I just spent over $15,000 dollars on Lumineers. I went over in great detail what I was wanting out of the smile with my dentist. One of the things I was very specific about was wanting a very white smile. When they came in, they were NOT very white. They had what looked like stains on them. I asked my dentist and he said that he ordered a stain on them so they would look more natural. I was very upset and refused to have them bonded on. If I wanted stained teeth, I would have kept my old smile and not spent thousands of dollars.  He is upset and said I should trust his expertise. Do you think I am out of line?

Elizabeth M.- Wisconsin

Elizabeth,

No, you are definitely not out of line. It sounds like you’ve asked your family dentist to do your cosmetic work. While some family dentists are qualified to do cosmetic work, I don’t think your dentist understands the major difference between cosmetic and general dentistry.

In dental school, we are taught that the dentist knows best and the patient’s feeling is only a small factor in determining the appropriate treatment. However, cosmetic dentistry is the opposite. We are treating the patient’s self-esteem. That means if they don’t think their smile is white enough, then it isn’t white enough. You could ask for teeth as white as chicklets and it is his responsibility to get it for you.

You were wise not to allow him to bond them on. Once he did that the Lumineers would have been permanent and you would be stuck with an expensive smile you hated.  I suggest you get your money back. Then, find a more qualified cosmetic dentist to do your work.

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