I’ve been bulimic for many years and I’m finally getting things under control. It will be no surprise to you that I’m dealing with issues on my teeth as a result. They are completely worn down and the result is a lot of sensitivity making it hard to eat. On top of that I have the problem of hating the way they look. I have a hard enough of a problem dealing with my appearance. I went to my dentist and he suggested porcelain veneers, but the price tag was $25,000. I can’t do that. I was looking at those snap on veneers. They’re much less expensive. Do you know if they’ll work? If not, do you know of other options for me?
Lucy
Dear Lucy,
First, I’m going to say right away that you are doing a wonderful thing tackling your bulimia head-on. I know that is such a hard thing to do. Be proud of yourself for that. Second, your dentist is giving you the wrong recommendation. Porcelain veneers cover the fronts of your teeth and will improve their appearance, but most of the damage done from bulimia goes to the back of the teeth, so veneers won’t do anything to help with the damage in the back.
Snap-on Smile, which some people call snap-on veneers have a similar problem, but they won’t even look as good because they’re made of acrylic instead of porcelain. Plus they’ll add to your sensitivity because they are snapping onto the teeth. What will protect your teeth and give you a beautiful appearance if done by the right dentist are porcelain crowns. They will still cost a lot, but dental insurance will often help with crowns if they are needed to protect a tooth, which yours are.
What I don’t want you to do is walk into a dentist’s office and say, “I’d like all-porcelain crowns.” You want the dentist to suggest the right treatment, unprompted, in order to at least give the first clue that they have an idea of what they’re doing. If they suggest all-porcelain crowns, check both their credentials to make sure they have post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry, and their smile gallery to make sure they create beautiful results.
This blog is brought to you by a top-rated dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.