Tag Archives: finding an expert cosmetic dentist

Invisalign

Why would I need to do two procedures to get pretty teeth?

I want to have my teeth much whiter. I also have one front tooth that is a little crooked. Not much. I was told by a friend that porcelain veneers would take care of both of these things, but my dentist wants me to have ortho done and then veneers. Why would I need two procedures?

Jermaine – San Jose, CA

Jermaine,

You question leaves me wondering if there’s something unique about your bite that your dentist is recommending both procedures; because, you’re right, generally you would either do porcelain veneers or invisalign, not both.

Invisalign will straighten your tooth and ensure your other teeth are in proper alignment. You could also whiten them simultaneously. Your invisalign trays can double as whitening trays.

Porcelain veneers are a better option if you want to change more about your smile than just color or crookedness. For instance,  if you wanted to change there shape as well, I’d definitely recommend veneers.

If I were in your place I’d get a second opinion by a highly experienced, artistic cosmetic dentist. Ideally, you’d want someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). If you don’t have one of those nearby, you can go on the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend expert cosmetic dentists by area.

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

Uncategorized

My Crown Looks Awful

I got a makeover on five teeth. Four were veneers and one is a crown. The veneers look OK, but the crown looks different than the others. It’s like there is a shadow underneath it. My dentist says it is from the cement and that it isn’t noticeable. If that’s true, than how come I can see it? I asked if we could re-do it, but she said it wouldn’t match the others because they need to be done at the same time. Is that true?

Hannah S. – Little Rock, AR

Hannah,

Well, it may be true for your dentist, but it isn’t true for someone with expertise in cosmetic dentistry. There is a danger in letting a general dentist without a lot of training in cosmetic procedures. A true cosmetic dentist would not be satisfied if you didn’t like the way it looked.  That crown would go right back to the lab.

The problem is twofold: one, dentists are taught in dental school that they know better than the patient. That is not the case with those who have significant training in cosmetic. They are taught that the patient is the decision maker as to what is beautiful.  The second issue is skill. Now a great cosmetic dentist could match your crown to other teeth easily. Maybe your dentist doesn’t know who to do that. However, your dentist ordered the veneers with the crown at the lab. They should be able to match the specifications to the lab.

I’ll be honest, if you really want this done well, you’ll probably need to have it done by a different dentist. I recommend you see a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). These dentists are in the top 1-3% in their field. They can give you a gorgeous crown.

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

 

Uncategorized

Whitening brown spots

I’ve had brown spots on my teeth since I was a child and have finally gotten to the place financially where I can do something about it. My dentist has tried whitening my teeth, but it just makes it look worse. Do you have another recommendation?

Alicia S.- Broken Arrow, OK

Alicia,

Teeth whitening never works on brown spots. They will always whiten the teeth surrounding the brown spots, making the spots actually look darker.  However, there is definitely something else you can do. You could use dental bonding or porcelain veneers. Either one will help with the brown spots on your teeth. However, I want to stress that you should not use your current dentist to do either of these procedures.

Teeth whitening is a basic cosmetic procedure and she didn’t understand how it works. Porcelain veneers and dental bonding are much more advanced procedures. It will be a disaster if you let a beginner do the procedure. I’m not saying he or she isn’t a good general dentist. You can still go to that office for your general dentistry procedures. But, for the cosmetic procedures you need to find an expert cosmetic dentist.

Look on the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend cosmetic dentists that are qualified by state. You’ll be safe using anyone on that site.

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

Uncategorized

Can my teeth match my undershirt?

I was wondering if it is possible to get my teeth bleached so white that they match my white undershirt?  I bleach my shirts and they are really a brite white. I want my teeth the same color. Is that possible?

Curtis J.- Memphis

Curtis,

This has to be the most interesting question I have ever received. Thanks for making my evening. You can get your teeth very white with teeth whitening. How white they get really depends on factors that are outside the control of either your dentist or you. Therefore, if it is  a specific color you are after, I recommend you get porcelain veneers. Cosmetic dentists can control a lot more over not only the color, but the shape of the teeth.

However, make sure you go to an expert cosmetic dentist. If not, you could end up with a disaster. There are two easy ways to locate expert cosmetic dentists. Your first step would be to look for  a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). They will be the top 1-3% of dentists. If however, you there isn’t an AACD accredited dentist in driving  distance, then I recommend you next check with the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend highly qualified cosmetic dentists in each state. You’ll be safe with anyone they recommend.

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

Uncategorized

Ugly porcelain crowns

I think I made a mistake, but I don’t know what to do about it.  I needed my four front teeth crowned. I told my dentist that I wanted all porcelain crowns. He told me that he hasn’t done many of them, but I told him how important that was for me, so he said he’d go ahead and do it.  When the crowns were completed I was really disappointed. They didn’t look very natural to me. I expressed this to my sweet dentist and he said he’d do them over free of charge. He asked if I wouldn’t mind going to the lab in order to give them some idea of what I am looking for.  I said OK, but now I wonder if that was a mistake. I don’t really know how to instruct a lab. Do you have any advice for me?

Karyn-Texas

Karyn,

You have a fantastic dentist, who obviously cares about you and values you as a patient. He is willing to do this again free of charge, which will actually cost him a significant amount of money in lab fees alone. Because your crowns are functional and the only problem seems to be you not liking the appearance, he is under no obligation to do anything. I hope this gives you some idea of what a generous, kind dentist you have.

You mentioned earlier that you think you’d made a mistake.  To be honest, the mistake wasn’t in agreeing to go to the lab, the mistake is in unintentionally putting your dentist in the position of needing to do a procedure he wasn’t adequately trained in  so that you would be happy.

Doing all-porcelain crowns requires artistry that takes significant post-graduate cosmetic training. You going to the lab won’t really help, because you don’t know any more than your dentist does what instructions to give the lab. Here is what I suggest. You’ll need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist and pay his consulting fee. Tell him the situation and ask him to advise you on what to ask the lab.  He may even suggest you go to a different lab depending on how he  feels about the quality of your dentist’s current one. Then you can tell your original dentist his advice.

The next step is for you to find an expert cosmetic dentist. First, I’d go on the website for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) and look for a dentist who is accredited with them in your area. That is different from just being a member.  If you can’t find an accredited dentist in  your area I would go to the mynewsmile.com website and look for who they recommend from your state. This site only lists expert cosmetic dentists, so you’ll be safe with anyone on the list.

From now on I recommend going to your invaluable dentist for all your general dentistry needs, but to another dentist for cosmetic issues.

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

Uncategorized

What is the lightest shade?

Hi, I just got two Lumineers to fix some chips and other problems with those two teeth.  The problem is they are darker than my other natural teeth. My dentist keeps telling me he gave me the lightest shade and if I’d just stop whitening my other teeth (which I don’t anyway) they would match up.  I see people with teeth whiter than even mine, so what exactly does he mean by the whitest shade?

Breanna N. from Wisconsin

Breanna,

The problem is your dentist is a general dentist who does cosmetic dentistry and not an expert in the field. It takes significant post-graduate training to become really skilled with cosmetic dentistry.

Here is what is happening. It dental school we are taught the whitest “natural” shade for most teeth is a B1. I suspect that is what he ordered from the lab. We can get teeth much whiter than that, but the lab has to be instructed properly.  I’m surprised the only thing you didn’t like about your Lumineers was the color. Many people find that brand of porcelain veneers to be a little bulky.

There is no way to change any brand of veneers once they are permanently bonded on. You can, however, get them removed and have another brand of porcelain veneers placed. However, don’t go to your family dentist again. Look for someone in your area who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, Louisiana dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Uncategorized

Smile makeover without spending a fortune

I want to get a smile makeover. My problem is I can’t spend a fortune. My sister just got her smile done, but it cost her $35,000. I don’t have that kind of money. Personally, I think my sister was overcharged. She tends to want to only go to the top of the line for anything. My question is how can I find a highly qualified cosmetic dentist without spending an unreasonable amount of money? Oh, my dentist says I have a problem with grinding. I don’t know if that will affect my makeover. FYI, I don’t trust my dentist for cosmetic work. He’s a good regular dentist though.

Gail B.- New Mexico

Gail,

There are two ways to find a great cosmetic dentist. One is to go on the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD.com) website and look for someone who is accredited with them that practices in your area. There is a difference between accreditation and membership, so make sure you are looking up the right thing. Another avenue is to look on the mynewsmile.com website and see who they recommend in your state.

For a smile makeover you generally do porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns. Sometimes a mix of both.  Because of your grinding issue, I’m guessing the dentist you choose will recommend mostly porcelain crowns.  It is good you are not just going to your family dentist to get your work done, because you would end up out of a lot of money as well as disappointed in the results.  Not all highly qualified cosmetic dentists charge a fortune, but they won’t be cheap either. I would make a list of potential cosmetic dentists from those two sources, then call and ask them how much they charge for porcelain crowns. You’ll probably be able to find one who is both qualified and reasonable in their fees.  I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, Louisiana dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

Porcelain Veneers

Really unhappy with Lumineers

We had some cosmetic issues we wanted to fix with my daughters teeth. They weren’t huge issues, but they really bothered her. I want her to have a good self image, so I talked to my dentist about it, who advertises as a cosmetic dentist.   He said Lumineers would be perfect for my daughter Naia. He also told us that we would get to see them on before they were bonded on permanently. He said she could see them in different types of lights and that she could show them to others. None of that was true. One of the things we were wanting to fix were some small gaps in her teeth. We thought about doing bonding, but he said this would be more permanent. When he put in the temporary  ones, we didn’t get to look at it any of the ways he said we would ahead of time. There were no different lights, no getting up to show them to others. Just sitting in the dental chair and looking in a hand mirror. Yet even with that limited way of looking at them we knew we didn’t like them. It did fix her gaps, but the Lumineers were so bulky she looked ridiculous. We asked if he could make them a little more reasonable in  size, but he insisted they were great. He said if we “lived with them” for a week or so we realize how nice they were. We agreed to try. She was teased unmercifully in school about them. She came home feeling worse about her smile than ever. It turns out my dentist wasn’t a cosmetic dentist, just a general dentist. Is there a way I can get a refund and then go to a real cosmetic dentist?

Azida A.- Tulsa, OK

Azida,

I think you can probably get at least some of your money back if this is handled correctly, but first I want to clear up a common misunderstanding.  There is no recognized specialty is cosmetic dentistry. So every cosmetic dentist is actually a general dentist. What sets apart a dentist as an expert cosmetic dentist is the amount of training they have and artistry they’ve developed. I would not consider your dentist an expert cosmetic dentist for several reasons.

First, cosmetic dentists know that Lumineers tend to appear bulkier than other brands of porcelain veneers, because they are advertised as a no-prep veneer. Most teeth will need some form of preparation to keep that from happening.  Secondly, a true cosmetic dentist won’t try to convince you that the porcelain veneers look great. If you don’t like them, they wouldn’t be satisfied either. Period.

Here is what I recommend. Don’t let him do any more work. You know you’re wanting to get a refund and go elsewhere so it is only fair you don’t use anymore of his time. Next, talk to him about how unhappy you are with how things have gone. Let him know that you weren’t given the procedure you were promised. Also be sure to let him know everything your daughter went through with school as a result of his work. Be upfront with him about your desire to get a refund and be done with this procedure.  That may work on its own.

If not, and you need to enlist some help, go to the mynewsmile.com website and find one of their recommended cosmetic dentists in Oklahoma. Don’t go to another one in Tulsa, but another nearby city. Dentists don’t like to go up against their peers because they have to deal with them on a regular basis. It will be easier to get one from another area. Have him look at the cosmetic dental work and give his opinion.

Generally the standard for refunds on poor dental work is that it is has to be non-functional. That makes it hard to get a refund on poorly done cosmetic work. Ugly doesn’t mean non-functional. However, in this case, your dentist didn’t keep his agreement. You were told your daughter would get to see it in several lights before you agreed on the final bonding and that didn’t happen. With another dentist backing up your claim that the work is poor, you have a chance.

Hopefully, others will learn from your experience to check the qualifications of cosmetic dentists ahead of time. Two of the best ways are seeing if they are accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) and if they’re recommended on the mynewsmile.com website.

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