Dr. Hall,
Years ago I had bonding done on the four front teeth upper and lower. I am not happy with my teeth, the bonding looks worn. I asked my dentist about veneers and he said they would not work because of the work I already had done. He wants to use crowns. Is that true?
– Penny from New Jersey
Penny,
I had to chuckle when I read your question, because I have seen this type of comment SO many times from dentists.
Your dentist isn’t right. You are a perfect candidate for porcelain veneers, if you’ve had dental bonding before. And PLEASE don’t let this dentist put crowns on you. He’d have to grind your teeth down to stubs to do crowns, which would be okay if that’s what you needed, but you don’t need that. But I want to help you understand what is going on.
As dentists, we are trained in dental school to exude confidence toward the patient. When the dentist is confident the patient is more comfortable. If the patient thinks the dentist isn’t confident, the patient’s anxiety level skyrockets. So you’ve asked your dentist to do porcelain veneers, and he really doesn’t feel confident doing porcelain veneers. He wasn’t trained in dental school to do porcelain veneers and, like almost all dentists, isn’t really that gung-ho about cosmetic dentistry. But he knows how to do crowns. But he can’t say, “you know, I don’t really feel comfortable doing porcelain veneers.” He just can’t. So he deflects the question by saying “porcelain veneers won’t work in your situation.” He’s doing what he was trained to do.
Very few dentists are really good in cosmetic dentistry. It’s not a legally separate specialty, so any dentist can say they’re a cosmetic dentist. So that removes a lot of the incentive for pursuing the special training. (It takes several years beyond dental school, going to various courses around the country, to get this training and several years also to get the experience needed to be a good cosmetic dentist.) In addition, cosmetic dentistry is an art, and the overwhelming majority of dentists chose the field because they like to fix things. You have a cavity, a broken tooth–they fix it. But you want a new smile, so you need an artist. And there are so many advertising claims out there, and no regulation.
My advice is to check our list of New Jersey cosmetic dentists. All of these dentists are artists who chose to become dentists, and they do beautiful work. We have checked photos of the work of every one of them to insure that, and being an accredited cosmetic dentist myself, I know what to look for. So pick one and go there. You’ve had this bonding for so long, it’s looking dingy, and you deserve to have a beautiful, sparkly smile now.
– Dr. Hall
Related information:
See a similar question from a visitor whose dentist said that a bridge with a natural-looking ovate pontic wouldn’t work for her, because the dentist wasn’t comfortable doing it.
Read about the difference between a general dentist and a true cosmetic dentist.
Response from Penny:
Thank you for the quick response and for the great info. You know, it didn’t feel right about the crowns. I’ve had crowns done and I am aware about the procedure and was not happy about that. I will call Dr. ______ on your list. If he was only a little closer but I think it will be worth it. Thanks again.
– Penny
About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Mary Thompson says
HI Dr. Hall,
I thought I was getting either Emax or Zirconia veneers. My dentist said I was a better candidate for a 360 wrap veneers. I asked her assistant how much tooth would be taken off, and he replied, a very small amount. . . .
(Read the rest of Mary’s question, along with Dr. Hall’s answer, in this post about 360 degree veneers.)