Worst smile makeover ever

I got some Lumineers. Let me say I spent a small fortune. I was so excited about this. Unfortunately, I’ve come out of this looking like Mr. Ed.  The teeth are huge and bulky. What do I do?

Elaine – Maryland

Elaine,

I’m sorry for your experience.  Many inexperienced cometic dentists think they can place lumineers, because they’re advertised as simple. Plus, to become a lumineers dentist you just have to take an exam.

What you want to look for when you’re getting a smile makeover, is a great cosmetic dentist. You want someone with extensive post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry. It’s likely, that you’ll need to have this smile re-done. You could try to get a refund from your current dentist.

Any decent cosmetic dentist will have a smile gallery, where you could see what kind of results they get. You should also look on mynewmile.com. They recommend the best cosmetic dentists in each state.

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Stop your restoration!

My dentist had given me several dental crowns. I wasn’t happy with them, because they were ugly and always left a black line at my gumline. I’ve moved and my new dentist said that my crowns are not only ugly, but have damaged my bite. He is doing a complete bite restoration with 28 crowns. I’ve got the temporary ones. I’m having a little trouble eating with them, but that’s probably because they are temporary. I would like to have the eye teeth extended a little. Is that being too picky?

Renee N. – Rhode Island

Renee,

I’m going to strongly suggest you stop this restoration right away. Your temporary crowns should not be uncomfortable at all, especially not while eating. I would tell him not to continue until they’ve worked out the issue with your temp. crowns.

To answer your question, no, it is not too picky to want your eye teeth extended. It is your smile. You’re paying a significant amount of money. You’re certainly within your rights to want it to look a certain way.

I’m a little concerned that your new dentist doesn’t know what they’re doing either.  A full mouth restoration is a very advanced, complicated procedure. If it’s not done well, you will have serious TMJ problems, which can ruin your quality of life for years to come. I would ask your dentist where he got his restoration training. If he says the Pankey Institue or Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, then I’d be a little more comfortable with you moving forward. If not, I’d get out and get a second opinion.

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