I wonder if you can help me. I wanted a smile makeover and my dentist said he would get me da Vinci porcelain veneers. I live in the deep south and it took a while for them to get in because they are out in California. The day they came in I was so excited and went to the office right away. Unfortunately, the office said that they didn’t like some of the results. Almost immediately, a man showed up to take them and work on them. This has me puzzled. how would he show up immediately from California like that when they just got in. This is making me wonder if these were not really da Vinci veneers. I’m worried about that because I have never had a good experience with a cosmetic dentist in the south. I only agreed to these veneers because my dentist assured me he was using da Vinci. What do I do if I don’t like them?
David
Dear David,
I agree with you that something hinky is going on here. You are correct that he would not fly out there immediately, as well as get there so fast. While there is a slight (highly unlikely) possibility that they had the original work done by the da Vinci labs and then hired a local guy to do the repairs, I have real reasons for doubting that. This is because da Vinci would have to fix it for free, while someone local would have charged them. The more likely scenario is that they never used da Vinci to begin with.
No matter how good a lab is, it will not make up for any lack of skill on the part of the dentist. Plus, in a large lab like da Vinci, only their top cosmetic dentists get the best ceramists. Others will get those with less skill.
So, how can you protect yourself here? My big suggestion is that you make sure they are first placed with a temporary try-in paste. This will enable you to get a good look at them in several different type of lighting in order to determine if you are thrilled with the results. If you are not, do NOT let him bond them on. They should go back to the laboratory to make any changes you deem necessary. Whatever you do, do not let him bond them in.
If he refuses to do that, then get a refund and go to an expert cosmetic dentist to have your porcelain veneers done.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold.