I received an inheritance. I decided to invest it in a smile makeover with porcelain veneers. I’ve always been ashamed of my smile and this would help me gain some confidence. I went to the best of the best. When I did it, I explained to them that I couldn’t afford them regularly but wanted the best smile possible. They said they understood that. I got a smile even better than the one I dreamed of. I’ve been smiling ever since. I’ve had it for three months. Today, I noticed a horizontal crack on one of them. What do I do? Even though they said they understood I would only be coming for the makeover, they have tried to call for me to schedule my cleaning. I can’t afford to keep going to them but I feel like I need to get this fixed.
Olivia
Dear Olivia,
It’s likely they were calling because it is their habit to schedule follow up appointments. I’m sure if you reminded them of what you said, they’d understand. Dentists who are known for their cosmetic skills are used to people coming to them for that only and then returning to their normal dentist for their regular work. In fact, the best cosmetic dentists often have patients who fly in from around the world just to get their smile makeover and then move-on.
Because it has only been a few months since you received your porcelain veneers, your dentist will likely fix it with little to no charge to you. I’d call them, let them know what you noticed and ask what the charge will be.
Usually, when it comes to patient “abuse” of the smile makeover, that usually results in chipped veneers. Because it is cracked in the way you described, it means there may have been stresses in the material.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Cosmetic Dentist Dr. PHelan Thomas.