your dentist pay for a better cosmetic dentist to re-do the smile makeover properly.
Finding the Best Cosmetic Dentist
What you’ll want to do is get the best cosmetic dentist in your area to do this. It will even be worth it if you have to drive to a nearby city. With true cosmetic dentists, your smile will be stunning.
In your place, I would look for an AACD accredited dentist to re-do your crowns. They are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. In fact, I don’t think you’d find one of them who’d be satisfied if you weren’t. Most of them have a beautiful smile guarantee. You can find them by doing a search on aacd.com. Just be certain you check that you’re looking for an accredited dentist. That makes all the difference.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.
