In today’s socioeconomic climate, everyone wants things immediately, cheaply, and perfectly, but in many cases, only two out of three of these criteria can be met. When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, trying to get procedures done too quickly or too inexpensively can lead to bad dental decisions that leave patients paying dearly in the end. As a specialist in Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry, Dr. Martin Abelar sees many patients who have had botched dental work by making these two mistakes.
A quick Google search of the words “botched dental work,” will yield hundreds of stories of patients who tried to get dental work done on the cheap and regretted it later. One such story is a patient in New York who saw an oral surgeon and was quoted $35,000 to get eight dental implants, but decided to get the work done by a cut-rate surgeon who offered to do ten implants and restoration of two fixed bridges for $22,500. He ended up with a hole in his sinuses where the surgeon had drilled the implant screw all the way through the sinus membrane leaving a hole, and implant screws placed too close together for the caps to fit. All of this work would have to be undone through a whole new financial and physical trauma, and it remains unknown if there will be enough bone left in the patient’s jaw to start over again.
Another less dramatic, but more common botched procedure is the creation and placement of veneers. When done correctly, the process of getting veneers takes place over a few weeks to a few months, and teeth are drilled down to make space for the veneers to be fit over the real teeth. Impressions are taken and veneers are custom crafted to fit the remaining tooth and achieve the desired size and shape. The dentist should place them over the real teeth to check for fit before cementing them in place. The cement is permanent, so if the veneer does not fit properly it can be cracked or permanently placed incorrectly.
Dr. Abelar recommends that prior to any major dental procedure, you have a consultation and make sure that the details of the procedure, its price, timeline and any other things you should know are outlined before the work begins. In the event that the work does not fit within your current budget, there may be financing options that can help you afford the right work at the right price. To schedule your consultation, call our office at 858-866-9692.
