Tag Archives: Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist

Why are my veneers turning yellow?

I’ve only had my porcelain veneers for almost two months and they seem to be turning yellow. It’s quite disappointing, because I spent extra money to get my teeth whitened before I got my porcelain veneers. Now, my natural teeth are whiter than the teeth I had madeover. Is there some way to fix this?

Sienna P. – Maryland

Sienna,

I’m a little suspicous. If you’ve only had them for a little over a month, then they would retain their color for many years. If they’re turning yellow it means one of three things.

1. It’s possible they didn’t give you real porcelain veneers. but rather a cheaper resin material. If you thought they were giving your porcelain veneers and paid that price, it would be very dishonest and unethical for them to give you anything else.  You may consider going to another dentist and just asking what type of veneer have been placed.

2. The lab neglected to put the glaze on the veneers. While it is possible for this to happen it is certainly not common. However, it would explain why your veneers are picking up stains so quickly.

3. Something removed the glaze from the veneers. This can happen if your dental hygienist doesn’t understand how cosmetic dentistry works, they could have used something like a prophy jet on your veneers. That would have removed the glaze.

Whichever of these it is, you’ll need a second opinion from a dentist to help you figure out the actual cause and give you some options.

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

 

A refund on porcelain veneers

I got porcelain veneers. I’m a little disappointed in them and am wondering if I can get a refund on them. The color is darker than I expected and one of them is cracked. I didn’t do anything that should have cracked them.

Elaina P. – New Mexico

Elaina,

It’s possible you can get a refund on the cracked veneer. It’s unlikely you’ll get a refund on the intact veneers. The fact that you didn’t like the veneers tells me your dentist didn’t give you a proper try-in.

You may not want to hear this, but I think it is likely your dentist isn’t very artistic. The only way you’ll get a gorgeous smile is to go to a different more experienced dentist to do your porcelain veneers.

I’d go to the mynewsmile.com website and see who they recommend for New Mexico in your area. It will be worth it even if you have to drive to another city.

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

CEREC crowns caused a tooth infection

I got a CEREC crown and now, a few months later, I have a massive tooth infection on the tooth under the crown. I feel like the crown caused the infection. Have you noticed this to be common with CEREC crowns?

Alonso G. – New Mexico

Alonso,

No, that isn’t an issue with your crown. It is more likely a dentist issue. There are a few possibilities going on. With the first, your dentist didn’t remove all of the infection to begin with. It’s possible he thought the infecion was dealt with, but there was some left. If the  infection isn’t dug out of there, it will continue to spread.

Another option is your tooth developed new decay. That can happen a couple of ways.  There is a learning curve with CEREC crowns. Some dentists are more skilled than others. It’s possible your dentist left some gaps in the margins or there were some other issues  with his bonding that left your tooth vulnerable to decay.

It’s also possible that you’ve had a harder time with your oral hygiene. It isn’t easy getting crowns all the way clean and flossing is more of a challenge than it used to be.

You’ll need to have your dentist look at this right away and make sure he gets all the infection. When completed, you might want to make sure there are no gaps anywhere, in case the problem is your dentist.

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

A Tale of Two Dentist

IT was the best of makeovers, it was the worst of makeovers.  My dearest friend and I got our smiles redone. We live in different cities and so we use different dentists. However, we get together twic a year for two weeks each time. I was quite looking forward to our next meeting, becuase we’d get to show off our smiles to one another. I loved my new smile and ahave been enjoying flashing it around quite a bit. We were going to hit the town with our hot pearly whites. You can imagine my dismay when my friend’s smile ended up looking quite eratz. She could tell by my face I was unimpressed was hers. Plus, mine was so much more brilliant in its color scheme and looked much more natural.  Does she have options?

Cyrienne L. – St. Louis

Cyrienne,

I’m sorry for your friend’s experience. Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon one. There is a lot more to cosmetic dentistry than just learning how to bond on porcelain veneers. Not only is the technical training important, there is a significant amount of artistic training that is necessary too. Some of that can’t be taught. Everyone is different in their level of artistry and what kind of eye they have for aesthetics.

Your dentist obviously had the training and artistry. Your friend’s, unfortunately, appears not to have.  It’s quite difficult to get a refund on cosmetic work. That “ethical” standard is they have to be functionable. Well, you can be functionable and horribly ugly.  My suggestion is you have your friend get a second opinion regarding her porcelain veneers, preferably from someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

Sometimes dentists will be more willing to give a refund if their professional reputation is on the line with another successful dentist in their area.

This is important. If she gets her refund and she decides to have a new smile makeover, it is imperative she chooses the right dentist this time.  Ideally, you’ll want AACD accreditation–even if you have to drive to another city for the work to be done well. Let me know if you have trouble finding one in your area and I’ll help.

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

Dentist only does CEREC crowns

My dentist recently got a cerec machine and says he’s only doing cerec crowns now. I’ve always had traditional crowns and really want to stick with the same thing. What do I do?

Kate O. – Oregon

Kate,

What you would do is tell your dentist how you feel. There is nothing that says you HAVE  to have a CEREC  crown. I’m sure the situation is more that your dentist has invested all this money on the CEREC machine and he wants to get the most out of it.  He can do the same types of crowns in one appointment.

If he was able to do the traditional crowns before, he is now.  However, it is his practice and he ultimately decides what procedures he wants to do at his office.  However, you get to decide what to do with your body. So, you might be better served with a different dentist.

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

CEREC crown keeps falling out

I got a cerec crown for the first time. It has fallen out twice. Is this something that is common with these types of crowns?

Alai K. – Brownsville, TX

Alai,

No, the problem is an issue with the crown. In fact, CEREC crowns are generally more accurately milled because they are done with a computer. The problem is with whatever bonding process your dentist is using.

I’ll be honest with you, most dentists go their entire career without having even one crown fall out. The fact that yours did twice, tells me there is a problem with your dentist more than your crown.

I suggest you take your crown somewhere else to be bonded and quickly. If you like the person who fixes is, you’ve found yourself a more competent dentist.

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

 

I damaged my aligner-what do I do?

I drank a bunch of hot tea when I was with friends.  Now my aligner is warped. What do I do?

Rhonda W. – Montana

Rhonda,

I would go see your dentist and let him look at your aligner. Worse case scenario is he makes you a new one, but go in as soon as possible or it will throw off your treatment plan.

Using Invisalign doesn’t mean you cannot drink tea. Just don’t do it while you have on your aligners. You’ve already learned that the heat can warp them.  What you may not know is that it can seriously damage your tooth enamel. It is likely that the tea will pool in your aligner.  The sugar and other acids in the tea will eat away at your enamel.

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

CEREC crown keeps falling out

I needed a dental crown. My dentist told me about a new kind of crown he’s doing called a CEREC crown. I liked the idea of not needing a temporary crown and agreed. The problem I’ve been having though is it keeps falling out.  Is this because it is a CEREC crown instead of a regular one? My dentist has put it back in three times.

Barry B. – Conway, AR

Barry,

No, the problem isn’t the CEREC crown. In fact, because they are milled by a computer, they are generally more accurate in their shape than a traditional dental crown.

To be honest, if the bonding procedure is done correctly, there is absolutely no reason for the crown to fall off. It sounds like the problem is really with your dentist.

One suggestion would be if the crown falls off again, see if you can get a different dentist to bond it on for you. Explain that your dentist has done it several times.

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

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.

 

Crown won’t stay on

My husband got a crown, but it has come off three times.  Our dentist cements it on again, but it then it comes back off a couple of days later.  Is it because we got him a CEREC crown that this is happening?  My dentist said there is nothing else they can do for him.

Jennine- Boston

Jennine,

If a dental crown is bonded on correctly, they don’t fall off. It doesn’t matter what kind of crown it is.  The fact that it is a CEREC crown, makes it less likely that the crown will fall off, because a computer mills those, making them more accurately structured.

The problem likely lies with the shape of the tooth preparation. If the preparation is too tapered, it’s hard to keep the crown on. I guess it is also possible that he is using the wrong kind of bonding agent, but either way his work is grossly incompetent. Get to a different dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist.