I have been saving up for years to have my smile improved with beautiful porcelain veneers. I feel conned and am so frustrated at how they turned out. I think they look huge when I smile and unnaturally gleaming white. Ugh! In fact, I saw myself in a photo and I think they honestly resemble Chicklets. Will I get used to them? Or do you have any advice? Please help, I’m feeling desperate.

– Rebecca in Idaho

Rebecca,

Sorry to hear that your expectations have fallen short. Porcelain veneers are a large investment and you should in no way have to settle or try to get used to them. Based on your description, it sounds as if you went with no preparation veneers or very little preparation for the teeth. These no prep veneers are appealing but sometimes just don’t work well on everyone. One popular brand of ultra-thin, no prep veneers is Lumineers and sadly, the comments you have made are not uncommon among Lumineer patients.

The bottom line is that porcelain veneers, really any type of cosmetic dentistry, truly is an art. The cosmetic dentist must have the right experience and advanced training in order to do beautiful work. The lab is also a very important competent in achieving beautiful veneers. Have you talked to the dentist? If he or she is a skilled cosmetic dentist, they will not rest until you are satisfied with your smile design. By nature, true cosmetic dentists tend to be perfectionists, so they consider your smile a failure unless you absolutely love it. Hopefully your cosmetic dentist will work with you to make them right. Otherwise, it may be wise to find an expect cosmetic dentist that can address these issues you are unhappy with. Best of luck!