I was disappointed in my porcelain veneers. I asked for a really white smile. They came back a bit dingy in my opinion. He said that’s because the tech said that’s the whitest available. I would have rather waited until they had the whiter available than get these. Is there a way to put whiter ones on top of these or am I stuck with the dingy ones?
Marilyn
Dear Marilyn,
First, I’m going to suggest you get a different cosmetic dentist. They could have made your porcelain veneers as white as you wished. Either he lied to you for a reason I can hardly fathom or he is totally incompetent about cosmetic dentistry and just listens to whatever his lab tells him.
While you could have new veneers on top of the ones you don’t like, I’m going to recommend you don’t for the following reasons:
- It will cost you just as much money as if you had the case completely re-done.
- They won’t last as long. Bonding porcelain to porcelain isn’t as secure as bonding porcelain to enamel.
- You double your chances of the veneers having a problem and falling off. For instance, if by some miracle your new veneers stay bonded to the old ones, what if the original bond breaks?
- The porcelain to porcelain margin is more prone to staining than the porcelain to enamel margin.
Finding the Cosmetic Dentist to Re-do Your Smile
If you really want a stunning smile makeover the most important decision you’ll make is which dentist you go to to have it done. Two cosmetic dentists can attempt the exact same smile makeover on the same patient, given the same instructions and they will turn out completely different. So how is a patient to know which dentists are artistic and which will do disappointing smiles?
The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) set up an accreditation program for that very reason. Dentists have to pass stringent oral and written exams as well as demonstrate their artistry with a large number of cases they’ve personally done. Dentists who reach accreditation level are among the top dentists in the country.
They will create a stunning smile for you. In fact, most of them have a beautiful smile guarantee.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha. Check out his smile gallery.
