New Patients: (877) 241-8306    Existing Patients: (267) 763-1500

261 Old York Rd, Ste 517, Jenkintown, PA 19046

Banner image on site front page
Cosmetic and
restorative
dentistry

What If You Don’t Like Your Smile Makeover?

by

I wanted a smile makeover. I asked my dentist if he was a cosmetic dentist and he said no one is actually a cosmetic dentist they’re just dentists who did cosmetic work. He then asked what procedure I wanted. When I told him a smile makeover he told me that he could give me Lumineers. He showed me before and after pictures that looked good. When my porcelain veneers were first placed. I didn’t like them. I could tell that before they even put them on. They weren’t the right color. I told him that and he sent them back. When they came in the next time, I had a hard time seeing them on my teeth because they kept falling out. He assured me they could make adjustments after they were bonded on. It turned out that isn’t true. When I finally got a good look at them at home, I was super disappointed. First, they were whiter, but it had a chalky flat looking white, not a shiny one I was hoping for. Second, they are way bulkier than natural teeth. It was shortly after this that the quarantine started and his office closed. I called and left a message, but he hasn’t gotten back with me. I don’t know if that’s because his office is closed or he’s ignoring me. I’m hoping to get this fixed, but what if he’s actually just avoiding me?  The answering machine does say they’re checking messages and will get back with us, but he hasn’t.

Carol

Dear Carol,

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth.

While technically your dentist is correct, there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, that doesn’t mean some cosmetic dentists aren’t more qualified than others. Doing smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. It is up to the dentist to invest the time and money into learning them well.  It doesn’t sound like your dentist has done that based on what you’ve described.

Problem One

The first thing that caught my attention was his recommendation of Lumineers. This is a brand of porcelain veneers that is highly marketed, especially to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. They say that because they are considered easy to place as they are an ultra-thin and don’t necessarily require any tooth preparation. However, they have two big problems working against them.

The initial problem is the inexperience of the dentist. Some smiles will look fine without tooth prep. Others will look bulky. A second big issue with Lumineers is their lab. Unlike other brands of porcelain veneers, the company that produces Lumineers require dentists to use their lab, which isn’t known for its high-quality work. In fact, many expert cosmetic dentists would consider it sub-par.

I know your dentist showed you before and after pictures, but did he say they were HIS before and after pictures. They may have been stock photos.

Problem Two

A second big problem I noticed is that your dentist either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about temporary try-in paste. If he didn’t know, he has done practically zero training with cosmetic work. If it is, instead, that he doesn’t care, then he is definitely NOT a dentist you would want working on your smile. So you’ll be aware for next time, a temporary try-in paste allows you to get a good look at your porcelain veneers on your teeth for an extended period of time, without them having to be permanently bonded.

Problem Three

Finally, he told you he could make adjustments after they were bonded on. Cosmetic Dentistry 101 teaches you that is not possible. Again an indication he either doesn’t know he’s doing or he doesn’t care. The good news is this last issue works in your favor. He told you something that absolutely wasn’t true. I think this can help you get a refund.

So, once you’ve got that juicy refund in your hand, who should you go to in order to have a beautiful smile crafted for you? Ideally, you’d get an AACD accredited cosmetic dentist. They are at the top 1% of their field. If that isn’t possible, my next recommendation is you go to the website mynewsmile.com. They recommend expert cosmetic dentists in every area. A dentist cannot just pay to be listed. They have to provide their cosmetic dentistry training as well as visual evidence with before and after pictures of cases they’ve done themselves in order to prove their artistry. Any one of the dentists listed there can create a stunning smile for you. Many of them are on their way to accreditation, which is a process that can take many years.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Help! I Look Like Jim Carrey!

by

This quarantine has almost destroyed me. First, I tried to cut my own bangs which were almost down to the tip of my nose. Then, the other night I had WAY too much to drink and tripped, which resulted in chipping my front tooth. I seriously look like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. Help! My dentist still isn’t open but tell me there is a solution for this once he is. For now, I’m just going to hide indoors and ignore the doorbell. No one can see me like this.

Stephanie

Dear Stephanie,

Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber

Jim Carry in Dumb and Dumber

For the benefit of those who may not know Jim Carrey or the role he played in Dumb and Dumber, I’ve posted a picture above. Don’t feel too bad. This quarantine has been hard on us all. There are more than a few bad haircuts in the grocery stores these days. You’re also not the only one to hit the wine bottle either.

While a dentist can’t do anything about the cereal bowl haircut, you can certainly get that tooth repaired. The first thing the dentist will want to do is make sure there is no underlying damage to the pulp of the tooth from the trauma. If everything is okay there, the standard repair for a chipped tooth is dental bonding. This uses a composite resin that the dentist will sculpt on your tooth to make the tooth whole again. This is done freehand, so you don’t want your average dentist to do it. Dental bonding takes experience and artistry to make it look natural.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

before and after dental bonding to repair a chipped tooth

Your family dentist may also be an expert dentist. Just make sure before having him work on your tooth. The top cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited. This means they have passed stringent exams on the technical knowledge and procedural process in cosmetic work. In addition to that, they also had to submit visual evidence of a substantial number of cases they’ve personally done to be examined by a board of experts for the quality and beauty of their work. Any dentist who reaches accreditation is in the top 1% of cosmetic dentists in the country.

What if Your Dentist Isn’t Accredited?

Just because your dentist isn’t accredited, doesn’t mean he can’t do beautiful work. This is a process which takes many years and there are some artistic dentists out there who are still in that process. I would first look to see if he is listed on the mynewsmile.com website. If not, then your next step would be to ask for before and after images of dental bonding cases he’s personally done. Don’t settle for stock photos. If you are not absolutely thrilled with the results, don’ t let him near your smile.

Expert cosmetic dentists are used to having patients come to them just for the one procedure and then staying with their family dentist when that is through. There is no shame in that. He’ll understand and your dentist should understand as well.

I hope this helps. Try to keep away from the booze for a while, you don’t want to end up needing dental implants. Hopefully, this whole Coronavirus mess will be over with soon. I know dentists are ready to get back to work!

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Why Is there Too Much Shine on My Porcelain Veneers?

by

I don’t know why, but my porcelain veneers have so much shine on them, they look fake. My dentist disagrees and thinks they are beautiful. He says it is because of the whiteness I wanted that they are so shiny. I did ask for very white porcelain veneers. But, I don’t understand the brightness. I have seen other white veneers and, while they shine, they still look natural. Mine look like shiny pieces of chicklet gum.

Tanya

Dear Tanya,

It simultaneously amuses and annoys me when a dentist puts the problem off on the patient, like it was their fault he didn’t produce a nice result. While I wish I had an image of your smile to be certain, I do have a sneaking suspicion of what is going on here.

It takes an expert cosmetic dentist to get porcelain veneers to look natural. Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry isn’t recognized specialty so any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. Even more unfortunate, smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. This means if a dentist wants to know how to create beautiful, natural looking smiles, they have to invest in post-doctoral training.

I want you to look at the picture below. Notice how the teeth have texture to them. If that texture isn’t added, the porcelain veneers will look flat, giving it an overly shiny appearance.

image of a smile after a smile makeover

The texture in the teeth needs to be varied as well. Plus, younger smiles have more texture because as we age, parts of that texture wears down. Believe it or not, one of the teeth in the image above is actually a dental crown. This is the kind of work a true cosmetic dentist does.

One thing I want to know is if your dentist bonded them on before or after you told him you didn’t like them. True cosmetic dentists will put your porcelain veneers in with a temporary try-in paste. They’ll have you look at them in various lights and make sure you absolutely love them. If you don’t, they’d go back to the lab.

If your dentist bonded them on and then you said you didn’t like them, you may not have much recourse. However, you could appeal to his ethics. You paid for a beautiful smile and should get one. If you got to try them on and told him you didn’t like them and he bonded them on anyway, then he didn’t have consent and you have the right to a refund. Ask for one.

Then, I would go to an AACD accredited dentist to get your smile makeover done. These dentists have proved their knowledge, skill, and artistry. In order to become accredited, a dentist has to pass stringent exams and turn in visual evidence on a large number of cases they’ve done.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Her Dentist told Her to Expect Her Porcelain Veneers to Fall Off!

by

I just had six porcelain veneers placed on my teeth and, as I was leaving, the dentist told me to expect them to fall off every few months. I knew up front that I would no longer be able to eat crunchy foods, such as apples or nuts, but I really thought they’d stay on other than that. Do you know if I’m expected to pay for the rebonding every time?

Caitlin

Dear Caitlin,

a porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

I’m astounded at what I’m hearing! First, let me start off by saying that one of the problems you are facing has to do with the fact that cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. This makes the standard of care a very low bar. It wouldn’t matter if they looked awful, as long as they were functional. That is actually the basis for a large number of cosmetic dentistry horror stories. They pay a fortune for a smile makeover and end up with a smile that looks worse.

The good news, though, is that your porcelain veneers falling off is NOT functional. It’s a basic standard of care. If your porcelain veneers fall off even once, go back and demand a refund. In fact, he should not have put eating restrictions on you at all. There are very few restrictions when it comes to porcelain veneers, such as not biting metal and wearing a nightguard if you are a teeth grinder. In your place, I’d go ahead and test the veneers by eating an apple the next time you feel like it. If they’re going to come off and need to be replaced (by a different dentist this time), it is better for you to know sooner rather than later. This way you can get a functional smile and not live in fear.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

Without there being a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. Unfortunately, creating beautiful smile makeovers isn’t taught in general dental school. Instead, a dentist has to invest in a significant amount of post-doctoral training as well as have an artistic eye.

It’s almost impossible for patients to know which dentists have done this and are truly qualified and which haven’t, essentially turning your trip to the cosmetic dentist into a gamble. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry recognized this issue. As a result, they started an accreditation program. To become AACD accredited, dentists have to pass stringent exams that prove their technical knowledge of the procedures. Additionally, they’re required to submit a large number of specific cases they’ve personally done to show they can not only implement their technical knowledge but have the artistry required to create beautiful smiles.

If I were getting a smile makeover, I’d want an AACD accredited dentist to do it. When your porcelain veneers fail, and it sounds like your dentist is sadly confident they will, that is what you should look for in the dentist that will replace them.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

I’m In Tears After My Smile Makeover

by

I had a few teeth with composite bondings to repair some chips. They needed some repair. My dentist retired and said the man who took over his practice said they’d need to be replaced with porcelain crowns because you can’t just replace composite bonding. I didn’t realize at the time that wasn’t true and allowed him to do six dental crowns. The two front teeth look a darker grayish compared to the other teeth. Is there any way to fix this? My dentist insists they’re the exact same color as the others. It almost feels like I’m being gaslighted.

Elaine

Dear Elaine,

Woman covering her mouth with hand.

I’m very sorry you’re going through this. I can tell you the biggest obstacle you face is you have a bread and butter family dentist trying to do cosmetic dental work. One of the big problems in dentistry right now is the fact that cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. This means any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of the amount of training they’ve received.

This puts patients in a difficult position. They may not know that smile makeovers and other advanced cosmetic procedures are not taught in dental school. In order for a dentist to become skilled in those areas, it requires a significant amount of post-doctoral training. The best dentists invest in this type of training on a regular basis and are constantly improving their skills. My guess is your dentist didn’t receive that. This is what landed you in this position.

Getting Your Smile Disaster Fixed

A true cosmetic dentist would never tell a patient their smile looked fine when they were unhappy with it. Instead, they would re-do the work until the patient was thrilled. Because they want total patient satisfaction, they’ll use a temporary try-in paste. This allows the patient to get a good look at their smile before it is permanently bonded on.

It is unfortunate you now have dental crowns. You’re stuck with those the remainder of your life because it required your teeth to be ground down. The good news is he misrepresented to you the options available. It is not true that dental bonding could not be replaced. My guess is he said you had to have dental crowns done because that is all he knew how to do. In your place, I would ask for a refund and then go elsewhere to get them done properly.

If you’re happy with all the crowns except the two front ones that don’t match the adjacent teeth, you can just get those re-done. Either way you are going to need to find a top of the line cosmetic dentist. The best are AACD accredited cosmetic dentists. They’ve passed stringent exams as well as demonstrated their artistry on a large number of cases they’ve done.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Dentist Won’t Match Implant Crown

by

I have had the dental crown placed on my implant three different times and none of them matched the adjacent teeth. My dentist said I’m being too picky and my tooth color is between A1 and A2 and I will never be satisfied. She’s refusing to do it again. I hinted I will try somewhere else and she said that puts my dental implant in danger of coming loose because she’s already removed the crown two other times. Now I’m worried. Am I stuck with mismatched teeth? I don’t want to risk the implant itself. Could I just whiten everything, crown included?

MaryAnne

Dear MaryAnne,

Using teeth whitening won’t help in this case. It will whiten your natural teeth, but the crown will stay the same shade, making the differences even more obvious. I’m very sorry that your dentist is treating you this way. She seems to be transferring her inability to match the crown for your dental implant to you. This isn’t your fault. Based on what you said, there are probably two problems going on with this. My first guess is this is a front tooth she’s trying to match. Those are trickier than others. Even top cosmetic dentists will do several try-ins before getting an exact match.

Notice I said try-in. There are temporary try-in pastes which allow you and the dentist to see what the dental crown will look like in place without using the permanent bonding materials that require her to grind your crown off every time you request a change. These are inexpensive. There are usually only two reasons a dentist doesn’t carry them. The first would be they don’t care what you think and will only look at it themselves. The second is they don’t know about it because they have not invested in cosmetic training, which has to be done in a post-doctoral setting. I believe your dentist falls into this latter category.

This leads me to her second problem. She’s just going by the standard Vita shade guides and expecting your tooth to be a perfect match. But, your teeth are between an A1 and A2. For back teeth, her method would work fine. However, a front tooth gets all the light when we smile, which shows the color and variations in striking clarity. The standard shade guide isn’t enough.

diagram of a dental color map This is an example of a color map a cosmetic dentist will send to the ceramist. Yes, it will have the basic shade, but there are also instructions for different tints to go in a variety of sections on the tooth, which changes the visual perception of the color. Our natural teeth aren’t one flat color. There are differences in opacity throughout the tooth. This is how you get a tooth to look natural and perfectly match its neighbor.

The truth is your dentist is in over her head. Ask for a partial refund and go elsewhere to get it done. See if you have an AACD accredited dentist in your state. They’re at the top of their field.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael WEiss.

My Dental Crown Doesn’t Feel Right

by

I just had a dental crown placed on a severely damaged tooth. It hasn’t felt right since I got it a week ago. I think it’s too big and bumping into the opposing tooth when I bite down. My dentist said it is just because I’m not used to a crown and to give it time. If I’m not used to it by the time the quarantine is up he’ll take another look. Is this normal?

Selwyn

Dear Selwyn,

woman holding her her jaw in pain

I would laugh at your dentist’s comment that it’s just because you haven’t had a crown before and you’ll get used to it, if it weren’t such a dangerous attitude. The way your teeth should come together is very specific and in dental circles is known as occlusion. The best dentists, who want to seriously treat TMJ Disorder or do things like a full-mouth reconstruction, will attend post-doctoral schools to learn the skills they need to properly treat their patients in every aspect. Unfortunately, some bread and butter dentists think they’re only going to do single crowns and therefore don’t bother to get the extra training.

In general, they get by. They will have the odd patient here and there, like you, who will complain about something feeling off. But, the dentist tells them they’ll adjust and either they do or they’re too embarrassed to keep complaining.

He said you’re not used to having a crown. The truth is you shouldn’t notice a difference. It should fit exactly like your natural tooth. The fact that you’re not used to it means he didn’t fit it properly.

To me, it doesn’t even sound like he took the very basic step of using bite registration paper. He should have asked you to bite down on this paper which would show were the bite is not coming together properly. Then the dentist can carefully adjust that area. He hasn’t even bothered doing that.

You can continue this dentist, but I think you can do better. Plus, if you don’t get this adjusted, you can end up with bone loss or TMJ Disorder. This requires attention, even during COVID-19.

My suggestion is you find a dentist who has studied at one of the following post-doctoral institutes:

  • Texas Center for Occlusal Studies
  • The Pankey Institute
  • The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Dawson Academy

Have them fix the crown.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Prosthodontist Versus Cosmetic Dentist

by

I needed a lot of reconstructive work done on my teeth after a car accident. I went to a prosthodontist because they’re supposed to be the experts at this. I brought pictures of my old smile. I just wanted to have my beautiful smile back. I thought it would be fairly simple as they’d know exactly what I wanted ahead of time. When it came to the process of fitting, it looked like everything would be too dark. I mentioned that and they said it was because they weren’t the permanent ones. A common theme, whenever I brought up an issue, was the dentist saying, “He’s been doing this for twenty-five years and I should trust him.” Then, when I noticed the color didn’t match on the top and bottom he said, I didn’t understand how it worked and he was doing what was clinically correct.

When it came time to put in the permanent ones on the try-in, I couldn’t see them because they would fall out. He was mostly checking for fit. I told him one of them felt weird. He snapped at me at that point and said, “Everything is clinically perfect and fits just as it should.” He also told me I’ve been overly demanding and if I don’t like it I can leave without the teeth. I was humiliated and couldn’t bear the thought of leaving without teeth. At that point, most of my teeth had been ground down to nubs for the teeth needing crowns. I just let them do the work and booked it out of there as quickly as possible.

Now that I’m home, the teeth don’t look anything the way I wanted. The top teeth are actually darker than the bottom teeth, which looks completely insane. One of the teeth still feels funny. The teeth are shorter than my old smile, which makes me look older. I hate this. Is there any way to get it fixed without spending a second fortune?

Mandy

Dear Mandy,

woman covering her mouth with her hand.

I hate it when I hear these cosmetic dentistry horror stories. All that time and money and the patient is left disappointed at best and in a horrible situation that destroys their bite and leaves them in pain in some of the worst cases. You haven’t been unreasonable and hard to please. When you talked about the difference in color from the upper and lower arch I cringed. While you can get away with the lower teeth being slightly darker than the upper teeth, the other way around just doesn’t work. You can get this fixed, but you’re going to have to be tough. If you think you can handle it, I’ll explain how you can get the smile you deserve.

First, what he did is essentially malpractice, though I’m certain he won’t see it that way. He has a dental school mentality of “I’m the dentist, therefore I know best”. One of the standards of dentistry is informed consent. What he ended up doing, though, is coercing you into a smile you didn’t want. That’s not informed consent.

It’s obvious he didn’t care what you think to begin with. During the try-ins, you never got to see the crowns. He only cared about the fit, not whether or not you liked the appearance. If he did, there are temporary try-in pastes he could have used to let you get a good look and approve everything before moving forward.

Based on the arrogance you’ve described, I don’t think you’re going to get far with him on your own. Instead, you may need to involve a lawyer. His lawyer will immediately suggest he settle. I don’t want you to just ask for a refund. Instead, what you need to do is have him pay an expert cosmetic dentist to fix this.

While a prosthodontist studies reconstructive dentistry, not enough of them invest time developing the training necessary for the cosmetic side of things. You are more likely to find an expert cosmetic dentist with training in reconstructive dentistry than you are the other way around. I’d start by looking for an AACD accredited dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country and will certainly give you a stunning smile. Many of them also have reconstructive training as well.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Porcelain Veneers Over Fillings

by

I have a couple of teeth which have fillings on the front of them. I’ve never been happy with their appearance and wanted to have a smile makeover with porcelain veneers. My dentist said that the veneers won’t work because of my dental fillings. He suggested crowns instead. Is this standard operating procedure for someone in my position or is there another option? The teeth are otherwise healthy.

Karen

Dear Karen,

A woman pointing at her smile

I’m very glad you wrote. No, dental crowns are not standard operating procedure. My guess is your dentist isn’t comfortable doing porcelain veneers so he made up some lame excuse about the fillings. The truth is the bonding agent works very well on teeth with fillings. Why would you want to place dental crowns, which will require your dentist to grind down your healthy teeth? For argument’s sake, let us say you couldn’t get veneers and crowns were your only option. I still wouldn’t let this dentist do them.

If he hasn’t gotten trained in porcelain veneers, he hasn’t had significant training in cosmetic work period. Smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. A dentist has to invest the time post-doctorally to learn how to do beautiful, natural-looking smile makeovers. Doing dental crowns, especially on front teeth, still requires that training. I truly feel you’d be disappointed by the results.

Here’s what I’m going to recommend. See if you can find an AACD accredited dentist in your area. Not only have these dentists done extensive cosmetic dentistry training, but they’ve taken stringent exams to prove their knowledge, as well as provided visual evidence on a large number of cases they personally did in order to demonstrate their artistry. These cases were scrutinized by experts for both their beauty and technical accuracy. Any AACD accredited dentist will give you a stunning smile with porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Horrible Solution for a Tooth Gap

by

I have a tooth gap I want to fix. My dentist is suggesting Lumineers. I’ll do it if it is my only option but it is quite expensive. Can you give me a second opinion as to whether I have other options?

Susan

Dear Susan,

woman smiling with a gap between her two front teeth

Please run away from your dentist as quickly as possible. This is a horrible suggestion to fix a tooth gap. Lumineers are a brand of porcelain veneers, which are used for complete smile makeovers. They’re also a bit pricey. You’re asking for a solution to a tooth gap.

The simple solution for that is dental bonding. It is much less expensive and will only affect the teeth you want to close the gap on. What your dentist is suggesting is a massive over treatment. So why would he do that?

My first guess is he doesn’t know how to do dental bonding. Truthfully, that wouldn’t surprise me at all based on the fact that for your porcelain veneers he is suggesting the Lumineers brand. These are highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

They tell dentists that because they are an ultra-thin brand of porcelain veneers, leading the dentists to believe there will be no need to prepare the teeth the way many other brands of porcelain veneers require. Unfortunately, this often ends up looking bulky. Some patients have even described the results as horse teeth.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

If you were going to get a true smile makeover, then you would want a highly skilled cosmetic dentist, such as one who is AACD accredited. Let them pick the brand.

As for your tooth gap, again, you’ll want an expert cosmetic dentist. Dental bonding, the treatment I suggested, is done freehand and takes some serious expertise.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Our office is now back open!

Please click here to read our extra safety precautions.