Back in 2004, inspired by the television series Extreme Makeover, I decided that I wanted to rejuvenate my smile and explore getting porcelain veneers. Living in Portland, OR at the time, my research led me to Dr. Lind from The Art of Smile making in Lake Oswego, OR. I was extremely disappointed to learn that it would cost me around $8,000 to veneer the top six teeth. This was more than I could pay but I wanted that "Hollywood" smile, so I listened as he explained a cheaper alternative to me. He told me he could achieve a similar esthetic with a service called "bonding". Bonding is a resin that is hardened with the use of light and is mostly popular as a material for fillings. I know this because I first had all my silver fillings replaced with resin in 1997 color matched to my molars. The best news was that he could have it completed in just one visit and it would only cost $3,000. The primary trade off being that they would not last as long as porcelain. I booked my appointment and even wrote a check for the full amount so that I could save 10%. Dr. Lind was right, my smile looked amazing afterwards. Made even whiter from the Zoom Whitening treatment I'd received prior to having the bonding color matched to my teeth. I smiled nonstop the rest of the day, admiring my new Hollywood smile in the review mirror of my car on a road trip to Seattle after my appointment. My excitement was quickly replaced with regret. Less than 72 hours later I had accidentally broken one of my new Hollywood teeth and scheduled an immediate repair. Looking back, I now believe that Dr. Lind, with all his expertise, never should have performed this kind of cosmetic procedure on me, especially knowing that I tend to grind my teeth in my sleep. I think he saw my excitement and my open checkbook and cashed in on me without regard for the future of my oral health. After that first repair, I never went back to him. This would begin my nightmare involving resin bonding on teeth other than molars. (My fillings lasted for 10 years without incident. I had them replaced in 2007.) For four years I suffered from this decision with an embarrassing smile that made me self-conscience as my top six teeth would continue to chip, break, and fail to hold up. I had to be careful what I ate and how I ate it. No chewing on a fingernail! Ultimately, I was able to have them all redone in 2007 by Dr. Lee of Portland, OR. I knew that I had to be careful with them and that it would not be a permanent solution. I knew that I needed to have them replaced with porcelain at some point, but at the cost of $1,000 each, it was going to have to wait. Then, in early 2008, I received an email from a friend that contained an article about Americans traveling to Mexico for affordable dental work. The article mentioned a place called Rio Dental (www.riodental.com) and it had prices that were amazing. Porcelain veneer: US $800-$1200 per tooth Mexico $339 per tooth Porcelain crown: US $900-$1500 per tooth Mexico $298-600 per tooth!!! I thought I had found the answer to my dilemma! Even after I considered the added cost for airfare and hotel, my six veneers would still be a savings of over $2,000 from the Portland price! I booked an appointment for March of this year and crossed my fingers. The experience was great. Although, I wasn't 100% satisfied with the color match, my return flight did not allow for any changes to be made at the lab. Besides, I loved the shape and I thought I'd finally have the durable teeth I needed. Here are three photos from that visit.

This is what my teeth looked like after all the bonding was removed and I was prepped for the veneers:


Here's a look at the final result:


Here's a second look at the final result:



I had hoped that there would be at least a passing of five years before having to see a cosmetic dentist again. I was wrong. During a move, I broke a big chip off a front tooth. This was not the first time this had happened. It happened before with the bonded front tooth. The primary reason for this was because I had a lower tooth out of alignment and it sat in front of the other teeth. So, knowing that my veneer was under warranty, I decided to fly back to Rio Dental for repair and while there, I'd get the four bottom teeth crowned (more durable than a veneer) and fix the crooked teeth and hopefully avoid future damage to my top teeth veneers. Here are two photos from that visit.

This is what my teeth looked like after the work was started. Notice the missing veneer on top and the four lower teeth prepped for crowns:


Here is the finished result:


Once I viewed the final result, I immediately expressed my dissatisfaction with the color match of the new veneer (it was whiter than the others) and the fit and shape of the lower crowns (ground down during my bite test as well as being crooked). They halted the creation of my night-guard (to prevent damage from grinding during sleep) since the redo work was going to change my bite anyway. The professionals at Rio Dental assured me that they would redo everything from this visit and even reimburse my airfare for my return visit. I spent the summer with those results. Most people never noticed unless I pointed it out to them. But, my nightmare returned. Veneers on top began breaking and falling off. Without a night-guard they were vulnerable to damage. Veneers are really quite delicate things! Anyway, as my smile began to deteriorate AGAIN, I contacted Rio Dental and they promised to replace every veneer and crown with new porcelain crowns. I was relieved. I knew that by having all ten teeth done at once, my bite and the color match was sure to have the best chance of success. Upon arriving in Mexico, I was told that I should consider gum re-contouring to improve the look of the lower teeth. I agreed. This is where they remove a part of your gum to reveal more of the tooth area. It sounds more unpleasant than it actually is. I was also told to get a night-guard. Again, I agreed. The decision now came down to the crown type. I wanted the all-porcelain crown but this is what I had before on the lowers and with the extra charges, I would owe a balance of $400+ dollars and they would not renew the one year warranty that began in March. My second option was to upgrade to a stronger kind of porcelain but this was going to be more than $2,000 extra. Not an option at this time! My third option was to go with the metal/porcelain crowns. They don't typically have the best aesthetic when compared to an all-porcelain crown, but, they are very durable. The metal is recessed at the top to avoid a grey line at the gum line, they would have a fresh one year warranty, and, because they are the least expensive, after factoring in my airfare refund, I'd get a cash refund of almost $300! The decision was easy. Even better, I love the result, my bottom teeth are straighter than they've EVER been and I use my night-guard every night even though it's incredibly UN-sexy! Here are eight pictures from my visit last week.

This is what my teeth looked like prior to having any work started. Notice the crappy crowns on the bottom, the uneven gum line and the three missing veneers on top:


Here is what my teeth looked like right after they finished prepping them for new crowns and re-contouring my gum line:

Yes. It was as unpleasant as it looks!

Here is what my teeth looked like for the week while I was visiting family in Little Rock for Thanksgiving. I'd been fitted with temporary crowns on the top and bottom:


Here is a what my teeth looked like immediately after I was out of the dental chair:


My new smile (1):


My new smile (2):


My new smile (3):


My new smile (4):


My new smile (5):


So what do you think of the results. Do you have any cosmetic dentistry or cosmetic surgery nightmares of your own to share?