[Didi]

Hello,

In December 2007 I underwent anterior crown replacement of teeth 5,6,7,8,9,10. At this time the dentist also suggested I install veneers on teeth 3, and 4 and 11 and 12. The front six crowns that I had prior to this procedure had been in place for over 25 years without any problems, root canals, cracked teeth, sensitivity, jaw pain, etc.

The only reason I replaced the crowns was a dentist told me since I had insurance and the crowns were old and somehwat discolored, I should replace them now. The crowns were somewhat discolored and were the old porcelain over metal type which with a small amount of gum recession, resulted in some of the metal showing.

Unfortunately the crown replacement did not go well. When I got home and the novacaine wore off, I noticed my smile was drastically altered. I was extremely unhappy with my appearance and felt that the crown replacement "aged" my face. My smile seemed collapsed and my teeth were not visible when my mouth was in a semi-smile or relaxed state. Additionally, 3 of 6 permanently cemented crowns dislodged within the first week on 3 different occasions.

When I visited the dentist (not the one who did the work) who owned the practice for crown reattachment after dislodgement, he acknowledged that my teeth were shorter than before and suggested I speak to the dentist who performed the work.

The dentist (DR.X) stated that she took my previous overjet of 6mm down to 1mm and subsequently, the teeth were shortened as well. I was completely distraught and complained also about the left teeth, 8, 9, 10, veneers 11 and 12 were shorter than the left side. I also visited two other dentists who agreed with me regarding the teeth "running up hill".

The dental office agreed to a full refund but Dr. X would not allow release of my tooth "preps" to my new dentists. She did release the mold of my original crowns but not the "preps". The other dentists were hesitant to perform the work without the preps, so I felt I had no other choice but to let this same dentist replace the crowns one last time.

On the advice of the other dentists, before I had Dr. X perform the work again, I paid an additional $1700.00 extra to have a "mock up" temporary made to wear for a few weeks to make sure I new what I was buying/getting before the next set of crowns were permanently installed. The mock up appeared compositionally much more inline with what I had before. The overjet was back and the tooth length seemed satisfactory.

Unfortunately, something happened between the mockup and the final installation because when the novacaine wore off and I smiled, the teeth still were slightly shorter on the left, my bite was extremely tight (making me look old and scrunched in the face) and the teeth are still not long enough. I have learned since then there are really no laws governing who can call themselves a cosmetic dentist.

I am now at a loss as to what to do. I detest my appearance, I look worse than before I began after undergoing two full anterior crown replacements and the replacement of two of the four original veneers. I have exhausted all of my insurance as Dr. X billed both of my insurance companies for all of my benefits allocated for 2007/2008 (even though all of the original work was performed in 2007 - which I later learned is considered to be insurance fraud).

One additional thing, tooth number twelve, a tooth that had never had a crown or any problems in 51 years, became extremely sore after the installation of the first set of veneers. I complained to the dentist at the time but she indicated that the tissue was probably bruised or swollen and the tooth would calm down. When she replaced that veneer with the second veneer, I told her the tooth was still very painful and she said the tooth looked cracked. This was after the second installation.

Also within 10 days of the second crown installation, I developed extreme pain in tooth number 8. I had an emergency root canal (extemely painful) and had to endure 3 rounds of antibiotics to quell the infection. What amazes me is that I never had trouble with any of the crowns or had never had a root canal prior to this work. I now have endured 3 root canals, two after the dentists removed my original crowns, and the one described above. I have also never had a cracked tooth and tooth twelve is now cracked with a veneer covering it.

I really wish I would have stuck with my original crowns. This whole ordeal has been depressing and frustrating. As a professional who is engaged in public speaking, it has been extremely humiliating when coworkers I have known for over 20 years ask what has happened to my mouth. Additionally, I am in a great deal of pain each day in my jaws which I have never had before. My questions are as follows:

I need to get some relief from my tight bite: Did the placement of veneers on teeth 3 and 4 and 11 and 12 change my bite? Since I bite mostly on my back teeth and these teeth are the furthest back in my mouth of all the ones altered, I figured that may be contributing to my tighter bite. Also the porcelain crowns are of thinner material than my original crowns, could this be responsible for a tighter bite? Do you have any recommendations for what I can do about this?

I feel that my only option is to have all 12 teeth replaced once again (this would be the third time) but I do not know who to trust. I visited two dentists who claim to be "LVI", Las Vegas Institute of Cosmetic Dentristy graduates. While it seems from the before and after photos in their offices I visited, that the dentists do great work, I am concerned that part of their training includes courses in revenue generation. Even though these two LVI dentists I visited were in different states, their routine was the same: Consult with an aesthetic consultant first before actualling seeing the dentist, consultant took photographs immediately and pointed out what was wrong with my mouth, and both quoted prices that seemed higher than usual. (One said I needed a full mouth restoration at $50,000.00 and the other said they could correct my situation with restoring the whole upper arch at a cost of $28,000.00.

Please help me. I am desperate. I am currently paying $300.00 a month for the next few years for the dental work that has already been done. I don't know what to do. Is it dangerous to replace these crowns once again? The first replacement was in December 2007 and the second replacement was in early April 2008. As I mentioned, I have jaw pain, a cracked tooth (which I believe may be attributed to the veneer installation), asymmetrical front teeth, and an extemely tight bite. How do I find a dentist that is skilled and knows the basics in crown replacement and tailoring the tooth size, shape, length, and overjet to one's face? How do I find a dentist that will not over charge me?

Please help me. I currently live in Colorado and if anyone knows of a dentist who is certified and skilled in Cosmetic Dentristy and not out to overcharge the patient, please forward me to a website or help me some how figure out what I can do next. Thanks so much for listening and for any advice that anyone can offer to me. Didi