I had a chipped tooth some years ago which I repaired using dental bonding. Since then I’ve moved, and then the bonding started wearing out and showing it’s age. I went to my new dentist to have it replaced and she said it couldn’t be. Instead, I’d need to get a porcelain crown. Truthfully, a porcelain crown seemed a bit of overkill to me. I mean, It’s just a chip. The rest of the tooth is healthy. I don’t want to grind it down. I suggested a porcelain veneer, which seemed the next best conservative option. She agreed. When I went in she bonded it on and sent me on my way. I didn’t even get to see it until I got home. It felt a tad weird in the car, so I looked forward to getting a good long look at it in the mirror. When I did I was shocked. It’s crooked and looks like a snaggle tooth. Plus, I can see a small gap between the veneer and my natural tooth. I’m afraid something will get caught between them and cause decay. I called the office and she said her work is good and I’m just not used to veneers. What do I do?

Missy

Dear Missy,

Wow. So far, everything your dentist has said made my eyebrows go up. If you’d reported much more of her incompetence, I don’t think there’d be anywhere left for me to move my eyebrows in my astonishment. It sounds to me like you understand more about dental work than your dentist does. It’s obvious to me you need a new dentist, but in the meantime the current situation you’re in needs to be rectified.

Before we get into that, though, I want to make sure you understand that you absolutely could have had the dental bonding replaced. I have zero ideas why she told you that you couldn’t unless she just plain doesn’t know how to do bonding. Maybe rather than admit the gap in her skill set, she recommended a porcelain crown, which she does know how to do (At least I hope she does.) You were also correct that a crown would have been a huge overtreatment. I’m glad you suggested the porcelain veneer, even though it didn’t turn out as you’d hoped.

Dealing with Improperly Placed Porcelain Veneers

The first thing you’re going to need to do is get a refund. This will have to be completely redone. It sounds like she’s not the type to admit when she’s wrong so you’ll have to enlist the help of another dentist.

To do that you need to get a second opinion from a good cosmetic dentist in your area. See who has good reviews for their cosmetic work. Also, make sure it’s someone who has a beautiful smile guarantee. That way you know they’re the type of dentist to stand behind their work.

One word of caution. Do NOT tell them who did your porcelain veneer. It’s possible they know each other and your second opinion dentist may feel a sense of loyalty to their friend and peer. Just tell them you want a second opinion before you discuss who did the work. That way it will be an unbiased opinion.

If there is a gap you have a strong case for a refund. You are absolutely right. Food and drinks will get caught between the tooth and the veneer. Not only will that make it look like the tooth is picking up stains, but the trapped items will be a petri dish of bacteria causing decay and eventually an infection. This has to be dealt with and is not even considered the minimum of care.

Once you’ve obtained your refund, or even before if you can afford it, you can have the second opinion dentist remake your porcelain veneer.

Best of luck to you…and switch dentists.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo cosmetic dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.