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dentistry

I Hate the Way My Implants Look

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Can you help me? I had dental implant overdentures done and when the bridges came in I was very disappointed in them. While they were very bright and white, they looked monochromatic, which in my opinion makes them look fake. They’re also bulkier than I would have expected and the surfaces of the teeth are very round and protruding. My dentist insists that they are up to the highest professional standards and I will get used to them. Is there anything I can do?

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

Woman covering her mouth

I am sorry this happened to you. It sounds like you went to a general dentist who does not understand the foundation of cosmetic work. Her saying it is up to the highest professional standards only refers to functionality. It has nothing to do with beauty of the results. When you are talking about your smile, beauty is an important factor.

The monochromatic look is very telling of your dentist’s cosmetic skill (or lack thereof). Our natural teeth are not uniform. The middle is more opaque than the remainder of the tooth. Plus there are grooves and other texture. All of this requires a high level of technical knowledge on the part of the dentist in order to properly convey instructions to the lab.

What you need is a true cosmetic dentist to re-do this dental bridge for your implant overdentures. At least the upper bridge. Look for someone who is AACD accredited. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. I don’t know that you will be able to get a refund from your current dentist on the upper bridge but you can certainly ask.

I hate it when a dentist says, “You just need to get used to it.” That’s dental speak for “I don’t know how to fix this so I’m just going to semi blame you for being too picky and whiny.”

It is unfortunate that your dentist did not care about how you felt about the smile she created you. Fortunately, a better cosmetic dentist can give you something stunning, that you will be proud to show for the remainder of your life.

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

Dental Bridge Looks Awful

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I am from Romania and had a crooked later incisor as I was growing up. My mother took me to dentist who took out the tooth and eventually gave me a dental bridge. It looked awful. It whiteness was much more than my other teeth and it was bigger. To me, it looked like an alien creature growing out of my mouth. Now I am in United States as an adult and thought they will do it right. I went to my dentist and he redid it. While it is better, it is still too big and too white for my other teeth. Then, it fell off a few times. He always glued it back on but it has me worried constantly. He said my crooked teeth were the problem, so I went to a braces doctor. He fixed it the crooked teeth. Now, for the worst part. He said my bridge looked weird with the rest of my teeth and offered to shave it smaller. I thought that would be okay and he’d know what he was doing but when he finished, I see all the metal coming through. Should he pay to help me fix this? He said I needed another one anyway, but also I wasn’t planning to get one for a while.

Alina N.

Dear Alina,

woman covering her mouth with her hand.

I am sorry this happened to you. As you have learned not every dentist in the United States has the cosmetic skill and artistry to do something beautifully. You happened on one of those, though there are many. To make matters even worse, your dentist didn’t even have the skill to keep your bridge bonded in. Even if your bite was off, with proper placement and bonding technique, the bridge should have stayed in.

To get this fixed, you will need an expert cosmetic dentist. I would look for an AACD Accredited Dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentist in the country. It would be worth it to you even if you had to drive to a nearby city or state. He or she can make you a dental bridge that will match your smile exactly.

As to your orthodontist, yes, he should contribute to this cost. While it is true that you needed another one, he damaged the current one far beyond what is acceptable even for someone who doesn’t do cosmetic work. Plus, you weren’t planning on getting another one for some time. Maybe a fair compromise would be for him to pay half.

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

Dentist Placed Implant and Now Wants to Remove It

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I paid in full for a dental implant. Before the surgery, my dentist said that I was good and ready to go. When I woke up he told me that after he got in there the situation was different and I didn’t really have enough bone to support the implant. He went ahead and placed it but said he would prefer to remove it and give me a dental bridge. I have a couple of questions. First, should I be entitled to get some of my money back seeing as he is just going to remove it? I feel like he put me through unnecessary surgery and I have nothing to show for it. Second, am I really stuck getting a dental bridge? I would prefer a dental implant if that is even a possibility any more.

Ellie

Dear Ellie,

Illustration of a dental implant next to a natural tooth

You should not only get a partial refund but a full refund. I cannot think of a reason your dentist would think he could get away with this. When you provide a procedure, especially something as invasive as surgery, there is an implied warranty that you have a belief in its success. He placed it knowing there would be failure. That is malpractice.

Additionally, if he would have done adequate diagnostics this would never have happened. He should have done a number of x-rays and, preferably, a CT scan. The reason for the latter is the fact that doing dental implants is a 3-dimensional procedure and really requires a 3-dimensional map. Not to mention the fact that if he’d done these diagnostics, he’d have known right away that you did not have enough bone support, thereby protecting you from the hassle of a surgery bound to fail. Obviously, he did not do his duty with this either.

I would start by demanding a refund. You are certainly entitled to one. From there I would find a great implant dentist. You will not have to settle for a dental bridge. You need a dentist who has significant post-doctoral training. Take a look at the training Dr. Weiss has to give yourself an idea of what type of dentist you will need. In addition, however, you will need a bone grafting procedure in order for your implant to have a chance of succeeding.

If you have any trouble getting that refund, just mention you are going to take a little trip to speak with the dental board. That should sober him up a little.  I am so sorry this happened to you. Most dentists are not this irresponsible.

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

I Need Options for My Tooth

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I had an accident on my tooth when I was a child. Over the years it has turned more and more brown. It’s causing me to not want to smile. I went to see my dentist about it and he said there isn’t a root there anymore and I should just remove the tooth and put a fake one there.  Is there a way to have a pretty tooth if it is fake?

Rebecca

Dear Rebecca,

What you are suffering from is root resorption. It is a shame your childhood dentist didn’t give you a root canal treatment when you had the injury. That could have prevented the resorption. It isn’t a guarantee, but not doing anything definitely leads to resorption. He is right that at this point the tooth cannot be saved. It doesn’t sound like he spoke to you about any of your options.

The top of the line option is to get a dental implant. This places a prosthetic root in your jaw and once the bone has integrated with the implant a dental crown will be placed. It has the benefit of being the most secure option and the closest thing to having a natural tooth. However, it is the most expensive option.

If that isn’t for you, the next step would be to get a dental bridge. This suspends a false tooth between two dental crowns. This makes sense if either of those teeth already need crowns. If they don’t, you may not want to grind down healthy tooth structure unnecessarily.

There are less expensive options as well such as a removable partial denture or a dental flipper. Neither of those will be secured to your teeth, so just be aware they come out.

Is Your Dentist Serving You Well?

I’m a tad concerned that your dentist isn’t taking adequate care of you. This is especially true if this is the same dentist that didn’t deal with your tooth injury to begin with that is especially concerning.

It also sounds like he’s leaving you to figure out what to do about replacing your tooth. In reality, he is ethically bound to give you all your options. It may be time to ask why he isn’t doing that.

Will a False Tooth Look Attractive?

As to your concern with how the false tooth will look, that depends completely on the cosmetic dentistry skill of the dentist doing the work. Creating beautiful smiles is an art form. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited, which is completely different from membership, which any dentist can do.

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

Replacing a Front Tooth While on Fosamax

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I had to replace a tooth adjacent to my right front tooth. Right now I have a dental flipper and absolutely hate it. I wanted a dental implant but my dentist said that’s not possible because I take Fosamax. I suggested a dental bridge and he doesn’t want to do that either because it will crown the adjacent teeth which he says are fine. That’s true, but I want to get rid of this flipper. Would an Encore Bridge be an option?

Bruce

Dear Bruce,

Three stages of a dental implant

Can you get a dental implant while on Fosamax?

It is possible to get a dental implant while on Fosamax. Your dentist’s concern has to do with the increased risk of local bone problems when having oral surgery. While the risk is small, the complications are serious. Don’t minimize the risk. One possibility is to temporarily suspend taking Fosamax, under the cooperation of your physician who should oversee this.

If you decide against getting a dental implant, a dental bridge is fine, and a better permanent option for you than a dental flipper. That being said, let your dentist pick the type of bridge. You definitely don’t want to be the first patient he or she has done an Encore Bridge on. Some dentists are your basic bread and butter dentists who can only do the “standard” work. That brings up an important point about your dental implant.

Who Should Place Your Dental Implant?

The concern your dentist mentioned is legitimate, however you should be aware that sometimes a dentist will steer you away from a procedure because they aren’t comfortable or qualified to do it. They don’t want a patient to lose confidence in them so instead they come up with reasons to discourage that particular procedure.

You don’t want to push a dentist into a procedure they are not comfortable doing. This usually ends in disaster.

Dental implants are an advanced procedure. You’re in a high-risk group, so it makes it even more important you have an experienced, qualified dentist to do it for you. Look at Dr. Weiss’ qualifications to get an idea of what type of dentist you are looking for.

Another consideration is cosmetic. You’re talking about matching a single crown to your front teeth. You want someone with the cosmetic skill to make it blend both beautifully and naturally. The best cosmetic dentists are accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

In your place, I’d look for an AACD accredited dentist who has a high success rate in dental implants.

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