I am unhappy with the porcelain veneers that my dentist did. They ended up looking short. Honestly, I was shocked because he spent so much time explaining the look I wanted and looking at photographs. I thought my teeth would be re-shaped. The best way to explain what I feel they are lacking is that I wish they were fuller. I even expressed my dissatisfaction at the try-on appointment and he kept telling me that they look a lot better than my teeth did before. Well, that should be obvious – right? That was the point! Anyway, now I’m starting to wonder if porcelain veneers weren’t the right fit for me. Did I push him into this because I was so set on achieving a certain look that just wasn’t possible. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Camille in Indiana

Camille,

When porcelain veneers are done by an excellent cosmetic dentist, they will reshape and transform your smile into a flawless, beautiful look. Although, porcelain veneers do have some limitations. But based on what you have described, the dentist should have been able to achieve fuller coverage with porcelain veneers and create the smile design you were after. Therefore, the possibility exists that your dentist may not have had the amount of training and artistic ability required to give stunning results. Even if you were set on getting porcelain veneers, it is your dentist’s job to explain if or why they aren’t right for you, for some reason.

Gum recontouring sounds like it would have been beneficial in your case, as well. Sometimes, different offices refer to it as laser recontouring or a gingivectomy. The reshaping of your gums can do a lot for the overall look of your smile. It will allow more of your natural teeth to show. Again, an experienced cosmetic dentist would have taken this technique into consideration and would have implemented it before the porcelain veneers were placed.

If you wanted to explore the recontouring at this point, the porcelain veneers would need to be redone. And you really should consider seeking a second opinion from an excellent cosmetic dentist. Since your current dentist was unable to achieve a beautiful smile for you, it may be time to move on. Sorry about the inconvenience. It is possible he will correct or reimburse some of his work. But, that is always a difficult road to travel. Best of luck!

If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is to take the extra time to research your dentist’s credentials, similar cases to yours, as well as any kind of satisfaction guarantee.