Common Mistakes When Non-Experts Place Veneers

Anyone can claim to be a cosmetic dentist, but few practices have the knowledge, experience, and judgment to do a smile makeover that matches your face, personality, taste, and lifestyle. The best place to start is with porcelain veneers, because they can do so much and last so long that they are very cost-effective (10-25 years, depending on how well you care for them, according to SteveTatevossian, DDS, in A Reason to Smile: Fixing the Broken Confidence With Cosmetic Dentistry).

INCORRECTLY PLACED VENEERS MAY NOT BE DETECTED IMMEDIATELY

Unfortunately, too many practices claim to be specialists in veneers and the patient only finds out otherwise when trouble arises after they are placed. Some of the common problems:

°They offer inexpensive composite resin veneers, which do not look like natural teeth as much as cosmetic porcelain ones do and they do not last as long (5-7 years). It is not easy to see the differences when you are not given a real comparison.

They do not give you expert advice on a shade that will exactly match teeth that are not having them attached, but may show when you fully smile.

• To keep your price down, they suggest having too few veneers placed, so you end up being hesitant to smile confidently.
• They do not strongly recommend that you whiten your teeth before the veneers are put on and their translucency causes your naturally dark or yellow teeth to show through.
• The dentist is not careful when he takes the impression of the teeth receiving the veneers, so the lab sends back ones that don’t quite fit right and may change your bite.
• They use an inexpensive dental lab that does not create veneers that look like what you expected.
• The dentist does not file off enough of the enamel to make the veneers look natural, so they stick out artificially. Or too much is shaved off, providing a shaky platform to attach each veneer.
• The veneers are not bonded correctly and fall off.
• Too much cement is used and this irritates the gums.

The margins where the veneers meet the gum are not even, and inflammation occurs and teeth may be susceptible to cavities.  

Before you decide how to achieve your personal perfect smile, consult with the experts on veneers at Wilshire Smile Studio.

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT