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Solution for Brown Stains on Teeth

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My son has brown fluorosis stains on his teeth. They’re not very big, however it does cause him some embarassment. We’ve been to our dentist and did teeth whitening. That didn’t work. Somehow it made them more noticeable. Now she is talking about doing veneers, but they are quite expensive. Is that the best solution?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

before and after dental bonding

I am very glad you wrote. I don’t want you going to this dentist for the solution to your son’s fluorosis stains.  She may be a great general dentist but she has no idea what she is doing with cosmetic work. Teeth whitening is the simplest cosmetic procedure and she didn’t know the basics on that. The reason it didn’t help your son’s situation is that the bleaching gel will whiten the teeth evenly, which tends to make stains more noticeable instead of less.

Dental bonding would be a better solution in your son’s case. However, you would need to take him to an expert cosmetic dentist. Even if you have to travel to another city to find one, it will be worth it. This is a very advanced cosmetic procedure that has to be done freehand. In your position, I would look for an AACD accredited dentist. If there is not one in a reasonable distance, try someone recommended by the mynewsmile.com website.

Any of those dentists will do an excellent job for you son. They are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. He will finally have a smile he will not be embarassed by.

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

Dental Bonding Keeps Falling Off

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I have fluorosis stains and paid my dentist to cover them with dental bonding. It has been a bit of a nightmare and I want to know if I have the right to ask for a refund. When he first placed the bonding, it was a little bit uneven in color, but even worse, you could still see the stains underneath them, which defeated the whole purpose of getting the bonding in the first place. He made them thicker, which did cover the stains. However, they fell off less than a week later. I went back and he did them again and said my bite is the issue and to wear a night guard. So, I paid for one of those and guess what? They fell off again anyway.  He said they’re not permanent and I should not have too high of expectations. I did know they would not last as long as something like porcelain veneers, but he originally hinted they could last around five years. I’m barely getting five days. Is it reasonable to ask for a refund?

Jack

Dear Jack,

A side by side image of mild and severe fluorosis stains

For the benefit of readers who may not know what fluorosis stains are, I’ve placed these two images above. Fluorosis stains result from a child having ingested too much fluoride while their teeth are developing. It is not as common in the United States as it is in other countries but does happen.

While in many cases it is hard to get a refund for cosmetic dental work, yours will be an exception. It is nearly impossible to get a refund just based on not liking how the dental work looks, which is one of the reasons we remind readers of our blog about the importance of going to cosmetic dentists who have invested in the training necessary to do beautiful work.

Cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty, so any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist and do the procedures. How well they do the procedures varies from dentist to dentist.

Your dentist is obviously in over his head as he can’t even keep the dental bonding on. That is good news for you, though. The basic standard in dental care is that it stays on. Because your dentist seems incapable of that, you should have no problem getting a refund. If he gives you any trouble with that, let him know you’ll be talking to the dental board. That should sober him up.  Then, I want you to get this done by a cosmetic dentist with more expertise.

I suggest you look on the mynewsmile.com website for the dentist to re-do this procedure for you. Each of the dentists listed on this site are pre-screened for both their technical skill and their artistry. They can provide you with beautiful dental bonding that actually stays on your teeth.

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

Dentist Says I Can’t Whiten My Teeth

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I have really ugly teeth and wanted to get them whitened. However, my dentist said my teeth are endogenous and because of that, I cannot get them whitened. Is that true? If so, is there anything I can do to make them look better? I am so embarrassed by my smile.

Kelly Anne

Dear Kelly Anne,

teeth whitening trays

There is always something you can do to make your teeth look better. I’m sorry your dentist was zero help to you. I am not crazy about it when dentists use clinical words with patients without explaining what it means. That doesn’t help you at all.

What he is trying to say is the stains on your teeth are endogenous, not your teeth themselves. Endogenous stains are simply stains that were acquired while your tooth was developing. There are two categories of this that dentists see most often.

The first is tetracycline stains. These are the result of taking the tetracycline medication during childhood while your teeth were still developing. Even professional teeth whitening does not make much headway with these type of stains. They are just too deep and dark.

The second is fluorosis stains. These are the result of consuming too much fluoride during your teeth’s development. While they are more superficial, teeth whitening is still not a good solution because the fluorosis stains usually result is splotched teeth. Because teeth whitening bleaches the teeth uniformly, the teeth will be whiter but still splotchy. That’s not an attractive look.

The Solution for Endogenous Teeth Stains

The best solution in both of these cases is to have porcelain veneers placed. These tiny wafers of porcelain that cover your teeth are the go-to procedure for celebrity smile makeovers. They can change anything you want about your smile, including the shape, size, and color.

The only real catch with these is it requires an advanced cosmetic dentist to give you beautiful results. Smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. It is up to the dentist how much training they invest in to do this type of work. Tetracycline stains, especially, are among the most difficult cases for a dentist to do. In your place, I would only go to an AACD accredited dentist.

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

Cosmetic Solution for Fluorosis Stains

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I have fluorosis stains on my teeth and wondered if teeth whitening is a good cosmetic fix for someone in my position? I want to have a smile I am proud of.

Diego

Dear Diego,

I will say right off that teeth whitening will not be the solution. It whitens teeth evenly and is only more likely to make your fluorosis stains more obvious. For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with what fluorosis stains are, it happens when someone ingests too much fluoride while the teeth are still forming. The fluoride in the water in the United States is optimized for the right consumption so we don’t see much of it here.

There is good news, though. Your teeth can be attractive again. Which solution depends on the amount of fluorosis you are dealing with. For either repair, you will need an expert cosmetic dentist. My suggestion would be to find an AACD accredited dentist.

If You Have Mild Fluorosis

 

mild fluorosis stains

The picture above is an example of mild fluorosis. If this is what you are facing, then dental bonding can be a sufficient repair. Your dentist will gently shave about 0.5 millimeters of your tooth enamel. Then, he or she will replace it with direct composite bonding. It doesn’t last as long as the next repair I will talk about, but it does cost less.

If You Have Darker Fluorosis

heavier fluorosis stains

In some cases, as in the picture directly above, the stains are more prominent. In this case, simple dental bonding will not be enough. Instead, I suggest you have porcelain veneers placed. This is actually the go-to procedure for a smile makeover. It is what gives people that “Hollywood Smile.”

This procedure can last for a lifetime. However, don’t try to cut corners by going to an inexperienced cosmetic dentist for this. It’s not an easy procedure to do under the best of circumstances. With severe stains like these, it will take someone highly skilled. This is why I recommended an AACD accredited dentist earlier, these are the best cosmetic dentists.

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