Tetracycline Cases Require the Best Cosmetic Dentists

I feel like I am living a nightmare. I have pretty bad tetracycline stains that I had dreams of fixing. I suggested porcelain veneers, but my family dentist said in my case porcelain crowns are much better. My family dentist is very reputable so I trusted him. I have a great deal of regret about that now. He did six crowns. Next to my other teeth they look fake. Even though they are significantly whiter, in certain lights (especially fluorescent) they look grayish. He has offered to send them back to his lab when I expressed my disappointment. While I appreciate that, I am concerned he is in over his head. Do I let him re-do these or ask for a refund and find a different dentist? I realize now I should have done research first. I was just so excited to have these fixed and feel good about my smile for the first time in my adult life.

Katie

Dear Katie,

I’m so sorry you are facing this. You are right that your dentist is in over his head. He probably had the best of intentions but doesn’t have the skill set necessary to deal with this. Here are some of the ways he went wrong.

Problem One: Crowns instead of veneers. He’s likely more comfortable with porcelain crowns than porcelain veneers. However, that is an aggressive way of covering tetracycline stains. Now that your teeth are ground down, you will always have to have crowns.

Problem Two: He did six crowns. Most smiles are much wider than this. You would have needed each tooth visible when you smile covered. Because he didn’t do this, some of your tetracycline affected teeth are still visible showing the stark contrast between the two.

Problem Three: He didn’t adequately cover your teeth and the stains are showing through. Granted because of the advanced nature of this case, it is tough. The crowns would have to be made opaque enough to cover the stains while still staying translucent enough to reflect light and look natural.
This particular procedure requires you go to one of the best cosmetic dentists you can find.

Finding the Best Dentist to Fix Your Smile Makeover

You need someone who has done extensive post-doctoral training in cosmetic work. Smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school so dentists have to invest time to get the required knowledge. In addition to that, they’ll need an artistic eye. It is hard for patients to know which dentists have these qualifications.

Because of that, mynewsmile.com has a link to help patients find expert cosmetic dentists. They’ve pre-screened them for the skill, training, and artistry. That’s where I’d start in your position.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Newkirk.