Cosmetic Dentist: What To Do When Things Go Wrong

What do you do if your cosmetic dentist failed the first time? Poor quality dental work is an increasing problem in the market, and many patients find themselves dealing with the aftermath of professional blunders. They pay high prices only to walk away with overly-bleached smiles, horsey veneers, or even painful complications as a result of shoddy workmanship. If you're the victim of dental error, however, there are still options available to you. Before you resign yourself to a life of frowning, complain to your practitioner, seek revision work, or start taking better care of your teeth at home to improve your results.

If you do feel like the service you received from your cosmetic dentist was inadequate—speak up. It can seem uncomfortable to complain, but you are paying for a service and your expectations should be met as reasonably as possible. Dentistry procedures don't come cheap, so it is in your best interest to receive what you've paid for. Sometimes it can simply be a communication problem. For example, perhaps you expected whiter teeth following bleaching but requested natural results. There can be a disparity between individual perceptions regarding a natural shade of white. In any case, many offices will be willing to work with the patient to fix errors at low or no additional costs.

If you feel particularly burned by a cosmetic dentist, asking them to fix a fault may not be a plausible solution. If the blunder was that great, it likely isn't even worth another round of frustration just to receive more poor results. If you can't trust the dental office, there are several specialists who perform revision procedures. Or, to put it simply, they fix the other guy's mistakes. Sometimes it is simply a matter of finding a professional with similar aesthetics to your own. Make it a point to check out former patient before and after photos before choosing. The staff should have these readily available, and these pictures can give you a great insight into the overall goals, experience, and skill of the dental workers.

You can't blame the cosmetic dentist for every mistake. Sometimes patients are just as guilty of sabotaging their own smiles. Oral health and hygiene is an important component of any healthy smile, and covering up decay with veneers or bleach is not going to do much without first addressing the underlying issues. Before any superficial procedures are performed, major health problems need to be addressed. Decay, gum disease, and abscesses should be treated and healed to ensure no further infection. If orthodontic treatment is required, this may need to be undertaken several months or even years in advance of certain procedures for optimal results.

To keep your smile beautiful and bright, pick a great cosmetic dentist, stick to a comprehensive oral health plan, and go in for regular checkups. No advanced technology or techniques can perform magic on an unhealthy mouth, so remember that the beauty has to begin from the inside first.