I was adamant about finding the best implant dentist in my area. I interviewed several, checked out their credentials, and even asked to see many before and after images of cases similar to mine. So I had every confidence when I selected my dentist. All went well, until the final crown was placed on the implant post. It doesn’t look like my other teeth. When I complained about it, he told me that the crown can look different in other forms of lighting. It didn’t! He sent me to the lab after I wouldn’t drop it and the lab made it even darker. No it looks worse than before. Basically, I have an ugly, fake tooth. Can a porcelain veneer be put over it? Or do I have any other options?
-Sandy in California
Sandy,
Although you may have found the best implant dentist in your area, it sounds like his weakness is in cosmetic dentistry. This is unfortunate. Some dentists are so fixated on the functional logistics of dentistry and fail miserably on the aesthetics. It can be challenging to find one that is gifted in both implant dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. Sadly, it doesn’t sound like he offered to make it right. Most excellent cosmetic dentists will feel like their work is a failure unless you are completely satisfied.
The porcelain crown cannot be whitened. Also, placing a porcelain veneer over the crown will not work. The only way to create a beautiful, lifelike result is to have it redone. I know that is the last thing you want to hear after having been through the entire dental implant process and also having been proactive on researching the implant dentist on the front end. Hopefully, the dentist will help reimburse some or part of the fees. You deserve a result you love. Don’t settle for substandard work.
This post is sponsored by Barrington dentist James T. Gavrilos, DDS