I paid a small fortune for a smile makeover. For some reason, the teeth underneath it are turning dark. My dentist doesn’t seem to believe me. I don’t think I am imagining this. I wonder if it has something to do with the tops of the veneers don’t quite go flush with the gumline. There is a bit of a ledge there.

Portia

Dear Portia,

 

Bear in mind I haven’t actually seen your porcelain veneers, Based on what you’ve described, though. you have got a big problem here. It sounds to me that you have some open margins which is leading to leaking. This means your porcelain veneers need to be replaced. There is more at stake here than just the appearance. You are also putting your teeth at risk.

What is going on is your porcelain veneers were not bonded on properly. As a result, there is food and other bacteria getting trapped between your teeth and your porcelain veneers. That bacteria will sit on your teeth and turn into decay.

It doesn’t sound like your dentist is willing to own up to his error without some encouragement. Most dentists want to look good in front of their peers. My suggestion is you get another dentist on your side. In this case, you will want to see an expert cosmetic dentist. I recommend you see if there is an AACD accredited dentist in your area.

Have them look at your smile makeover and see what they say about it. Make sure it is a blind second opinion. By that, I mean don’t tell your dentist who did your smile makeover. If they ask, tell them you want their unbiased opinion.

If it turns out I am right and you do need to have these replaced, the dentist can help you get a refund. Then, I would make sure you have the expert cosmetic dentist do the new veneers. You’ll have much more beautiful results that will last a long time.

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