Archives for October 2023

Crowns or Veneers for Tetracycline Stains

Posted on October 31, 2023 by writeradmin.

I have severe tetracycline stains that I am ready to get cosmetically treated. I’ve seen two dentists about this. The first suggested porcelain veneers, the second dentist suggested porcelain crowns. The price quoted to me for the veneers is almost double that for the crowns. Can I acheive the same beautiful result with either porcedure? I like the idea of saving money, but don’t want subpar results.

Avery

Dear Avery,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

It is an exciting time when you are getting to plan your smile makeover. I am glad you wrote. The single biggest factor that detrmines the beauty of your case is not necessarily which procedure, but which dentist. Think of cosmetic dentistry as an art form. If I commissioned two painters to do the same portrait with the exact same materials, the portraits would not be exactly the same. This is because the skill and artistry varies from painter to painter. The same is true of cosmetic dentists.

Now factor in that you are dealing with severe tetracycline stains and the dentist becomes even more important. Tetracycline stains are one of the most advanced cases in cosmetic dentistry and quite difficult to do.

The standard treatment for this would be to have porcelain veneers placed. Usually, dentist who suggest porcealin crowns do so because they do not have the skill to cover the stains with the thin wafers of porcelain that make up veneers and think that using dental crowns will make that easier. This is not the case.

With dental crowns, you also want to consider that there is significantly more grinding of the teeth for preparation. This weakens the teeth and puts them at greater risk down the road. Plus, you can never backtrack from dental crowns. Once the tooth structure is gone, it’s gone. There is not a way to get it back.

Just because the first dentist suggested veneers instead of crowns, does not necessarily make him an expert cosmetic dentist. The easiest way for you to find an expert, artistic cosmetic dentist is to go to the AACD.com website. They have a find a cosmetic dentist link. However, it is important that you check that you want an accredited dentist. AACD accredited dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. Any one of them can ensure you get a beautiful smile, even with severe tetracycline stains.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Are Same Day Crowns as Good as Traditional Ones?

Posted on October 24, 2023 by writeradmin.

I need a crown on a front tooth and my dentist is suggesting that I use his new CEREC machine, which will allow me to get my dental crown the same day as my appointment. There is something appealing in that, but I want to make certain that they are just as good as the traditional crowns. This is a front tooth so I don’t want to have something that doesn’t fit right and makes my smile look weird.

Beverly

Dear Beverly,

CEREC crown block

The CEREC machine can produce a well fit crown. However, front teeth are a bit trickier. It’s not tricky to make them fit. The difficult part comes in getting them to look both natural and beautiful. It takes a great deal of artistry.

With CEREC, the crowns are produced from a single block of porcelain. If you look at your front teeth, you will notice that there are many variations to the opacity. Parts of your tooth are lighter and have more translucency than other parts of the teeth. Because CEREC uses a single block of porcelain the results will be uniform, which will make front teeth look rather flat. Your dentist would have to know how to use different types of stains and tints in order to produce the variations needed to look natural.

If your dentist is not a highly skilled cosmetic dentist, I would not use CEREC for a front tooth. In fact, even with tradtional crowns, you need to make certain the dentist uses a temporary try-in paste to make sure the crowns not only look natural and beautiful, but that they blend seamlessly with the remainder of your teeth, especially the adjacent front tooth. It will probably take a few tries to get it perfect.

This is above the skill level of most dentists. I would either look for a dentist who is recommended on the mynewsmile.com website or someone who has reached accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. If it were any other tooth than a front tooth, it would be an easy assignment.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Pain with Teeth Whitening

Posted on October 9, 2023 by writeradmin.

For the last three weeks I have been using an over the counter teeth whitening kit. I had not had any problems until today. Out of the blue, I had this zing of pain that lasted half a minute. It was on a tooth that had some dental bonding done a few years ago. Could that be the problem? Will the teeth whitening damage the bonding or is it just a matter of the bonding nearing the time it needs to be replaced?

Avery

Dear Avery,

Professional Teeth Whitening Trays

I do not believe that the teeth whitening is damaging the bond. If it did, the repair would just fall off. It would not cause pain the way you are experiencing. The pain tells me you have a sensitive part of the tooth. It may be that the dental bonding is not completely covering the area that it should be, either from age or from the beginning.

Hopefully, you are doing this under the supervision of a dentist. Either way, you need to be seen. Your dentist can put something over the sensitive area that will enable you to begin your whitening again without pain.

You should be aware that over the counter whitening will work, depending on which brand you purchased, but it will take significantly longer than professional teeth whitening done through your dentist. No matter which method you choose, however, the dental bonding itself will not whiten. Teeth whitening only bleaches natural tooth structure. If you are going significantly whiter than what your bonding is, you will want to replace it to match your teeth once you have reached the color you want.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.
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