Call Us: 267-763-1500

261 Old York Rd, Ste 517, Jenkintown, PA 19046

Banner image on site front page
Cosmetic and
restorative
dentistry

Are 3N Veneers Better Than Lumineers?

Posted on by .

I have read some of your information about Lumineers, and other expert cosmetic dentists seem in alignment with your thoughts. My question is about 3N Veneers. I live in Europe and quite a few cosmetic dentists here say that 3N is better than Lumineers. What are your thoughts on them?

Marie

Dear Marie,

An image of a porcelain veneer being held up to a tooth.

I’m glad you wrote. I want to redirect your line of thinking. While great that you are trying to do research before investing in your smile makeover, I think you are looking at the wrong thing. Let’s look at it from an art point of view, and cosmetic dentistry is definitely an art. If you were trying to commission a sculpture to be done, would you look into the brands of clay or marble the sculptors use or the artistry of the sculptor? My guess is the artistry of the sculptor. That is how you need to approach this.

Why? Because while 3N porcelain veneers could be better than Lumineers, that would completely depend on the skill and artistry of the dentist placing them. An expert cosmetic dentist could provide you with a stunning smile no matter what brand they used. An average cosmetic dentist will give you an average smile no matter how great the brand. Plus, each brand has different strengths and qualities. A dentist who does a lot of smile makeovers will know the pros and cons of each brand.

I would focus your attention in finding the best cosmetic dentist you can. I am going to recommend that you look for a dentist accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Accreditation with the AACD is different than just membership. These dentists have passed stringent exams and demonstrated their artistry before an examination board. They’re in the top 1-3% of cosmetic dentists in the country.

One thing you can do to protect yourself is to make sure the dentist is willing to do a provisional try-in for your porcelain veneers. That means he or she will put them on with a temporary try-in paste. Then, you get to look at them in several different type of lightings. If you don’t absolutely love them, then your dentist should be willing to send them back to the lab as many times as is necessary to give you the beautiful result YOU want. They should not get permanently bonded until you are thrilled with them.

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

Stain on the Edge of a Porcelain Veneer

Posted on by .

I have four porcelain veneers. They have stayed very white and I have been pleased with them. However, there was a change after my most recent dental cleaning. There is a small gray stain at the top of one of the veneers at the margin. I am not sure if it is damaged, but do find the timing suspect. Is there a way to fix this?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

I am at a disadavantage here of not being able to examine your porcelain veneers. However, I can give you some generalities. Porcelain veneers are both very stain resistant as well as color stable. When they do stain, it is only because of a handful of reasons. In some cases, a porcelain veneer will pick up stains on the edges where the bonding is. These can be polished out and should be considered a regular part of maintenance. Your dentist can do it quickly with special polishing strips at your checkups about once a year or so. This does not sound like what you are talking about.

Another reason for stains on porcelain veneers is on the surface if the glaze that protects the veneers is damaged. This can happen if your hygienist uses something like a power prophy jet or acidulated fluoride during your appointment. This can also happen if you use over the counter whitening toothpaste for an extended period of time. Most people don’t realize that these type of toothpastes use abrasives to whiten the teeth. If this were the type of stains you were having, it would stain over the entire surface of the tooth. If you want a whitening toothpaste that is safe for porcelain veneers, I recommend Supersmile Toothpaste.

If your porcelain veneers are older, say about ten or twenty years, you could be dealing with microleakage. In this case, stain starts right at the edge of the porcelain veneer and involves one to two millimeters of the veneer. It would confine itself to the edge of the porcelain veneer. It this is not addressed it can turn into decay. Unfortunately, the way of repairing this is to replace the porcelain veneer.

In your place, I would go to an expert cosmetic dentist who is experienced in smile makeovers, like someone who is AACD accredited, and have them look at the stain to give you a precise diagnosis.

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

Are Same Day Crowns as Good as Traditional Ones?

Posted on by .

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.

Should Porcelain Veneers Have a Hump at the Gumline?

Posted on by .

I wanted to fix the appearance of my two front teeth. At first, my dentist covered them with dental bonding. This ended up looking terrible. When I told her how awful they looked, she agreed to switch to porcelain veneers. My question is should they have a hump at the top by the gumline? The rest of them look okay. They certainly look better than the bonding, but this hump makes them uncomfortable. Maybe it is just because I know it is there, but I swear I can feel it all the time. This is my first time having porcelain veneers, but some of the pictures I have seen seem smoother at the top. Should I ask her to re-do them? I am starting to feel like a difficult patient.

Haven

Dear Haven,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

I am very glad you wrote, if only to tell you that you are not a difficult patient. You paid for a beautiful result and you should get one. In fact, I think you’ve been overly patient. Let’s start with the dental bonding. Why did you have to tell her they were terrible? She should have realized that. A true cosmetic dentist would not be satisfied with anything but a gorgeous result for a thrilled patient.

Then, she’s tried her hand at porcelain veneers and struggled to do those right as well. This hump is not correct and can actually lead to both decay and gum disease. So, yes, these porcelain veneers need to be redone. By the way, you shouldn’t settle for veneers that are just okay. You should find them stunning.

Here’s the problem you are facing. Cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. That means any general dentist can “try their hand” at it. Unfortunately, it takes a significant amount of post-doctoral training to have the technical skill and artistry necessary to produce a beautiful and correct result. I sincerely doubt that your dentist has this training.

The best thing for you to do for the health of your teeth and gums, as well as get a truly attractive smile, is to not ask this dentist to do something beyond her ability. Instead, ask for a refund, then have this redone by a dentist who has the training necessary to do it correctly.

The easiest way to find a dentist with the artistry and skill to do your smile makeover, is to go to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) Website— aacd.com. They have a “find a cosmetic dentist” link. Make sure you check that you are looking for an accredited dentist. AACD accredited dentists have passed stringent exams and demonstrated artistry on a large number of cases before an examination board. They are in the top 3% of cosmetic dentists in the country.

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

Why Is This Porcelain Veneer Popping Off?

Posted on by .

I had some porcelain veneers placed a few months ago. Shortly after, one of the veneers on a canine tooth popped off while I was eating toast. My tooth instantly became unbearably sensitive. I went back to the dentist and he said the problem is that my bite is off. He did some shortening of the porcelain veneer and the tooth. When I asked if I needed to be numbed first, he told me it wasn’t necessary. That was a mistake. The procedure was very painful. Now, that same tooth has fallen off again. I had to go back, again because of the sensitivity. He told me the issue was still my bite and that now he needs to switch it to a dental crown. I’m a bit confused here. I was told these were supposed to last me ten years. I don’t want to destroy a tooth that is healthy. I did ask this dentist about his qualifications before going forward with the procedure. He told me he had a year training in cosmetic dentistry. What do you recommend here?

Patricia

* Note to readers. I asked who the dentist was so I could check up on this training.

Dear Patricia,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

After looking up some information on this dentist, I see no post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. My guess is that he is considering his one-year residency his training. This would not be adequate cosmetic training for smile makeovers even with the most liberal of definitions.

I also do not think your bite is the problem here. I think he does not know how to bond it properly. If it were your bite, then the repair he did to the bite should have fixed the problem. Plus, if a porcelain veneer is properly bonded, then if something is wrong with the bite the porcelain veneer will chip instead of fall off.

Please do not allow this dentist to put a crown on your tooth. He does not know what he is doing. Plus, your porcelain veneer can be bonded back on properly so that it will stay on. Go to either mynewsmile.com or aacd.com. These are two safe ways to get a recommended cosmetic dentist. Anyone on the mynewsmile recommendation list can bond this on properly for you. If you use the aacd site, make sure that you check the box saying that you are looking for an accredited cosmetic dentist. These are the only ones with the right credentials.

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

An Absolute Dental Bonding Disaster

Posted on by .

I had dental bonding done a few years ago. They’ve picked up some stains and I went to my new dentist to have it replaced. The results were and absolute disaster. Here is just some of what is wrong with this “repair”:

  • The color doesn’t match the rest of the teeth.
  • The right tooth is longer than the left tooth
  • The left tooth is uneven and dips up in the middle
  • There is now a gap between my teeth that wasn’t there before

I asked her to fix these things. She didn’t argue about fixing things where the teeth weren’t even the same size, thankfully. However, with the color difference, she said that natural teeth have different colors and that the gap is almost impossible to not get when you do dental bonding. Next, she told me to give it a week and if I’m still unhappy we can talk about what I am still unsatisfied with. I went in to deal with discoloration and ended up with Frankenteeth. Do you think I should go through with this and give her another chance or should I just start over with someone else?

Mary

Dear Mary,

before and after dental bonding

I’m glad you wrote. While you are welcome to try and give this dentist another go at it, I would not hold your breath that this is going to turn out any better the second time. One of the problems you are facing here is that cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. As a result, any general dentist can “do” cosmetic dentistry. While dental schools will go over some basic technique, the aesthetics of the results are not judged or even required.

On top of that, dental bonding is one of the most difficult of the cosmetic procedures because it has to be done freehand. It also requires the dentist to keep on hand a variety of different texture, colors, and translucencies. This is expensive, especially if they do not do a lot of cosmetic work.

There is also a difference in attitude between a true cosmetic dentist and what your dentist offered up. A cosmetic dentist would never be satisfied if you were not. Those dentists who say, “give it some time,” are actually hoping you’ll give up.

If you do let this dentist try again, make sure they understand that if it isn’t right this time, you will want a refund so you can get it done somewhere else. If it comes to that, my suggestion is for you to seek an AACD accredited dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country and will certainly be able to give you the results you want.

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

30K Cosmetic Dentistry Disaster

Posted on by .

Can you help me find a different dentist. I just had a total smile makeover that included both dental crowns and porcelain veneers. This was done to fix both the damage done from my teeth grinding as well as cover my tetracycline stains. They look really opaque, which does give them a fake appearance. However, the thing I’m worried about is my jaw has been hurting. It didn’t hurt like this before the crowns and veneers were placed. I did have some low level aching because of the teeth grinding. However, now my jaw really hurts all the time. So much so that it is distracting. My dentist insists not only does everything look great but that he has passed all the check marks for proper placement. I’m at my wits end and have already spent $30,000 on this.

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

Woman Holding her jaw in pain

Under normal circumstances, it would be very hard for you to get this repaired without paying for the whole thing all over again. If the only problem is the appearance it is nearly impossible for you to get a refund. You’d think that wouldn’t be the case when you are talking about cosmetic work, but that is currently where it stands. However, you seem to be dealing with some functional issues. I don’t know how he thinks the markers for proper placement would not include your patient not being in pain.

It sounds like your bite may be thrown off a bit, which could be leading to complicating issues such as TMJ Disorder. This can work in your favor because it means that the case isn’t truly functional. We’ll go over how to get this diagnosed in a moment. First, I want to go over the difference between a general dentist and a true cosmetic dentist. Even though there is not a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, there are some distinct differences.

One of those differences is the amount of training they get. Smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. In order for a dentist to truly learn the techniques and artistry required, they would need post doctoral training. Another important difference is how they treat the patient. A true cosmetic dentist would not be satisfied with the work if you weren’t. They would first do a temporary try in and allow you to look at it in several different lights and make sure you are completely thrilled with the results. Even a little hesitation would cause them to ask, “What do you wish was different?” and it would go back to the lab to make the changes.

The easiest way for you to find one of these dentists would be to go to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s (AACD) website. They have a “find a cosmetic dentist” link. Make sure you check the box that says you want an Accredited Cosmetic Dentist. These are among the top 1% of cosmetic dentist’s in the country. Have one of them examine your case. It will be helpful if they also have TMJ training. They can tell you if your current dentist’s work threw off your bite. If that is the case, then they can help you secure a refund so you can get this done properly by a qualified dentist.

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

A Single Porcelain Veneer Turning Dark

Posted on by .

I have eight porcelain veneers on the top arch and six on the bottom. A few months after they were placed, I chipped one in a fall. The dentist buffed the tooth down so it would be even. Then he had to buffer down the partner tooth on the other side so they would be even. Fast forward a few months and now one of her teeth has turned bluish and has a darker spot underneath. I went back to the dentist and he said that he had no idea what I was talking about. He was pretty put out and said he was “excellent with color design.” His professional opinion is that I’m being too picky. However, I assure you that the color has changed. I don’t know what to do and I am worried that this veneer will fall off. Do you have any recommendations?

Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

First, I am going to tell you that your dentist does not sound like a true cosmetic dentist. A dentist who has done a significant amount of post-doctoral training would never tell a patient they are being too picky. Their goal is to make sure the patient has the smile of their dreams.

Bear in mind that I haven’t examined you or even seen images. However, going solely on your description it sounds like you have a leaky veneer. This means that the bond between your tooth and your porcelain veneer is failing. The changing color is debris getting caught between your porcelain veneer and your tooth.

This needs to be fixed or you can end up with severe decay on that tooth. My suggestion is to go back to your dentist and have him fix this tooth. You may need to show him this blog post. If that doesn’t work, get a second opinion from an expert cosmetic dentist that examines you. One way to find an expert cosmetic dentist is to go to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Website (aacd.com). In their “Find a Dentist” link make sure you check that you want a dentist who is accredited. AACD accredited dentists are among the top 1% of cosmetic dentists in the country with proven skill and artistry.

When you get that second opinion, make sure it is a blind one. They should not know who your dentist is or what he said about the veneer that you are concerned about. If it turns out that it is a leaky veneer and needs to be replaced/rebonded, then he or she can give that recommendation to your dentist. Peer pressure is a thing, even in professional circles.

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

Am I Too Young for Porcelain Veneers?

Posted on by .

I am 21 years old and want to get a smile makeover. I had braces years ago, but some of the gaps are back. Plus, I was a bit of what my parents dubbed a tom-boy so I’ve chipped quite a few teeth. Now, I’m graduating from college soon and want to start thinking about a professional look. I want a nice smile. Am I too young to get porcelain veneers? If so, would bonding be a good substitute? As for the dentist, my general dentist doesn’t do porcelain veneers but said he’s willing to learn if it is important to me. I’m not sure I want to wait for him to learn so do I just look for one who already does them?

Phoebe

Dear Phoebe,

a porcelain veneer being placed on teeth

I am glad you wrote. You have some great questions. Let’s jump right in. First, you are not too young for porcelain veneers. The important factor is that all your teeth are fully developed. This generally happens around 18 years of age, so you should be fine. I don’t recommend dental bonding for full smile makeovers. They are not as useful over large surfaces. Instead, their sweet spots are small gaps or chips. You mentioned those, but if you have a lot of them and/or want to change other things about your smile, you are still better off with porcelain veneers. They are more durable, as well as beautiful.

You are wise not to go with your general dentist. It takes years of post-doctoral training, as well some natural artistry to be skilled with doing smile makeovers. It is not something taught in dental school, nor is it a recognized specialty. As a result, it is up to the patient to figure out the best dentist to do their smile makeover.

I am going to suggest that you use a dentist who has reached accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are proven in both their technical knowledge as well as their artistry. You will get a stunning smile.

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

Will Medicaid Cover Porcelain Veneers?

Posted on by .

I’m a forty-seven year old cancer survivor. In the late 90s, I had porcelain veneers placed and really loved them. Unfortunately, the cancer treatments have done a number on my oral health and my gums have receded making my smile look ridiculous. I’m broke from medical expenses but am on Medicaid. Is there any chance because this is a medical issue that they would cover the expense of me getting my porcelain veneers replaced?

Carmen

Dear Carmen,

a porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

I am sorry about what you went through with your cancer, but am glad you are a survivor! The problem you are up against is government based medical insurance. Let’s say that they agreed this was caused by a medical problem, which they probably won’t if they can get away with it. For instance, they can say you caused the receding gums and you’d have little way of proving otherwise, even though we know cancer treatments are horrible for teeth and gums, etc.

However, let’s say for argument’s sake that they agreed. National health care will only cover the least expensive treatment. In your case, that would mean extracting all of your teeth and giving you dentures. Something you most definitely do NOT want, especially at your young age.

I don’t know what type of dental insurance you have, if any, but I’d start by looking there. If that is no help, your best bet is to just begin to save up so you can get this done right. You don’t have to get all the porcelain veneers placed at once. You could do them one or two at a time as you have money.

Just remember, when it comes to cosmetic work, do not go to the cheapest dentist. This is an art and you want a smile that looks beautiful and a dentist who can match what you loved about your smile makeover, to begin with. There are countless cosmetic dentistry horror stories and you do not want to be one of them. If your original dentist who did your veneers isn’t available, look for someone who is AACD accredited.

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