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POSTED UNDER Porcelain Veneers REVIEWS

I Think I Might Have Made a Bad Decision. Is There Anything out There More Permanent & Durable? - Salt Lake City, Utah

ORIGINAL POST

Before I got my veneers, my teeth were pretty bad....

Dylan5150March 19, 2012
$11,000

Before I got my veneers, my teeth were pretty bad. I had gaps all through out the front of my mouth and this might sound a little funny, but I ate a lot of lemons when I was younger, so givin that token my teeth were a little on the yellow side and whitening really didn't help because the enamel was ruined, anyway about a year ago I decided to get 10 veneers on the top part of my mouth and the results were amazing, they were big and white, exactly what I wanted ! A Hollywood smile, I was really happy. Well after a year of having them I'm already starting to notice the wear and tear on them and I'm having three replaced. One feel off and cracked, one I noticed is shorter than the other on the opposite side and another has a few dents in it.

The dentist has agreed to replace them, but I have to fly out there twice. Once to get a mold done and another time to have them fitted, just like when I first got them done. The dentist was really convincing in telling me that they would last a long time saying things like 'I have patients that have had their veneers for 15 years and they still look the same' and stuff like 'yeah you should be able to eat whatever you want' well no, that's obviously not the case. I can't eat kettle cooked chips which were my favorite or almond roca candies which I use to love, because I am I'm so much fear of them becoming anymore tarnished. You never know until you actually hav them in your mouth, but this seems to me more and more with every passing day that I made a mistake because these will probably be short lived and from what I've read on here, I'll have to replace them every 10 years or so and I am only 19 years old ! How crappy is that?

I love cars and I was hoping I'd be able to experience driving all kinds of different ones through out my life, but it now looks like I will have to invest all of my money in my teeth instead. It makes me really sad because being a 19 year old it was really hard for me to save up all of that money and now that I am on my own it's hard enough to even get rent paid, I don't know how I'm going to be able to do this my whole life ! Super depressing. Especially because my boyfriend has naturally amazing teeth and I get to watch him enjoy all of the things that I use to and can't anymore. I can't even eat a hard shell taco from taco bell ! Lol, anyway can someone help me out on this? I JUST WANT GOOD LOOKING TEETH THAT WILL LAST !!! Without having to worry about them and having anxiety all the time. I'll pay whatever I have to again, I just want a permanent solution ! Will someone please help me out? Caps are still made out of shitty porcilain that you have to replace just like veneers, what about dental implants? Are those more durable? My mother and I would get them together when my veneers completely go to crap, so someone should give a little info and help me out ! :) I wish my dentist would have explained to me how fragile these things really are ! But everything's a business these days, even if it means ruining a young mans teeth and putting him in a financial rut for the rest of his life. Jeez. I really wish I would have just gotten a snap on smile for a fraction of the price, but it's too late for that now that my teeth have been shaved down for these coverings of fragile porcilain. SOMEONE HELP !

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The place that I went to is professional and the staff is nice, but it does irritate me that my dentist knows about my financial situation and how I'm out of state, so it's like he expects me to jump through hoops just to maintain the keep up on these. That and I feel like this was all a matter of money rather than actually helping me with something in my life, which should have been the main goal.

Replies (8)

Megan P
March 19, 2012

I am so sorry to hear about the problems you have been having with your veneers. That really is very unfortunate. It is especially unfortunate that your dentist didn't educate you on the upkeep/replacement.

It does sound like you have been having a lot more trouble than most do with porcelain veneers. Do you know what brand? It seems Lumineers are notoriously problematic.

It is my understand that most people do get an average of 10 years out of a set of veneers (of course everyone is a little different, some last longer, some not as long) Here is a Q&A that gives more info on that:

How Long Do Porcelain Veneers and Crowns Last?

It doesn't sound like you feel you are getting the best care from your current dentist. If this is the case you may be better off cutting your losses now, and looking for a dentist who will give you high quality of care. There are lots of good dentists out there who really want the best for their patients, and you deserve that.

As for dental implants, if your roots are healthy, which it sounds like they are, this probably would be too aggressive of a treatment, but a good cosmetic dentist would be the best one to consult on that. 

Have you considered setting up a few consultations with different dentists to get their opinions, then going with the treatment plan that you are most comfortable with?

Please keep us posted on how you are doing and what you have found out.

Dylan5150
March 20, 2012
Thanks for the help Megan, I just went to a different cosmetic dentist today in AZ and he told me that my bite is actually not correct, so maybe that's why I've been having problems ! I'm upset that the dentist didn't suggest me get braces first or something to fix my bite before my investment ! I don't know what specific brand they are, but he told me that they were porcilain veneers and any dentist should know that an improper bite with veneers thrown into the mix is only calling for a short lived investment. Definatly upset and I'm going to fly out there and have a talk with him in the next few weeks! Definatly knew that there was something wrong here. Shouldn't the dentist haven known my veneers were going to be problematic if he took exrays of my mouth before hand?
kwo5678
February 23, 2015
For a long time, cosmetic dentistry was not part of the dental school curriculum. So most dentist have very little training in it. Look for someone that is AACD accredited or did a special program in aesthetics.
Megan P
March 21, 2012

Wow, I don't blame you for being upset. I'm so glad you went to get a second opinion. Of course its hard for me to speculate what your original dentist was thinking...but I have to agree with you that it seems there should have been clues.

Please keep us updated on how you are doing with all of this.

Random9293
March 28, 2012

Dylan, I'm also 19 and regretting my decision to get veneers everyday. Read my review http://www.realself.com/review/porcelain-veneers-depressed-and-upset-after-veneers.
I got veneers for two upper front teeth I had fractured as a kid. My dentist said the exact same thing as yours. About them lasting ''a long,long time'' and ''you can eat anything you like'' etc. Well I know they were all lies! Most of all I know that he drilled my teeth down excessively, not want I learned on the internet about minimal shaving. I've had mornings when I couldn't get out of bed and literally feel my heart aching. I've also contemplated implants. I just want a lasting solution. What hurts the most is that people in family keep most of their teeth till their eighties and I don't see that happening for my front two teeth. Just know your NOT ALONE. My heart goes out to you. It's very painful to know our vain choices sabotage our health and happiness. Please contact me if you want to discuss anything.

nadiahoney
July 19, 2012
I so agree. It is so wrong, business-wise, for dentists to make the claim that veneers are permanent. What I have found is I can never again just eat a meal in peace without worrying about my teeth falling out. It is not wise to claim they stay in a very long time, because too many of us have them falling out. I have missed work because of it! I have cried long and hard because of missing important occasions. It's idiotic in fact to make such unrealistic claims because how can someone think that something in the mouth -- which has an incredibly strong jaw muscle pressing down (human bite is very very powerful) on the teeth will not affect any or all veneers? I don't know.....I am looking into cheaper veneers because I figure since I pay so much every time one falls out or chips that I may as well get the cheapest ones.
Kate_82
September 11, 2012
I feel your pain (no pun intended, although I do)....my first dentist (of 6 years) convinced me i needed more than re-bonding of a tooth fractured years ago, and that the surrounding teeth were also worn and decaying (they didn't look like they were decaying in hindsight), but he and his assistant were so convincing that 3 crowns and 3 veneers would make my bite and look so much better, I caved, now with so much regret. He never briefed me of any risks at all, and I was so busy with work, I just trusted my dentist of many years...big mistake. After seeing other dentists, they all agreed my before pictures looked better than my after pictures...that's the really sad part. I hope someone reads this and researches much more than I did prior to going into what has consumed my entire summer and causing much pain and angst. It is important to get 2nd and 3rd opinions of something so personal and important, and to find the right dentist with your best interest in mind/heart. If your teeth are not hurting, and you're "okay" with them....leave them alone, or opt for bleaching/bonding....something less invasive to start out. I am now with another dentist who understands I just wanted restoration not a full "white-toothed" anchor-woman make-over.....I know it will get better, but you're right, the regret is endless, and all we can do now is move forward and try to get past our dental nightmares (still have them daily in the midst of sleeping) and try to get comfortable...albeit VERY costly. I'm normally very social and the most talkative at work, but have actually missed quite a few weeks of work and now hide my smile....it's ashame some dentists don't discuss both the pros and the CONS....at the end of the day, the lesson to me now is only fix what needs to be fixed....nothing more..anything else will only lead to more damage and discomfort...difficult lesson to learn with life-long damage to teeth. I have since found that most dentists in my area do provide a risk statement prior to the treatment, although my first dentist did not provide one....I truly believe it should be required of any doctor to provide a risk statement and require signatures (implies thinking about the outcome). Granted, I should've asked more questions, but in thinking back to other medical treatments, I had always received a risk statement....not with this guy....he just told me I couldn't eat apples after he finished cutting my gums and teeth away....I was still in shock at that moment as I never expected the gums to be cut so much nor the the temps to be so huge....life altering moment that's for sure, as he laughed and told me not to eat apples...guess that was his version of the "risk statement." I wish you all the best in your recovery as well....finding an understanding dentist with experience is definitely key, but it's still a change in how we eat and maintain our "teeth" in moving forward....all the best.
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