Reviews: I chipped a tooth after a fall. My dentist wanted to put a crown on the tooth, but I did some research and saw the best solution was dental bonding so I asked him to do that. He agreed, but the results aren’t that great. The colors don’t match so you can really tell it is a repair. Is it okay to have this dentist do it again? Should I have to pay for it to match?
Olivia
Dear Olivia,
When dental bonding is done correctly, it can match perfectly with the rest of the natural tooth. However, it isn’t easy to do. Not only is it done freehand, but many dentists don’t carry enough of a selection of shades and textures to do this right. When a dentist suggests something like a dental crown for a chipped or gapped tooth, which is a massive overtreatment, it is an indication they are uncomfortable with cosmetic dentistry.
You have two options: The first is to give your dentist another chance to get this right. Explain to him that the repair is obvious and doesn’t match the rest of your tooth. If he cares about the quality of his work, he should be willing to do it again. And, no, you shouldn’t have to pay for it.
I would give your dentist another opportunity to get this right. You shouldn’t have to pay for the color to match. That is part of what you paid for in the beginning. Don’t be surprised if he still struggles, but it is fair to give him another chance. If after the second go he still can’t get it to match, then I would suggest your next step is to ask for a refund, then find an experienced cosmetic dentist.
Who Should Do Your Cosmetic Bonding?
In your place, if it doesn’t work out with your original dentist, then I am going to suggest you look at the mynewsmile.com website. The man who runs this site has retired from cosmetic dentistry but wanted to offer patients a service to help them know who has the skills to do beautiful cosmetic work. Most patients don’t realize that there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. That means any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of the level of skill they have.
To make matters worse, most of the skills they need for well done cosmetic work isn’t even taught in dental school. For a dentist to develop the necessary skills they will have to invest in post-doctoral training. It’s nearly impossible for patients to know which dentists have done that. The mynewsmile site, pre-screens dentists for their technical training as well as the artistry of their work. Only those who pass his rigorous standards can be listed. Any dentist on that site can give you a beautiful, natural-looking result.
Should You Whiten First
I don’t know if your dentist mentioned this, but the color that is created for your dental bonding is permanent. If you were to whiten your teeth at a later date, your natural tooth structure would whiten, but not the bonding. Therefore, most cosmetic dentists will warn their patients if they are even considering getting their teeth whitened, it will save them money to do it before they have the bonding done. This will save them money by not having to replace the bonding after they whiten.
This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.
It is a real shame you are dealing with this. And you are right that having your dental bonding pop off isn’t normal. Let’s start with abfraction lesions for the benefit o those who may not know what they are. As you can see from the picture to the left, the gum tissue has pulled away from the tooth.
