My husband and I went to a local dentist who advertised smile makeovers with Lumineers. We were both excited about getting our smile re-done. Our impressions were taken and we were told it would be two weeks. About the time they were supposed to be in, the dentist called and told us that the impressions were bad and we’d need to come in and have them re-done. It seems odd to me that they were still on the impression part when they were supposed to be done. Should I be concerned? Do you think we’ll actually get them? We’ve already paid upfront.
Miranda
Dear Miranda,
I am not concerned that you will not get them. I feel certain you will get them. The thing I am concerned about though is whether you’ll be happy with them. There are some things here that concern me. The first is the impressions. It doesn’t bother me that the first impressions were not good and needed to be re-done. That can happen from time to time even at the best of cosmetic offices. What does worry me is how long it took them to tell you.
I obviously wasn’t with your dentist but I can tell you what it sounds like to me. The lab would have known fairly quickly that the impressions were not good, so why didn’t they call you then? My guess is your dentist felt embarrassed that the impressions weren’t good. Maybe he or she is insecure about their cosmetic skills and they don’t have a ton of experience. Maybe they didn’t realize everyone has bad impressions now and again. Either way, for it to go that long they would have had to try to tell the lab to try anyway. After some effort, the lab called back saying the impressions were unworkable. Now they have to call you to re-do them.
Lumineers are a particular brand of porcelain veneers that are often marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. However, doing smile makeovers is not taught in dental school; nor is cosmetic dentistry a recognized specialty. A dentist has to invest in post-doctoral training in order to learn how to create beautiful smiles. Lumineers just requires them to do a single seminar and then the dentist is officially “Lumineers Certified”.
Unfortunately, that isn’t enough. Most patients who go to dentists with this type of training end up disappointed at best. Here is how you can prevent that. When the Lumineers come in, tell your dentist you want them to try them on with a temporary try-in paste. This is to give you time to look at them and decide if you love them. If you don’t, they should go back to the lab to make any changes you request. They shouldn’t get permanently bonded on until you are thrilled with them.
I suggest you call the dentist now and ask them to agree to this. If they don’t, ask for a refund. Then go to a great cosmetic dentist with extensive cosmetic training. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited. Don’t be surprised if they suggest a different brand of porcelain veneers.
This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.