I have a set of porcelain veneers done. I was so excited about finally getting the smile I have always wanted. While they are the right shape and color, something about them looks fake. I’m sending a picture, but I ask that you don’t publish it. My dentist is a friend and I don’t want him to know I wrote another dentist about this.
Name withheld
Dearn Anonymous,
Thank you for sending the photos. I know exactly what went wrong here. I’m going to start by showing you an image of a smile that looks natural. One of the teeth in this image is fake. I suspect you will not be able to tell which one that is.
Notice that on this smile directly above has texture to the teeth. There are smooth grooves. Notice also that the color isn’t the same all the way from the top to the bottom. There are parts that are ore more translucent than others.
When I looked at the photos you sent, the teeth were flat. The color was white. The outlined shape of the tooth looked good, but because your dentist didn’t add any texture, they looked too shiny and fake. It was almost like you had chicklets put on your teeth instead of porcelain veneers.
I know this dentist is a friend, but you will be doing him a favor by letting him know this isn’t the smile you wanted. You can also show him this post, so he’ll understand what went wrong with this smile makeover.
There is no shame in this. Every dentist has to learn and improve. Cosmetic dentistry is an art form and all artists improve over time and learn new techniques.
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