I just spent over $13,000 on Lumineers and I hate them. After meeting with the cosmetic dentist, I explained that I wanted them to be dazzling white. He put a stain on them to help them blend in and make them look more natural. But, I am mortified at how they turned out. They weren’t bright white like I requested.
Then, I called in after a couple days of trying to get used to them to explain my dissatisfaction. So, the dentist drilled off the top layer of the Lumineers. He said this would make them whiter. Now, I have these ugly, dingy looking teeth. The shape is messed up too. I am sick over how much money I put into this treatment. Is there anything that can be done?
-Jess in Texas
Jess,
Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done to repair your Lumineers. Although, if they indeed look that bad, you may be able to pursue a refund. It may be a long shot and it will require a second opinion. If you go to an independent cosmetic dentist and he or she agrees that your case truly looks as bad as you explain it, they may be able to pressure your dentist into a refund. Although, you may not be able to get a full refund. Again, this is a possibility. But, be warned that it can be difficult to get refunded.
You probably have realized that this dentist isn’t particularly skilled at cosmetic dentistry. Sadly, you had to find out the hard way that there are only one to two percent of dentists than can create beautiful cosmetic dentistry. It requires extensive training and experience beyond dental school and not just any dentists can do this type of aesthetic work well. It requires a passionate eye for aesthetics and extensive advanced cpoursework.
Another indicator that your current dentist isn’t an expert cosmetic dentist, is that he does Lumineers in the first place. There are tight trademark restrictions on Lumineers. Therefore, excellent cosmetic dentists steer clear of them. They have to be done in the Lumineers lab and they don’t deliver natural-looking, beautiful results. Most cosmetic dentists feel like the results with Lumineers are okay, but not great. An excellent, highly-skilled cosmetic dentist wants you to fall in love with your smile.
In dental school, a dentist is taught to stain the teeth so they don’t look too white. That is probably what your dentist’s intent was. But, a gifted cosmetic dentist that understands the intricacies and technologies involved with cosmetic dentistry would understand they need to listen to your desires above all else. Sadly, your dentist doesn’t sound experienced in Lumineers, porcelain veneers or cosmetic dentistry in general.
It sounds like your best option at this point is to seek a second opinion. Then, fingers crossed you get a refund to have the work redone. As you’ve learned, just because a dentist claims to do cosmetic dentistry, there are no guarantees.
Moving forward, find a cosmetic dentist that has the right credentials. Ask to see their portfolio of work and talk to them about their policy if you don’t love it. Find out how and when you will be able to see the work before it is too late.
Thank you for your question. Hopefully, this will help someone else that is considering Lumineers.
This post is sponsored by Barrington cosmetic dentist James T. Gavrilos.