I have already paid for a set of Lumineers for both myself and my husband. Our teeth are prepped and the case was sent to the lab. It was supposed to take 2 weeks, which would have been tomorrow. She called us today, though, to say both our impressions need to be re-done in order for the lab to do the case. I’m a little worried we’re being taken for a ride and we’ll never actually get these. I wish we hadn’t paid for them upfront. Is this a common thing?

Cathey & Don

Dear Cathey & Don,

I don’t think you’ll have to worry about NOT getting your Lumineers. You’ll get them. The big question will be whether you’ll like them or not. I’m a little concerned that it took the entire two weeks for them to get back with you about the impressions. Admittedly, I don’t know what happened and while it isn’t uncommon for the first set of impressions to not be good enough; it is uncommon for the dentist not to notice that and need the lab to tell them.

It sounds like the lab contacted her about them being not quite right. They likely did that in the beginning but she told them to try anyway. When it turned out that they were completely unusable, she contacted you and admitted the problem. Plus, it wasn’t just one set that was unusable but both yours and your husbands, which casts a lot of doubt on the abilities of the dentist.

Mind you, I’m just guessing what happened there.

Ensuring You Get Porcelain Veneers You Love

What I can tell you with certainty is how to get porcelain veneers you absolutely love. When you see the dentist and have the new impressions done tell her that you’ll want to see your porcelain veneers with a temporary try-in paste first. This will allow you to get a good look at what your new smile will look like and approve it before it is permanently bonded.

While you’re looking at them, if you’re not thrilled (and I mean absolutely thrilled), then it is no trouble for the dentist to send them back to the lab and have changes made. That’s only true as long as they’re not bonded. This is why the try-in paste is so important.

If your dentist won’t agree to this I would switch to a different dentist. She is ethically obligated to provide everything to the new dentist, including the models and Lumineers, even if you are in the middle of the procedure. If it does come to that, I want you to look on the mynewsmile.com website to find the new dentist. They only list the best cosmetic dentists. Any one of them will give you and your husband a stunning smile.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold.