January 2012 - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

I’ve been going to the same dentist for years, and I trust him, at least with the work he previously did. I recently decided to get a smile makeover, so I figured he could do it. I’m wearing my temporary veneers now, but I don’t like them. He’s made several adjustments, but it just looks worse to me now than when we started. Can I switch and find a real cosmetic dentist? I wish I had found out about this and did my research before I asked him to do the work. – Kristin from Mississippi

Kristin – You’re right. It’s best to select an artistic cosmetic dentist for a smile makeover. A lot of patients don’t realize that cosmetic dentistry is truly an art that few dentists practice. And it requires training in the techniques needed to give you a beautiful smile makeover.

If you’re not comfortable with your temporary porcelain veneers, you can insist that you are able to closely examine them before they are bonded to your teeth.

It may add to your expense, but you are able to switch to a cosmetic dentist in the middle of your case. Some of the work will need to be duplicated, though. According to the ethical standards of the American Dental Association, the dentist who started the work must cooperate with the transition by providing notes, x-rays and other material to help your case succeed with the new dentist.

If you need help selecting a new dentist, mynewsmile.com is a website that is run by an accredited cosmetic dentist. The site provides nation-wide recommendations of cosmetic dentists whose training, experience and pictures of smile makeovers have been carefully reviewed to help ensure that you will truly receive a beautiful smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read about Dr. Delaune’s beautiful smile guarantee.

Hi. I’m in my third year of having porcelain veneers. Already I’ve had three different ones fall off, and one of the three has fallen off twice. One of these was embarrassing because I was in public with friends. What’s going on? – Nikki, Texas

Nikki – Porcelain veneers that are bonded correctly won’t come off unless they are ground off of your teeth. Unfortunately, your veneers have not been bonded correctly.

Re-bonding them requires techniques that few dentists know or have the equipment to perform. The process requires cleaning off the veneer with acetone and thoroughly cleaning the natural tooth to which the veneer was bonded—down to its natural structure. Then the porcelain has to be etched, primed and bonded. This process should be done only for the veneers that have fallen off.

The problem with your porcelain veneers repeatedly falling off indicates that your dentist is unaware of the techniques required to properly bond them. You can find a qualified cosmetic dentist who is proficient with the techniques. You can use the website mynewsmile.com as a reference for locating a cosmetic dentist near you. For a dentist to be listed on mynewsmile.com, he or she must submit photographs of his or her work. The dentist’s credentials will also be checked.

Consider asking your current dentist if he or she is willing to pay for the proper bonding of your veneers. Regardless, it’s worth your time and money to have it done correctly.

This blog is brought to you by the office of New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.

Can I switch to a cosmetic dentist, if my dentist already started the work?

Why do my porcelain veneers keep falling off?

Archives for January 2012