Should I be upset? Dentist shaved my teeth way to much when I asked him not to?

Question

When dentist, recommended veneers for 2 front teeth .., I said to him only if you can make sure my teeth are not shaven real small... Well when my temporary teeth fell.... I was freaked out, because most of all the front teeth are gone .... They're so small it looked like I had no teeth..... Their painful to touch , air , cold and hot...., and I have sudden sharp pain for no reason..,.

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

While many people feel teeth are extremely shaved during many treatments, often dentists see things differently and feel that they are minimally reduced.  The sensitivity you describe is normal when teeth have been altered and usually resolves when the final restorations are permanently placed.  Veneers have a minimum thickness, so if the teeth aren't reduced the result is bulky veneers or ones that are too thin and prone to fracture.Odds are that everything will be fine in the end.

Michael Tam, BDS · Answer

Most veneers require
the tooth to be prepared before the veneer can be placed onto the tooth (unless
it is a no-prep veneer). You may have only had a certain amount of enamel to
work with, and your dentist prepped the tooth to a point where it could
actually support the veneer. If you had chips, fractures, or decay, those areas
would have all needed to be removed before the healthy enamel could support the
veneer. It may also be a possibility that you actually broke your tooth, so
some of the tooth came out with the veneer, making it look as if you didn’t
have much tooth left at all.

Charles Sutera, DMD · Answer

There is a range of patients which are treated with veneers. Some patients may be treated very conservatively with little or no tooth reduction needed. Other patients who have issues like misaligned teeth, crowding, or severe stain require more tooth reduction to achieve an attractive and long lasting result. Either way, however, expectations should be discussed prior to treatment. I can usually give the patient a sense of how much tooth will be removed by drawing pictures or through use of digital imaging. Ideally more communication prior to treatment would have eliminated some of your surprise. In regards to your temperature sensitivity, this should be mild and subside after a few weeks. Veneers are overall much more conservative than treatments such as crowns. Sensitivity after veneers is usually mild or nonexistent. It sounds like your temporary veneer fell off which is amplifying sensitivity. You should contact your dentist to have it replaced/evaluated, or seek a second opinion if you are questioning the care of the original dentist.

German Arzate, DDS - Account Suspended · Answer

Hello,I think you should have second talk with your doctor; sensitivity will go away sooner or later once you have your final restoration.Shaving teeth involves several things: type of bite, smile design, occlusion and also size, shape and color; there are many things that doctors must watch in the diagnose with the patient, even show you demos or other patient's demos and cases. That way you will have great patient-doctor communication, so there are no surprises. If you could post a photo it will help us determine if your dentist did shave your teeth too much or it didn't. Also, it is very important to ask your dentist for his cosmetic dentistry qualifications, not because he/she has a dentist degree means he/she is a good cosmetic dentist.

Should I be upset? Dentist shaved my teeth way to much when I asked him not to?

Answers (4)

Answer: Shaving teeth for veneers

Answer: Shaving teeth for veneers

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Should I be upset? Dentist shaved my teeth way to much when I asked him not to?

Answers (4)

Answer: Shaving teeth for veneers

Answer: Shaving teeth for veneers

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Porcelain Veneers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.