I had four porcelain veneers placed. When he did the temporary ones, they were too long. I asked them the make sure they were a little shorter. However, they ended up too short. I wish I had gotten to see them the second time before they bonded them on. Plus, the two lateral incisors are different shapes, which looks weird to me. Is it possible to re-do porcelain veneers? Is it hard to do?
Caitlyn
Dear Caitlyn,
Yes, it is possible to have your porcelain veneers re-done. It’s hard on your dentist, but if you are paying for a beautiful smile makeover, that is what you should get. One word of warning, though. Technically, if the porcelain veneers are functional he doesn’t have to replace them, so be nice about it (not that I think you won’t).
It seems like your dentist is likely a decent family dentist but he doesn’t do a lot of cosmetic work. A true cosmetic dentist would never bond on y our porcelain veneers until you had a good look at them and approved. There is a temporary try-in paste he can use.
I agree that your lateral incisors shouldn’t be two different shapes. You don’t want them to be exactly the same, but you also don’t want them different enough to be distracting.
If he gives you trouble about re-doing them, one thing which may help is to see an expert cosmetic dentist for a second opinion. If he agrees they need to be replaced it will put some pressure on your dentist. He won’t want to look unskilled to a peer.
Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist
Because there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, it is hard for patients to know who has the skills to create beautiful smiles and who doesn’t. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry recognized that and started an accreditation program.
In order for a dentist to get accredited, they have to pass exams that demonstrate their technical knowledge as well as demonstrate their artistry by providing visual evidence of a large number of specific cases they’ve done.
If there is an AACD accredited dentist near you, that is who I would get to help you if your dentist doesn’t want to fix the veneers.
This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.