Most us of see the amount of money we invest into something as a direct indicator of how long it will last. In respect to dental work, most of which costs exorbitant amounts of money, a few good years of service is expected, after which our dental fillings and other restorations will need to be replaced. Cosmetic dentistry boasts some of the most expensive dental procedures in the entire industry, with something like porcelain veneers costing up to $2,000 per tooth. Even more affordable procedures like Lumineers porcelain veneers cost a minimum of $1,000 for every tooth treated. However, as some have unfortunately learned, price means very little in terms of the service you should expect to see.
Part of the reason for this lies in the fact that general dentists aren’t mandated to continue their education in cosmetic disciplines once they completed graduate work in dentistry. So, you will find some dentists that lack the proper training who are offering these procedures at the same premium prices that more experienced cosmetic dentists are charging.
Patients are urged to be extremely careful when searching for a cosmetic dentist, which means enquiring about past cases which the cosmetic dentist has handled and certifications the dentist may hold to validate some experience in aesthetic procedures. An online search for cosmetic Lumineers in San Diego won’t suffice. The risks of having a general practitioner conduct cosmetic work could be something more modest like a poorly performed tooth bonding procedure, or something more severe like a poorly installed set of veneers. All cases of premature veneer failure can be tied back to an ill-trained dentist. Failures are rarely attributed to manufacturing defects.
Perhaps the first sign that something is amiss should be the veneers appear more bulky than the natural teeth. This is usually an indicator that not enough tooth enamel was removed to allow the veneers to assume a more natural orientation. Furthermore, it brings into question exactly how strong the bond is between the veneers and the underlying teeth. The bonding cement used in the procedure is designed to adhere to etched enamel and any shortcuts taken in the preparation phase can very well result in premature failure of the veneers.
There are very few ways to avoid this type of problem beyond finding a competent cosmetic dentist to begin with. Even highly skilled cosmetic dentists are reluctant to offer any sort of warranty for veneers, for the sole reason that patients can be unpredictable in the amount of care they give to the veneers. If you are dissatisfied with the end results of your procedure, don’t let your cosmetic dentist sway into thinking the look will grow on you. Insist on having them redo whatever you don’t like until you are happy. Perhaps this will convince them of either entirely avoiding aesthetic work in the future, or getting some much needed training.
Related posts:
- Knowing Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
- Cosmetic Tooth Composite Bonding
- Why You Should Avoid Plaque
- Why Should You Floss
- Everything you need to know about Bruxism
Tags: chipping, failure, falling off, porcelain veneers
