Tag Archives: AACD accredited dentists

Dental Implants

Trying to Get Answers About Beautiful Restorative Work

I am having a hard time finding the right information just by looking online on the internet so I am hoping you can help me sort through some things. I need a bunch of restorative work including ten dental implants on my upper arch and five on my lower. I’m not as worried about what my lower arch will look like, but I do want my upper arch to look natural. Here are some of my questions.

1. Which brand of implants is best?

2. Would I be better off with zirconium of porcelain crowns?

3. I had one dentist tell me that white colored metal fused to porcelain, or gold fused to porcelain, will not show a black line, Is this true?

4. Are zirconium abutments for my implants, more aesthetically pleasing than all white abutments?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

Implant overdentures illustation

I can tell you are working hard to do your research and you have some great questions. I’d like to steer your questions in a slightly different direction. All of your questions are about the materials. What you should be asking, if you are looking for great aesthetic work, is whether the dentist has the post-doctoral training and accuracy to provide you with solid, yet beautiful work.

If you wanted to commission a beautiful portrait of your family, you probably would not be asking about which type of canvas or paint brushes should be used, but rather who would be the best artist to do the work. It is the same with cosmetic dentistry.

First, I would look for someone with post-doctoral training in dental implants. It won’t matter how beautiful they are if they don’t end up failing. After you have narrowed down some implant dentists, I would then look for their cosmetic qualifications. Have they done post-doctoral training in cosmetic work. Smile makeovers and other types of cosmetic work are not taught in dental school. Have you looked at their smile gallery to see if they produce beautiful work? Even better, do they have someone on staff that is AACD accredited?

These are the questions you need to look into. I will correct one piece of bad advice you were given. Any dental crown that is fused to metal will eventually show that black line. Additionally, it will end up looking more opaque because of the metal base that needs to be covered.

I hope this helps you.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Porcelain Veneers

Smile Makeover Disaster

I need some advise. I had porcelain veneers done. The first time they came back they were way too thick. Even my dentist knew that by looking. I asked him to send them back, which he did. When they came back again, they didn’t really let me see them. They did tell me they could make any adjustments necessary after they were bonded on. That turned out not to be true. They ended up very bulky looking and, though I did ask for a white smile, they ended up chalky and fake looking . I absolutely hate them, but my dentist isn’t returning my calls. Do you have a recomendation of how I can get this fixed?

Carla

Dear Carla,

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

I think you’re suffering from having a decent family who is trying to do cosmetic dentistry he’s not qualified to do. Believe it or not, smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. A dentist has to invest in a significant amount of post-doctoral training in order to develop the skills necessary to create beautiful smile makeovers. My guess is your dentist didn’t invest in that.

True cosmetic dentists also know that it is the patient’s perception of their smile that matters most. Because of that, they will use a temporary try-in paste so you can get a good look at your porcelain veneers in a variety of lightings before they are bonded on. You have a legal advantage. He misled you regarding the ability to make changes to your porcelain veneers after they were placed, bonding them on without your official permission.

Getting Your Porcelain Veneers Done Right!

Normally, I would say insist on a refund, however, you mentioned he’s not returning your calls. That may be because he is avoiding you or, if we want to be generous, maybe he’s not checking messages as much if his office is closed during the COVID-19 quarantine. Though, they should be open for emergency procedures.

Leave him another message letting him know if you don’t hear back from him this time, you’ll be contacting a lawyer. That will kick him into gear. If you do end up having to get a lawyer involved, you have a pretty solid case. I’m sure his insurance holders will advice him to settle quickly.

When you go to have these re-done, I want you to be certain you use a dentist with both training and artistry.. Ideally, you’d see an AACD accredited dentist (which is different from just being a member). Accredited dentists are in the top 1% of dentists in the country. If you can’t find one of them within a reasonable distance to you, contact me again and we’ll help you find someone.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Three Different Color Teeth with Porcelain veneers

I had four porcelain veneers placed on my front teeth. Unfortunately, the two in the very front are turning gray. This has left me with three different colored teeth. First, there are my natural yellow teeth, which still show on either side of my porcelain veneers. Then, there are the white veneers next to them, and the two front teeth which have turned gray. I feel this whole endeavor has been a disaster. What can be going on and what can fix it?

Marla

Dear Marla,

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

The main problem you are facing with your smile makeover is the inexperience of your dentist. First, the porcelain veneers on your front teeth are defective. This can happen to a new cosmetic dentist. However, an even more basic error was made.

If you are only getting four porcelain veneers and your teeth are yellow, your teeth need to be whitened before your veneers are placed. Your dentist didn’t even know enough to do that.

As for the grey veneers, there are two possibilities I can think of immediately. I couldn’t tell you which without a photo, but I can describe it to give you an idea of what to look for.

If they are uniformly grey, then it’s likely the glaze has been removed somehow. This destroys your porcelain veneers because the glaze is what protects them from picking up stains.

If the gray is uneven, you may have what is known as microleakage. This means the bonding isn’t done correctly and you’ve got things getting between the porcelain veneers and your teeth. This will not only give them a splotchy look, but it will lead to decay.

Fixing a Porcelain Veneer Disaster

Because your family dentist is in over their head, I don’t think they’re going to be able to fix this. You need to ask for a refund and have this case redone by an expert cosmetic dentist. They’ll likely first suggest you whiten your teeth. Then they’ll do the case from scratch.

My suggestion is look to see if there is a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in a reasonable distance from you. AACD accredited dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They will provide you with a stunning smile you will be proud of.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

CEREC

dentist pushing cerec crowns

I need a dental crown on a tooth in the front of my mouth. My dentist is really pushing for me to get a CEREC crown. I know he’s invested a lot in the machine and probably needs to recoup his money, but I want to make sure these crowns are just as good as the regular ones before getting it. It’s more of a big deal because I’m talking about a front tooth and don’t want to look stupid.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

Block of porcelain for CEREC crowns
Cerec restorations are made of all-porcelain.

Trying something new can be exciting, but when it comes to your smile, you want to be certain the results will be something you won’t want to hide.

Advantage of CEREC Crowns

With traditional porcelain crowns, your dentist designs it and then send it off to a lab to be completed. This process takes about two weeks. In the meantime, you will be provided with a temporary crown. This is designed to protect the tooth.

They are designed to come off easily so some patients find it more challenging to eat with them on. They’re also a little less attractive than the final result will be because of their temporary nature.

With CEREC Crowns, you walk out of your appointment with your permanent crown in place. This is because it is milled right in the office.

That convenience is its biggest advantage. You don’t have to come back for a second appointment, which means there is no need to get additional time off work or find a babysitter for a second appointment.

Because they’re made of all porcelain, they are just as attractive as traditional crowns. There isn’t much of a cost difference either.

CEREC Crowns on Front Teeth

This issue of a front tooth is more an issue of the dentist than the type of crown. Matching a crown to a front tooth takes an expert cosmetic dentist, especially on a single front tooth.

In that case, I’d ask your dentist to show you images of results of crowns he’s done on front teeth. Ask specifically for an example of CEREC crowns as well. Because they’re milled out of a single block of porcelain, your dentist will really have to know his color theory.

If he doesn’t get beautiful results, you may be happier switching to a different dentist for this one procedure with a different dentist. You can still get a CEREC crown, but you’ll get it by a dentist with expertise in cosmetics. Ideally, you’d see a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

CEREC

CEREC or Regular Veneers

I told my dentist I wanted to get a smile makeover. He’s suggesting we do CEREC veneers. Are those as good as the porcelain veneers? I want to make sure I get the right material. Which would you recommend?

Olivia

Dear Olivia,

Block of porcelain for CEREC crowns

It is great that you’re trying to do research ahead of time. I wish more patients did that. I’m going to shift what you are researching though. The materials used do not matter nearly as much as the dentist who is working with the materials. Think of it this way. If two artists were given a block of the same type of marble and told to make a statue of the same person, would the statues turn out exactly the same? Of course not! One artist will definitely be superior to the other. Whether your dentist is creating CEREC veneers or traditional porcelain veneers, what matters most is his skill.

What I’d like you to look at is whether or not your dentist has the technical skill and artistry to pull this off. Doing a smile makeover using the CEREC veneers can be done, but only by top of the line cosmetic dentists. The reason for this is a CEREC machine mills your veneers or porcelain crowns out of a single block of porcelain. However, our teeth don’t have uniform levels of translucency.

In order for a cosmetic dentist to get these to look both beautiful and natural, he or she will need to know a lot of color theory and understand how the different stains available can manipulate the level of translucency and opaqueness in a tooth. Without that, you could end up with teeth that look fake and flat.

Is Your Dentist Good Enough to Do CEREC Veneers?

Before moving forward, I want you to ask your dentist for two things:

1. Ask him to see before and after pictures of recent CEREC veneers cases he’s personally done. If he doesn’t have any, find another dentist. If he does have some and you love the results, you will likely be okay to go ahead as long as he agrees to the second point. If you don’t love the results, find another dentist.

2. Make sure he’s willing to stand behind his work with a form of a beautiful smile guarantee. This should mean that he’ll put the veneers on with a try-in paste when he’s done and let you look at them in several different lightings. If you are not over the moon thrilled with them, he’ll re-do them. No veneers should be permanently bonded until you are ecstatic.

If these two things can’t be met. You need to find a better cosmetic dentist.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

If I were getting a smile makeover, I”d want one of the best of the best cosmetic dentists. The easiest way to find those is to go to aacd.com. They have a “Find a dentist” link. You want to look for a cosmetic dentist in your area who has reached accreditation. They have a box you can check for accredited.

AACD accredited dentists have passed stringent oral and written exams as well as demonstrated their artistry on a large number of cases. Any one of them can give you a stunning smile.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

tri-colored porcelain veneers

I’ve got a smile makeover disaster. I have three different colored teeth right now. First, my ugly natural yellow teeth, then I had four porcelain veneers placed. Three of them look okay, but one of them is an uneven gray color. I paid a lot of money hoping to get a beautiful smile, but now I feel ridiculous with three different colors of teeth. I don’t even smile. My dentist said she’d make the gray one thicker to even out the colors, but I’m not sure how that will look and I’m losing confidence in her. What do you recommend?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

Yikes! I can understand why you are unhappy. It sounds like you went to your family dentist who was in over her head. First, don’t let her make the graying veneer thicker. In fact, I think you need to ask for a refund and start over.

If I’m right about the graying veneer you have a good case for one. Because it is a splotchy gray, I think there isn’t a good bond between the porcelain veneer and the tooth. This is bad for your teeth. It allows things to get between the two, leaving you vulnerable for decay.

When you have this re-done, the first thing the dentist will have you do is whiten your teeth. This will keep your adjacent teeth from being an obviously different color. This is why your natural teeth look so obviously different from your four porcelain veneers.

Finding the Right Cosmetic Dentist to do Your Porcelain Veneers

It is imperative you have an excellent cosmetic dentist to re-do your porcelain veneers. Unfortunately, doing beautiful smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. Dentists have to invest time in getting the training they need.

Even with training, as with every art, some dentists have a more artistic eye than others. If you want the best cosmetic dentist, I’d go to aacd.com and look up an accredited cosmetic dentist in your area.

AACD accredited cosmetic dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They’ve passed stringent oral and written exams. Additionally, they have to provide visual evidence of a large number of cases they’ve done in order to show they are both technically skilled and artistic.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic Dentistry Tourism Disaster

I had porcelain veneers placed on my top teeth and a dental implant and crown on my bottom arch. In the U.S. it would have cost me over $60,0000 but I was able to get it done overseas for around $11,000. At first, I was pleased as punch, but now I’m four months out and the veneers are falling off. I’ve been cutting up the food the way he showed me and not eating with my front teeth at all. In fact, the last one fell off while eating spaghetti. That’s hardly anything to stress about. Three of the veneers have fallen off. They’re all intact. Do I need to have these re-done or can another dentist put them back on?

Catrina

A single porcelain veneer being held up by a dental tool

So, here’s the thing. Those instructions your dentist gave you about eating are a huge red flag to me. There is absolutely no reason why you should have any restrictions at all on what or how you eat. When properly bonded on, porcelain veneers will allow you to eat anything.

This dentist doesn’t know proper bonding technique. That alone, makes me question the skill of the rest of his work. For health and safety reasons, I’d like you to get a second opinion on the dental implant and crown you had done. This is especially important about the implant. If an infection develops it can lead to serious consequences.

Regarding your fallen porcelain veneers. You mentioned they’re still intact. In that case, it is possible an expert cosmetic dentist could clean them up and get them bonded back on properly. However, this is beyond the skill of almost all cosmetic dentists. You will need someone in the top 2%.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t really taught in dental school so you’ll need to look for someone who invested the time and training into doing it well. In your place, I’d look for a dentist who has reached accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are in the top 1% of dentists. You can find them listed on aacd.com. Just make sure they’re accredited. They will know the right procedure to help you with your porcelain veneers.

The cost to get them bonded back on properly shouldn’t be too bad, if they can be saved. If they can’t be, these dentists will give you a list of options and let you determine which way you want to go.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Cosmetic Dentist

“Reputable Dentist” Destroyed My Smile

I had an accident which caused me to need a crown on a front tooth. I was nervous about this because it’s my front tooth. Everyone will see it. I looked up many dentists in my community to see who was highly reputable. I found one which everyone seemed to love. The first crown he did wasn’t even close to matching the other front tooth. Even he said he needed to do it again. The second one was closer, but I wasn’t thrilled with it. He was and was going to place it anyway. Fortunately for me it didn’t fit. He went back for a third run and when that one didn’t fit he told me I’d need orthodontics. I gave up at this point even though I have a horrible temporary crown which doesn’t fit right. I need help but I don’t know what to do. Help me please.

Tanya

Dear Tanya,

close up of teeth

These stories make me both sad and frustrated with the dental industry sometimes. First, you should know that a reputable dentist and an excellent cosmetic dentist can be two very different things. There are two different mindsets at play here. In dental school, we’re taught that the dentist knows best. Cosmetic dentists have a different mindset. They feel unless the patient is satisfied (in fact, more than satisfied), they haven’t properly done their job.

Dentists who haven’t done extensive training in cosmetic work see this as pandering to the patient.

All that being said, matching a dental crown to a single front tooth is a very challenging thing even for the best cosmetic dentists. In fact, if your smile is important to you (and it sounds like it is) you will want a dentist with both technical expertise and artistry.

Believe it or not, one of the teeth in the picture above is a dental crown. I bet you can’t tell which one. That’s the type of results a true cosmetic dentist gets.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

The easiest way to find a top of the line cosmetic dentist is to go to aacd.com. This is the website for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. They have a find a dentist link. However, you don’t just want someone who is a member. Any dentist can become a member. You want to find a dentist who is accredited.

In their search options, there is a box to check that you’re looking for an accredited dentist. These dentists have passed stringent oral and written exams as well as demonstrated their artistry in a large number of cases they’ve done.

Anyone of them are more than capable of matching your front tooth with a perfect physical and aesthetic fit.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

CEREC

Dentist Said No to CEREC Crowns

My dentist has a CEREC machine. We’ve used it for a crown before, but on a tooth on my bottom arch. Now I need one on my top front tooth and he’s saying “No”. He said they don’t look good on front teeth. I truly liked the convenience. Plus, he wants to crown both front teeth to make them match. Is this legitimate?

Anna

Dear Anna,

Block of porcelain for CEREC crowns

You should be aware that only the top cosmetic dentists in the world can match a single crown to a front tooth. That is even more challenging when it comes to using CEREC. If convenience is what you’re after, go with the two crowns and traditional crowns. I’ll explain why in a moment. If you want gorgeous front teeth with just one crown, you’ll need to find an expert cosmetic dentist.

Matching a Single Crown to a Front Tooth

Your front teeth are right next to each other and much more exposed to the light. Even the slightest deviations will be very noticeable. It will be quite obvious your teeth won’t match.

With even the best dentists, it will take a few try-ins before it matches perfectly. That could go faster with CEREC crowns because it’s milled right there and not sent to a lab. It will still likely take more than one try. This method will take even more skill.

With a CEREC crown, that’s even harder because they are milled from a single block of porcelain. Traditional porcelain crowns use several blocks with variations in opacity. Your dentist would have to be very versed in color theory skills which are not taught in dental school. It’s obvious your dentist doesn’t have that training.

It’s actually showing his integrity that he’s being honest with you. He could have bluffed his way through and given sad looking results.

Finding the Cosmetic Dentist Who Can Do Gorgeous CEREC Crowns

Truthfully, because of the difficulty of this type of case, to get a beautiful, natural looking result which will match your other front tooth, you’ll need to go to a dentist accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

AACD accredited dentists have gone through stringent oral and written exams as well as proven their artistry with a large number of cases they’ve done and provided evidence for. All of them have gone through extensive training in advanced cosmetic procedures after graduating dental school.

What it boils down to in this particular case is what’s more important to you— a convenient, fast result, or a natural looking attractive result.

It is definitely your smile and your choice. Don’t feel pressured to go a way you don’t want.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

My Sister’s Porcelain Veneers Disaster

My sister and I are in constant competition with one another, even when I don’t want to be. I told her I was planning on getting a smile makeover next year. I’m guessing she felt she needed to beat me to it because three months later she called to tell me she just had Lumineers done and has a gorgeous new smile. At first, I was mad. She’s always “one-upping” me. However, after I saw her new smile, I was relieved. She likes it (or at least says she does). But, I think it looks awful. Her teeth are bulky. To me, they look like horse teeth. They’re also chalky looking. I was hoping for something more natural looking, though I do want them to be very white. How can I avoid a fake looking smile? I’ve seen the pictures of smile makeovers and, in photos, they look gorgeous. What went wrong with my sisters?

Lacey

Dear Lacey,

A single porcelain veneer being held up by a dental tool

Having a copy-cat sister is going to turn out to be a true blessing for you. The most important decision to make when it comes to getting a total smile makeover is the dentist you choose to create your new smile. Cosmetic dentistry is an art. Just like two different sculptors have different levels of artistry and skill, the same is true for dentists.

Choosing the wrong dentist is what went wrong with your sister’s porcelain veneers. My first clue to that is you said he gave her Lumineers. Those are a particular brand of porcelain veneers that are highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

Many expert cosmetic dentists feel the brand is sub-par. The reason for that has more to do with the fact that the DenMat Company, who owns Lumineers, insists dentists use the company’s lab. They’re not known for following the dentist’s directions in a way which creates beautiful results. That’s likely where the chalky look came from.

As for the bulkiness, that’s also a common complaint with that particular brand. They’re advertised as being easy to place because they’re ultra-thin and the teeth don’t have to be prepped as a result. That’s why they’re considered “easy” to place. The problem with that is with some smiles, regardless of how thin the veneers are, without the teeth being prepped you end up with bulky looking teeth.

Finding the Right Dentist to Place Your Porcelain Veneers

If you want a stunning smile, one that will make your sister think twice about rushing into something just to beat you to the punch, then you one a top-of-the-line cosmetic dentist. If possible go to a dentist who has attained accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. These are the best cosmetic dentists in the world. They’re so good

If you can’t find an AACD accredited dentist in a near enough distance for you to reasonably travel, don’t panic. There are many other skilled cosmetic dentists, many of whom are on their way to accreditation which takes many years.

You can look at the mynewsmile.com website to find these dentists. They don’t recommend anyone who cannot create a stunning smile. You’ll be safe with anyone on their list. All you have to do is input your zip code and how far you’re willing to travel for your smile makeover.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.