I went through a lot of trouble to find a top dentist for a smile makeover. So how in the world she ended up chipping one of my teeth I will never know. I had 3 old, old crowns that needed to be replaced and for some reason the dentist was having trouble getting one of the crowns off. The first 2 came off without a hitch. After 20 minutes of trying to get the other one off I felt a big yank and felt a metal tool hit one of my left incisors. The dentist said, “Uh oh.” Uh oh? I asked her what happened and she told me that one my teeth was a little chipped. She let me look at it in a mirror and she said she would touch it up right away with dental bonding. She did a decent job but I can see where she did the touch-up. I now have temporary crowns on the 3 teeth I went there for and I am afraid to see what the new ones will look like if she couldn’t get the bonding right. With the work already in progress, how can I switch dentists in the middle of treatment? What can I do about a top dentist who doesn’t seem to know what she is doing? Tad
Tad – Although any dentist can claim to be a top dentist, it doesn’t mean that he or she has the skill, training, and experience needed to give you a smile that looks great. It is also possible for any dentist to make a mistake.
A mistake doesn’t necessarily mean that your dentist doesn’t know what she is doing. But if you can look at your tooth in a mirror and see where the bonding meets your tooth, your dentist might not be experienced or talented in every aspect of cosmetic dentistry. It takes skill to manipulate dental bonding to match the color and translucence of your natural teeth.
As a suggestion, you can receive a second opinion from a skilled cosmetic dentist. He or she can examine the bonding on your chipped tooth and improve or replace it.
It sounds as if your dental crowns have been ordered already, so you might want to give your dentist a chance to complete the work. Otherwise, it might take some time and negotiation, along with additional expense to cancel the placement of crowns that have already been ordered from the lab. If the dental crown work is faulty, your new dentist might be able to help you negotiate a reasonable solution.
This post is sponsored by Chatham, NJ accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.