360 Veneers are NOT Porcelain Veneers
Posted by writeradmin
I went to my dentist to get porcelain veneers. He said that I would be a better candidate for 360 veneers because of my bite. My big concern was that I didn’t want too much tooth structure removed. He assured me that hardly any tooth would be removed. So, I trusted him. While the 360 veneers did look better than my original smile, it did not end up being the gorgeous smile I was hoping for. However, that is not my big problem. The real problem is that the veneers keep falling off. The first time it happened was a few days after they were placed. I noticed then that the tooth underneath was a tiny nub. I was so upset because he told me that there would not be much tooth structure taken out. He did glue it back on free of charge, but I’ve been having at least one a week fall out, sometimes in humiliating circumstances like being out to lunch with friends. He does put them back, but the stress of never knowing when I will have teeth is almost unbearable. I mentioned that I want my money back and they responded by telling me they’re ordering a stronger cement. What if that doesn’t work? Is there any way I can keep these teeth in? I can’t live with nothing but nubs.
Eden
Dear Eden,

I am so sorry that this happened to you. This is definitely going in my cosmetic dentistry horror stories file. No, you will not have to live with this. Plus, I would not just ask for a refund. Instead, I would ask for them to pay for you to have the smile makeover replaced by the dentist of your choice. This way you can have it done by a dentist who knows what they’re doing.
If your dentist gives you any trouble about that, feel free to point out that he deceived you—twice. First, he told you that he was giving you 360-veneers. There is no such thing. What your dentist gave you was dental crowns. He tried to make them sound fancy by calling them 360-veneers. I’m guessing the 360 refers to how they wrap around your teeth. But, that is what dental crowns do. Porcelain veneers are just on the front of your teeth and hug the sides a bit.
A second way your dentist deceived you was in the tooth preparation. You said he ground the teeth down to nubs. If you look at the images above, then you will see the different types of tooth preparation. The teeth being prepared for porcelain veneers will have minimal preparation. The ones being prepared for crowns are the ones that look more like nubs.
So, why would your dentist push you toward crowns when porcelain veneers were obviously what you wanted? My guess is because he does not have the training needed for cosmetic dental work. Rather than say that and lose your business, he tells you that the better procedure for your bite is dental crowns. That is a procedure that every dentist knows. Unfortunately, he doesn’t even seem to know how to do that one well. Most dentists go their entire careers without having even one dental crown fall out, let alone one a week!
In a way, this works out in your benefit. If the only problem with your smile makeover was you didn’t like how it ended up looking, it would be very difficult for you to get a refund. However, your dentist did such a bad job on the functionality of the case that you are clearly entitled to get your money back. A basic tenant of dental work is that it stays in your mouth.
In your position, I would find an expert cosmetic dentist and have them completely re-do your smile makeover. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get porcelain veneers now that your current dentist prepared your teeth for crowns. But, with the right dentist, you can get a stunning smile with porcelain crowns.
This blog is brought to you by Birmingham, AL Dentists Drs. Dudney and Abrahante.