All posts by goodtooth

Lumineers

Can Lumineers make my teeth bigger and longer?

I have a straight smile without any gaps between my teeth. I do have a bit of discoloration as I’ve gotten older. I really want my teeth to be bigger and longer. My dentist recommended Lumineers and I have already had the initial impressions taken. When they came back from the lab, apparently they said that they could have them whitened, just couldn’t do anything to make them bigger or longer. This was not the original impression I had from their brochure or from my dentist. The before and after pictures they show make it look like they can be bigger. I’ve already invested in two appointments. Do you have any recommendations?

-Connie in Ohio

Dear Connie,

Based on what you have described, you should proceed with caution. Unfortunately it doesn’t sound as if your dentist knows exactly what is going on or what can be done with Lumineers.

The laboratory shouldn’t be telling the dentist that they can’t be made any different shape or size. It should be the other way around where the dentist orders the look and type you request.

Unfortunately, it sounds like your dentist may not be that experienced with Lumineers or smile makeovers. It may be time to seek a second opinion from a cosmetic dentist. There are many things that can be done with Lumineers and porcelain veneers to manipulate the shape, size, translucency, and color. Sounds like it’s time to move on and seek an expert opinion. Best of luck!

This post was provided by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Invisalign

Switching Invisalign dentist

I am an Invisalign patient and every four months I receive retainers. I am very happy with the way Invisalign has straightened my teeth, I am just not happy with my dentist. So I would like to change dentists. Is it possible to continue with my retainers? I don’t feel that I should have to select my dentist due to their certification or affiliation with Invisalign.

-Leah in Texas

Leah,

There is an ethical obligation by your current dentist to do everything required to ease your transition to another dentist. You should be able to continue with using the retainers through another dentist. You have every right to switch dentists even if you are in the middle of undergoing treatment.

The dental association mandates these ethical standards and even if your current dentist fails to abide, it would not be difficult for a new dentist to create a new retainer. This is even possible without any previous information. The dentist or staff member will make a simple impression to make a model of your teeth, and order it from the laboratory.

Lastly, the new dentist does not have to be certified with Invisalign, although it would be good if that was the case.

Invisalign has a very high patient satisfaction rate, so I’m glad to hear you are happy.

This blog was posted by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Did you know you can porcelain veneers is another option to straighten the appearance of teeth.

Porcelain Veneers

My dark tooth makes me want to hide my smile

Hello,

I chipped one of my front teeth when I was young. Later, I needed to have a filling placed in the left portion of this same tooth. I am now 57 years old and my front tooth appears to be getting darker. This embarrasses me and it makes me not want to smile. I have discussed this issue with my dentist. He has stated that it may be too risky to put a crown on the tooth. Since it is dead the canal has calcified. I was looking into Lumineers and my dentist discouraged me from this product as well. He said I wouldn’t be happy with the result.

~Cindy from New York

Cindy,

There are many types of porcelain veneers and Lumineers is just one particular brand. So in response to your question, I will be referring to porcelain veneers in general. Porcelain veneers are a cosmetic procedure that is not taught in dental school. From what you have outlined, it sounds as if your dentist may be uncomfortable with cosmetic dentistry techniques. If a dentist knows how to use veneers, they are a beautiful solution to a wide range of issues. Although, if a dentist is not familiar with them, they may steer you away.

Dentists are trained to fix things and a dentist trained in cosmetic dentistry has an artistic eye. I would recommend you continue on with your dentist for routine cleanings, checkups, and general dentistry. But I do feel that when porcelain veneers are done correctly, they are an excellent solution for a case like yours. You should find a cosmetic dentist that puts top priority on appearance.

If you are satisfied with your smile and the look of your other teeth, then all that may be needed is a direct dental bonding or just one porcelain veneer over the darkened tooth. A full set of porcelain veneers may be warranted if you have things that you aren’t happy with on your other teeth.

Once again, it is important to seek out a true artistic dentist that has an eye for beauty for this type of work. I hope you can proudly smile again soon.

Pediatric Dentistry

Space Maintainers for Children

My daughter is six years old and has two broken baby molars. Tooth decay caused the problem and our dentist recommended extraction since they are infected. Is that my only option? 

Kathy from Nevada

Kathy,

When a child’s baby molars are infected, extraction is required. Typically when a tooth is infected a root canal can be performed. But, due to the shape of the roots on a child’s molar, it is not possible to do root canal treatments. That is why the tooth extraction has been recommended. It is important you follow through with this. If this condition is left untreated, the infection will affect her permanent teeth that are still developing.

It is likely that the dentist will want to put in some space maintainers. This will help hold the space where each tooth is removed. Your daughter’s permanent molars will be coming in very soon behind the baby molars. There are other problems that could occur if the space maintainers are not used. For example, the permanent molars can drift forward and this will block out the permanent premolars from coming in normally.

For more information, read more about pediatric dentistry and family dentistry.

Dental Bonding

What do you recommend for a chipped tooth?

I have a chipped front tooth and I am trying to figure out what is better, dental bonding or a porcelain crown? I have done a lot of research about tooth bonding and my general dentist has told me that the bond won’t hold over time. She has recommended a porcelain crown to fix my chip. Can my chipped front tooth actually be corrected with dental bonding if I’m diligent in caring for it?

Thanks, Viv from Massachusetts

Dear Viv,

It turns out that many dentists are uncomfortable with direct bonding techniques. They will try to discourage you from this treatment. Although, it does hold up well and in most cases would be a good choice. There are likely several reasons for your dentist to recommend a crown. She may not have much experience with bonding. It requires artistic talent to do a good job. She may not carry all of the shades, textures, and varieties of bonding materials. Many general dentists only have a limited inventory of all-purpose bonding composites and do not have specialized bonding materials in stock. A cosmetic dentist will have the highly customized materials available that can make your tooth beautiful and will be long-lasting. Another reason she may recommend the crown is due to the higher cost of the bonding. Still another reason is that you may have an unusual bite that could potentially break off the bond, in which case the porcelain crown truly is best. It’s always good to get a second opinion. I would research an expert cosmetic dentist in your area. Good luck!

More information to fix a chip, read about porcelain veneers or CEREC crowns.

Teeth Whitening

Pain with teeth whitening

Hi there. I just started an in-home teeth whitening system. I have been using it for about two weeks now and haven’t had any issues. Except yesterday when I used them I had a sharp pain. It was on my front tooth and seemed very intense for about thirty seconds or so. I have a dental bond on this tooth that was orginally chipped and then reapaired over a decade ago. So I was wondering if this reaction means that my bond is going bad or nearing the end of its lifecycle? Or could the whitening treatments I’m using be weakening the dental bond? That is my guess. Thank you for your help.

-Jane from Texas

Jane,

It is unlikely that the bond was weakened by the teeth whitening system you are using. The common bleaching gel has not been known to weaken dental bonds. Also, if that was actually the case and the bond was weakened then it would mean that the repaired chip would most likely fall off. This would probably be causing much more pain.

The way you have described it, I think the bleaching agent may be irritating a sensitive part of the tooth. If the tooth was injured previously and repaired, there may be a senstive area that has become exposed due to some of the bonding agent that has wore off.

Your situation is a good example of why with any teeth bleaching treatment, it is important to consult and remain under a dentist’s professional supervision. My assumption is that you are working with a dentist. So, you should let your dentist know about your problem. Hopefully, they will be able to pin point the issue you’re having. If it turns out to be a sensitive spot then there are solutions to re-coat the area. You should be able to continue bleaching safely once this issue has been resolved. Make sure you get this checked out before continuing with your bleaching treatment.