Tag Archives: Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist

Porcelain Veneers

Why can’t I floss my teeth?

I got porcelain veneers. I like them, but for some reason I’m no longer able to floss. Is that normal?

Hannah A. – Florida

Hannah,

No, it’s not normal. In fact, it’s bad for your teeth, including your porcelain veneers.

It’s possible your dentist skipped a step. As you’re dentist places each veneer, some bonding material squeezes out. Your dentist needed to go around those teeth carefully with dental floss.

To do that, your dentist would need two special curing tips. The first one very narrow (about 2mm). This one tacks the veneer into place so your dentist can floss it without the veneer popping off. After he flosses, he can use another curing tip (about 13mm) to cure it the rest of the way.

After all that, he should still go over it all again with fine polishing strips.  If your dentist didn’t take all those steps, it would explain why you can’t floss.

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

Invisalign

Can Adults Do the Invisalign Teen?

I’ve been told the Invisalign Teen program has extra aligners in case you lose them.  I tend to lose things a lot and wondered if an adult can do that program?

Margo D. – New Jersey

Margo,

I’m sure your dentist would work with you on that.  However, they’re on your teeth for everything except eating. If you just remember to put them right back on, you’re not likely to have any trouble.

Here’s how it works:

Your dentist gives you a pair of Invisalign aligners. You wear them for two weeks all the time, except when you’re eating. When you finish eating, you brush your teeth ( and don’t forget about flossing once a day), then put the aligners back in.  At the end of two weeks, your dentist will give you a new set of aligners.

It’s really quite simple.  If you’re still worried about losing them, they yes, speak to your dentist about the extra aligner option.

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

Uncategorized

Avoid the Emergency Room For Dental Emergencies

Just thought I’d let your patients know that if they have a dental emergency and don’t think they can afford a dentist, they’re wasting their time going to the emergency room. I had a toothache, but didn’t have the money to do anything about it. So, because emergency medical things are covered, I thought I could beat the system by going to the emergency room. It was a complete waste of time.  They essentially gave me two ibuprofen and sent me on my way.  They did nothing for the toothache. All I did was waste my time.

Mercedes L. – Boston

Mercedes,

Your experience is quite common. Mostly that is because doctors aren’t trained for dental work, nor do they have the equipment.

There are ways to get emergency dental care without money. One is to call a dentist and just tell them your situation.  Most dentist are compassionate and will work with you.  There are also low interest and even no interest payment plans.

It is important that you get this looked at, so don’t put it off any further. There will be a dentist that will work with you. But, if you put it off, what could just be the beginning of a problem will turn into a serious infection and will spread.

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

Porcelain Veneers

Do I need to go out of town for a smile makeover?

I live in a small town. We do have a dentist and he said he could give me lumineers, but my sister is saying I’d be better off going to Atlanta for the makeover. That’s an hour and a half drive. Is it really worth that?

Amy D. – Georgia

Amy,

If I were in your place, I would drive to Atlanta. I know it is a drive, but you’d only have to do it twice. I assure you it will likely make a huge difference.

If your dentist is saying he could give you lumineers it has me concerned. Many artistic cosmetic dentists feel that will not give you the beautiful smile you’re looking for. They often prefer other brands of porcelain veneers. Many inexperienced dentists place them because they’re marketed as being easy to place, but they tend to be bulky and opaque.

What you really want is a dentist who has expertise and an artistic eye.  It’s ideal if you can go to a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

A dentist with that kind of skill will give you an absolutely stunning smile. If you’re ging to spend the money on a makeover, you want to make sure you get a gorgeous one.

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

Porcelain Veneers

Can bulimics get smile makeovers?

I’m bulimic. I’m getting a little better about it, but to be honest, I still purge sometimes. My teeth are in bad shape. I was wondering if it’s possible for me to get a smile makeover with porcelain veneers or if I damaged my teeth too much?

Olivia B. – Minnesotta

Olivia,

Congratulations on working on your bulimia. I know it is a hard road. Because Dr. Malone has worked with pageant contestants, he understands the difficulty of your situation.

One thing to  be aware of is that while you’re still struggling with your eating disorder, it will continue to damage your teeth, even teeth that are cosmetically restored.

Depending on the condition of your teeth, it can still be possible to get porcelain veneers. Go see a great cosmetic dentist. Look for someone who is AACD (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) accredited.  You will get a much more attractive smile that way.

Good luck with your treatment.

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

Cosmetic Dentist

Why won’t my dentist do lumineers?

I want to get a smile makeover. My general dentist is also highly praised as a cosmetic dentist so I was pretty sure I’d get what I want. But, when I told him I wanted lumineers, he wasn’t too keen and said he’d prefer to do something else.

Jennine G. – Brooklyn, NY

Jennine,

Your dentist is just trying to give you the best new smile possible.  If he’s highly praised as a cosmetic dentist, then it is likely he knows that Lumineers are the best quality porcelain veneer you can get.

One of the biggest problems with them is the lab.  Lumineers are owned by the Den Mat corporation, which insists that dentists use their lab. Unfortunately, their lab is pretty sub-par in creating gorgeous veneers.

Most expert cosmetic dentists have a lab they prefer working with and they don’t want to be tied down to an inferior lab.

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

CEREC

Why doesn’t my CEREC crown match?

I’ve had crowns placed before and they’ve always matched my teeth.  My new dentist uses something called CEREC crowns. When he placed it, it doesn’t match. Is that an issue with CEREC crowns.  He said it’s made of porcelain. Is that why it’s much whiter than my other teeth?

Sammie M. – Dayton, OH

Sammie,

It’s not that you’ve got a CEREC crown that is causing it not to match. It’s more that your dentist didn’t match them.  Porcelain can be made to any color your dentist needed, so the material isn’t the problem either.

You have a few options. One is to leave it as is. But, if you wanted that you wouldn’t have been writing me in the first place.  The next is to have the rest of your teeth whitened to match the whiter CEREC crown. The problem with that will be your toher crowns.  Teeth whitening only works on natural teeth, so your crowns will not whiten.  You would have to have them re-done to match your new crown as well.

Your final option is to see if your dentist would be willing to re-do the crown to better match your current natural color.

I realize none of these options are that great. It’s important that when it comes to any type of cosmetics you go to a dentist who not only has the technical skill, but an artistic eye to match your teeth.

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

Invisalign

The Invisalign Weight Loss Program

I recently received a message from a patient that I thought I’d pass on:

I just thought you’ d want to let your patients know that Invisalign is a great way to lose weight.  I’m a compulsive snacker.  Because I’ve had to wear my invisalign aligners, I’ve only eaten at mealtimes.  I couldn’t believe it, but I’ve lost 25 pounds without even trying.  It’s been awesome and I got to buy new clothes. I’ve loved my invisalign treatment, but I’ve been thrilled that it gave me a new body in addition to a new smile.

Thank you! Thank you!

Now, we can heartily recommend Invisalign as way to straighten your teeth, without anyone being aware.  They’re also more comfortable than traditional braces.  But, apparently now, if you’re a snacker, it could also be a way to ease you into new habits and new clothes.

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

Lafayette LA Dentist

Whitening crowns

Can I whiten a dental crown if it is old? My crown is turning beige.  So are my teeth for that matter.  I know I can whiten them, I was just wondering about the crown.

Beatrice N.  – Pennsylvania

Beatri ce,

A dental  crown, or any other dental restoration, cannot be whitened. Only natural tooth structure is whitened. That doesn’t mean you can’t have white teeth.

What it will mean is doing professional teeth whitening and then getting a new crown. Make sure you go to a dentist that does an all porcelain crown. It will be much more beautiful than a porcelain fused to metal crown.

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

 

Porcelain Veneers

Beware of bad cosmetic dentists

I recently read a story on a cosmetic dentistry blog, of a woman who spent a small fortune to get her smile made over, only to end up with an average looking smile.  Here is the picture she sent.

bad-makeoverI don’t have the before picture, so we don’t know what the teeth looked like befre.  It’s not a horrible smile, but it’s not great either.  The teeth are off center and the color is drab.  When you’re paying for a smile makeover, you want something better.

Compare that with a makever that Dr. Malone did with porcelain veneers. Here we have both before and after pictures.

anne-smile-before
Before
After
After

There isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry.  Any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist.  But, as you can tell in the difference in the quality of work between the unnamed dentist at the top of this page and Dr. Malone’s directly above, there is a huge difference between calling yourself a cosmetic dentist and actually doing gorgeous work.

One way to assure you’ll get quality work is to use a dentist who has reached accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country.

This blog is brought to you by Lousiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. MIke Malone.