I have a lovely dentist but he is really into cosmetic dental work. Every time I go to an appointment he keeps telling me how beautiful my smile will look with porcelain veneers. First, I can’t afford anything close to porcelain veneers. Second, he is starting to make me feel quite uncomfortable about my smile. Now whenever I see my smile, all I see are how much darker they are than when I was younger. I just can’t afford to make them look younger. Is it really the norm now to get porcelain veneers?

Susan

Dear Susan,

I’m going to say two things right off the bat which make me uncomfortable with what your dentist is doing. First, you should never feel pressured into any procedure, let alone one that isn’t a medical necessity. Second, a dentist’s job is to make you feel good about your smile. This may not be the right dentist for you. While it is great that he is pursuing his passion for cosmetic dentistry, it sounds like you are more into basic dental care. The best dentists help their patients meet their goals with their teeth. They don’t try to create needs which aren’t there.

As to your question about norms, it really depends on quite a few things. For instance, your area of work. More people in Los Angelos will get porcelain veneers placed on their teeth than in many other cities. This is because of the emphasis for celebrities to have perfect teeth. Another example would be pageant contestants. These groups have a higher than normal percentage of smile makeovers.

However, in more “normal” cross-sections of society, it isn’t the norm.

You Don’t Have to Get Porcelain Veneers for Younger Looking Teeth

Now that your dentist has given you doubts about your smile, it is likely going to bother you for a while. However, that doesn’t mean you have to have a complete smile makeover to get that younger look for your teeth.

Teeth whitening is simple and inexpensive. Not only that, just whitening your teeth, takes off more than stains, it takes years of your appearance.

In your place, I’d just do that and tell your dentist you are content with your smile. If he still doesn’t let the idea of porcelain veneers go after that, it will be time to get a new dentist.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.