Dr. Hall,
I found you by searching for “I am unhappy with my veneers.”
I had veneers done in another state and am very unhappy with them. There was no try-in period. They are too long and very bulky. I mentioned to the dentist that they were too big. He disagreed. I could not bite properly and he adjusted my bite several times. I would wake up in pain from my top and button teeth hitting so badly at night. Shortly after getting veneers, I moved across the country and live nowhere near this dentist. I went to three dentists in my new state and am letting one redo them since all three dentists said I had limited envelope of function. They also said they have never seen veneers so thick! The hitting of the top and bottom teeth also resulted in a root canal of one tooth. I feel like I’m justified in requesting a refund. Is it acceptable to send a certified letter to this dentist requesting a refund? I’m so upset that I do not want to communicate by phone.
– Miriam
(See Dr. Hall’s answer below.)
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Miriam,
Your question raises several issues.
First, to address the matter of a refund. There are two basic categories of asking for a refund in dentistry. One is the polite request, where you appeal to the good will of the dentist. Sometimes pressure from another dentist can encourage this type of refund. Since you are so upset that you don’t want to talk to this dentist, you are clearly not in the “polite request” category. Also, I wouldn’t recommend a certified letter as a tool for a polite refund request.
That puts you into the “refund demand” category. To be effective here, you need an “or else” threat. It doesn’t look to me like you have much leverage here. You’ve moved to a different state, which makes it tricky to threaten to complain to the state dental board. Can you threaten a malpractice lawsuit? Ask another dentist if they think that your problems with the veneers constitute malpractice. Maybe – if you can document that the faulty work caused the need for the root canal.
But let me deal with fixing these awful veneers. I worry about you because you just refer to these professionals as “dentists,” making it seem that you aren’t aware of the critical difference between a “dentist” and a cosmetic dentist who can give you a beautiful set of porcelain veneers. Why did you select the first dentist to do this work? Be very careful that when you hire a dentist to do a smile makeover the dentist can do beautiful work. If you simply don’t like how the smile makeover looks, that doesn’t constitute legal grounds for getting a refund. Check the dentists we recommend. It is also pretty safe to go to an dentist accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry because accredited dentists have to pass examinations demonstrating their ability to create a beautiful smile.
– Dr. Hall
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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.
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