Posted by writeradmin
I need some advice. My friends have been talking up this dentist to me that they love. He’s done all their cosmetic work. I went to him for a cleaning and enjoyed the office. Everything was fine. Then, I decided it was time to check out the cosmetics. I have some oddly spaced teeth and I wanted to get everything straightened out and whitened. He talked to me about porcelain veneers and I was thrilled. Then, his assistant came in with the estimate. It was thousands more than I could afford. I asked if there were alternatives. She went to talk to the dentist and he came back upset and told me if I didn’t want to do it his way then don’t bother coming back. He doesn’t appreciate patients who second-guess his expertise. Now I don’t know what to do because he is the best dentist and I feel like I blew it.
Shannon
Dear Shannon,
You definitely did not blow it. In fact, if anyone did it was this so-called “best dentist.” To me, he sounds like an arrogant jerk. On top of that, he behaved unethically. He has an obligation to give you all of your options. Please know, you DO have options.
While porcelain veneers are the top tier to getting a smile makeover, they are not the only ways to improve your smile. You mentioned wanting to straighten and whiten your smile. You can do both of those things for a significantly less amount of money than you would have to spend with veneers.
Invisalign and Teeth Whitening
My recommendation for you is to see an Invisalign dentist. This will enable you to straighten your teeth without anyone even knowing. This procedure uses clear aligners that you wear over your teeth instead of metal wires and brackets. The aligners are not noticeable at all, even at a conversational difference.
The only other thing you would need to achieve your smile goals is teeth whitening. Here is where I have some more good news for you. You can do that at the same time you have your teeth straightened. While wearing your Invisalign aligners, your dentist can provide you with professional strength teeth whitening gel that you can place in the aligners, which can double as teeth whitening trays.
By the time you are done with your Invisalign procedure, you will have straight and white teeth. This will accomplish your smile goals at a fraction of the cost this other dentist wanted to charge you.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.