Tag Archives: Porcelain Veneers

Teeth Whitening

Premium Home Whitening

I received an offer for Premium Home Whitening. This is almost $100 less than what my dentist charges. Is it effective and safe to use?

Morgan

Dear Morgan,

As far as their teeth whitening ingredient goes, it is a valid one. It will whiten your teeth. However, I am having a bit of trouble endorsing the product whole-heartedly for three reasons.

First, the light they advertise is useless. I believe it is there more for psychological reasons than anything else. I don’t like that they are charging for something that isn’t really legitimate. It speaks to the character of the company. If they are misleading about that, what is to say their other ingredients are what they say they are.

The second issue I have is with the tray. This DIY tray is not going to fit they way the tray the custom-fitted tray will fit. This not only makes the whitening ingredient less effective, but it also puts you at risk of problems with your gums. I recently read a case about a woman who needed a root canal treatment because of an over the counter whitening product.

Finally, the price. It’s a little pricey for what you get. Some dentists come much closer to its price than your dentist. You could get professional service for that or close to it. There are two ways you can accomplish this.

The first is simply to talk to your dentist. Tell him about the offer you received. Let him know that you would rather have your teeth whitened by him if he can come down on the price a little.

If he is unwilling to do that, then after your next cleaning I would call around to some other dentists. Let them know you just had your teeth cleaned and you are looking for someone to whiten them. This is the type of cosmetic procedure you are safe to price shop around for. It doesn’t take any specialized skill the way porcelain veneers do.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Thimmesh and Foreman.

Invisalign

What to do About a Huge Tooth GAp

I have a gap in my two front teeth. It is substantially large enough for another tooth to fit there. Would getting Lumineers help? They could make each of the teeth a little wider. One dentist recommended that. Another recommended orthodontics. I really don’t want braces though.

Angie

Dear Angie,

Invisalign Dental Aligner

I am trying to imagine that dentist thinking that extending your teeth out that far will look in any way normal if that gap is as large as I’m picturing. I wish I had a picture.

I will say that dentists who suggest Lumineers are not usually in the top tier of cosmetic dentists. That particular brand of porcelain veneers is often marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. The type of cosmetic case you are describing is very advanced and would take the best of the best in cosmetic dentists. I wouldn’t let anyone except an AACD accredited dentist touch that.

However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have to have traditional metal and wire brackets. Orthodontics have come a LONG way. These days, you can get Invisalign. Instead of wires and brackets, they use clear aligners. These are invisible even at a conversational distance.

This will allow you to straighten your teeth without anyone noticing. If you want, the aligners can even double as teeth whitening trays which allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time.

It looks to me like you need to seek out a third dentist if the one who suggested orthodontics didn’t offer Invisalign, unless there is something else about your bite that wasn’t mentioned. If it is a simple matter of a gap then it is the perfect solution.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Thimmesch and Foreman.

Teeth Whitening

Brightening My Smile After Quarantine

My state is beginning to open up again and that includes our dentists. Now that I get to be in public I want to brighten up my smile. What recommendations do you have?

Melanie

Dear Melanie,

I have two suggestions for you, depending on your budget and what your ultimate goal is in regard to your smile.

Brightening Your Smile With Teeth Whitening

Woman placing teeth whitening trays on her teeth
At-home teeth whitening with custom fit trays.

This is probably the least expensive way to brighten your smile. Just by whitening your teeth, you can take years off your appearance. Most dental offices will offer at-home whitening which allows you to whiten at home at your convenience. This also has the benefit of just going to the level of whiteness you want on your teeth.

Additionally, if you’re in a hurry and just want them to get as white as they can, some offices office an in-office solution with Zoom Whitening. This will allow you to you whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

Getting a Total Smile Makeover

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth
Porcelain Veneers

If you are looking to get that Hollywood type of smile, then the go-to procedure for a full-mouth reconstruction is to have porcelain veneers placed. While any dentist can do teeth whitening, it does take someone with some expertise and post-doctoral training in cosmetic work to make this work well.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Teeth Whitening

How white can I get my teeth?

I am trying to figure out how white I can get my teeth. Ideally, I’d like them to match my eyeballs. Is that possible?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

I love it when I get questions that surprise me. This is one I’ve never encountered. Whether or not your teeth can match your eyeballs really depends upon how white your eyeballs are. There are limits to what teeth whitening can do. Though, you certainly can get them very white.

In general, when a patient is striving to match a certain color, we suggest they have porcelain veneers done. These can be more specifically designed to match certain colors. In addition to color, they can change the shape and size of your teeth as well. It is the go-to procedure that celebrities use to get their Hollywood smiles.

Even when patients do get porcelain veneers we always have them whiten their teeth first, this way if they have a smile that is ten teeth wide but only get six porcelain veneers, the adjacent teeth will blend in with the veneered teeth and not look out of place.

Who Should Do Your Cosmetic Work?

Here’s what I recommend. Start with the teeth whitening. That may be all you need. If you get the level of whitening you want, job done. Any dentist can do teeth whitening, even your family dentist.

If it doesn’t get to the color you want, then you’ll have to decide if you want to get a total smile makeover with porcelain veneers. This does require some rather specific training.

Unfortunately, cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. That makes it hard for patients. Doing smile makeovers isn’t taught in dental school. The dentist has to seek post-doctoral training. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited.

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

CEREC

Is a CEREC Crown falling Off an Essential treatment?

I had a CEREC crown placed right before the lockdown for COVID-19.. Today, it just fell out. Our governor said you can only go to the dentist for essential treatment. How do I know if this is essential? Do I go in or wait until the quarantine is over?

Mark

Dear Mark,

porcelain block for CEREC crown
Block of porcelain for a CEREC crown

In most cases, because of COVID-19 and how easily it transmits, the CDC and Governors of many states are asking us to forego routine treatments until we have a handle on the virus. That would mostly include things like cleanings, checkups, and elective cosmetic procedures such as teeth whitening and smile makeovers.

Essential appointments are things like emergency dental care, such as you’d have with a tooth infection or other types of repairs. Your case is one of those. If a dental crown falls off, which by itself should be unusal, it is important it gets re-bonded.

If you wait until the quarantine is over, the adjacent teeth will begin to shift into the space left open. This will mean by the time you are able to contact the dentist for the re-bonding, your CEREC crown will no longer fit and you’ll have to get an entirely new one.

Don’t wait. Call your dentist.

One other thing, as I said earlier, it is highly unusual for a dental crown to fall out, especially a CEREC crown. They are milled by a computer so they are usually a tighter, more accurate fit. If your dentist rebonds this and it falls out again, I’d recommend you see a different dentist.

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

Invisalign

Solution for huge tooth gap

I have a large tooth gap. It was last measured at 9mm. I thought about doing Snap-on Smile, but after all the tests and things, it turned out I wasn’t a candidate for that procedure. I’m too old for braces, so I’m thinking about Lumineers. I have scheduled an appointment with a Lumineers certified dentist in a couple of weeks but thought I’d check and see if you thought that was a waste of my time and money.

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I am very glad you wrote before going through with this plan of Lumineers. While I am sure you could find a dentist willing to do it for you, it would end up a disaster!

The size of your gap is enough to fit another tooth. Unless the dentist is a top of the line, expert cosmetic dentist you are going to end up with something that looks ridiculous. And I will tell you right off the bat, dentists who advertise as placing Lumineers tend to be at the bottom of the barrel of cosmetic dentists.

The Lumineers company markets themselves to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place because they don’t require any tooth preparation, the way other brands of porcelain veneers do. There are two problems with that.

One, that rarely turns out looking anything but bulky. Some people have described it as horse teeth. And, two, there is a whole lot more to creating a beautiful smile than just the tooth preparation.

An Invisible Alternative to Braces

side by side compairison of braces
Braces versus Invisalign

You mentioned you were too old for braces. Has your dentist discussed Invisalign with you yet? These are sometimes called invisible braces.

Both people in the image above are wearing orthodontics. The one on the left is wearing traditional braces. The one on the right is wearing Invisalign. No one will be able to tell you are wearing them even at a conversational distance.

With the size of the gap you are talking about Invisalign would be my number one recommendation for repair. It has an added benefit as well. Invisalign uses clear plastic aligners to straighten your teeth. Those aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will allow you to straighten and whiten your teeth all at once.

If you don’t like the idea of any orthodontics, then you will need to go with porcelain veneers. However, as I mentioned above, you will need an expert cosmetic dentist in your case. I would only see an AACD accredited dentist to do your porcelain veneers case, if that is what you decide on.

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

Cosmetic Dentist

dentist didn’t get my color right

I went to get a smile makeover with porcelain veneers. I wanted a very white smile and was very clear with my dentist about that . In fact, I told him I wanted one of those super white Hollywood smiles. I heard him tell his assistant to make it an A1. I assumed that meant the whitest possible. I remember that specifically because my husband loves A1 steak sauce and I thought, he’d love his steak and I’d love my teeth. I know differently now that isn’t what he should have ordered. When the smile came back, the shape and size were fine, but I was disappointed in the color. I went home and did some research, because I felt sure he ordered the whitest. I thought maybe he didn’t remember that and the lab got it wrong. I’ve since found out that he should have ordered a BL 1. I went back and asked him about it. He said he ordered a BL 1 so that’s what I have. I’ve looked at pictures. What I have is an A1. I don’t know what to do. I feel like he’s just lying. Can this be fixed?

Paula

Dear Paula,

bleached tooth shade guide

First, I’m going to say I am super impressed with your research capabilities. There are a number of dentists who haven’t figured out what you have, as you’ve discovered with your current dentist.

You’ve also pretty much figured out that he is lying, though I know it pains you to think that of your medical practitioner. You could call him on it and ask to see the order he sent to the lab. I doubt he’ll give it to you. If he does and it doesn’t say what you very specifically remember, you can know he doctored it. Getting a copy from the lab should confirm that and things will not go very well for him.

A true cosmetic dentist would never be satisfied if his patient wasn’t. He would make the changes without hesitation. Your dentist may be decent, as you said he managed to get the shape and size correct, but he obviously is failing in his color theory.

The shades you see above didn’t use to exist. Dentists had A1 as the whitest shade. However, as teeth whitening became more popular in the 1990s, manufacturers realized they had to update their guides, hence the bleaching attachment.

In your place, I’d just tell your dentist you aren’t satisfied and ask him to re-do the porcelain veneers with the color you requested. You didn’t get the smile you paid for.

If he gives you a hard time, go to the mynewsmile.com website and find one of their recommended dentists in your area. Often a quick call from a peer will change their tune.

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

Cosmetic Dentist

gums inflamed after porcelain veneers

I had porcelain veneers placed on four teeth almost a month and a half ago. Since they’ve been on, my gums have been inflamed. I went in to see the hygienist and she said it is probably that I’m babying the teeth and not brushing well enough. I can assure you that is not the case. Then, at my one-month follow up the dentist removed some excess cement. That helped a little but it has been a week and a half since then and they are still inflamed. My dentist doesn’t seem concerned but I’m worried, not to mention in pain. What do you recommend?

Kay L.

Dear Kay,

Our experience has been patients love their new smiles so much, after getting porcelain veneers, they tend to take better care of them, not worse. Isn’t it a tad annoying when medical professionals blame the patient when they can’t figure out what is wrong?

Cosmetic dentistry is both an art and a science. The health of the gums is one of many things the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry looks at in evaluating cases when dentists are working toward accreditation.

The lateral incisors, in this case, received porcelain veneers. Because of the gum inflammation on these teeth, this case would be rejected as unacceptable by AACD accreditation examiners.

In the case above, the gum inflammation on the lateral incisors would be an indication this dentist did something wrong, causing the case to be rejected by accreditation examiners as a means of demonstrating competency.

While there are several reasons your gums could be inflamed, I’m leaning heavily toward your dentist not removing all the excess cement. You said he removed some at your one-month follow-up appointment. When done properly, all the excess cement would have been removed immediately after they were bonded. There shouldn’t have been any to remove at the follow-up appointment.

A couple of other possibilities would be uneven margins or the porcelain veneers going too far under the gumline. To truly know what is going on, though, you’re going to need to see an expert cosmetic dentist.

Getting a 2nd Opinion from an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

The first thing I want you to do is go to the website of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. (aacd.com). They have a link to find a cosmetic dentist. However, make sure you check the boxes for an accredited dentist. Membership is easy. AACD accreditation requires real skill.

Pick one which is reasonably close to you and schedule an appointment for a second opinion.

Finally, make sure when you go, you get a “blind” second opinion. This means you won’t tell them which dentist did the work or anything they said could be the problem. You want the accredited dentist to give his unbiased opinion without anything to sway him.

Best of luck.

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

Invisalign

Fixing a single front tooth

The tooth just to the right of my front tooth is crooked. It goes a little behind the other teeth. I’ve had one dentist say braces were my only option. Another suggested I just pull that tooth. I don’t like either suggestion, but given the choice between the two, I’d pick pulling the tooth. I have a last ditch effort to keep my tooth. Is there any chance Invisalign would work in my case?

Penny

Dear Penny,

Whatever you do, don’t let anyone pull the tooth. Your smile would never look right. Even if people didn’t know exactly why, an uneven number of front teeth will always look off.

You have two great options for straightening your tooth.

Option One: Invisalign

Invisalign aligner
Invisalign: The adult solutions to braces

Yes, Invisalign is an option for you. It used to be that it could only handle the ideal cases, but that is no longer true. Advancements in Invisalign have enabled it to take on more challenging cases these days.

It has an additional benefit as well. The aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. This will enable you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. It’s like getting a mini smile makeover.

Option Two: Porcelain Veneers

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

These are more useful if you want to change more about your smile. Porcelain veneers are the go-to procedure for total smile makeovers. It can simultaneously, change the shape, size, and color of your teeth.

While it won’t straight the crooked tooth the way Invisalign will, it will make your smile look completely straight.

One thing to be aware of is while any dentist who offers Invisalign can use it with equal skill, it takes an expert cosmetic dentist to do a beautiful smile makeover. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited. They can create a stunning smile for you.

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

Invisalign

Invisalign or porcelain veneers

I wanted to get Lumineers. I have a tooth which is a little crooked. Not enough for full orthodontic treatment. That’s why I was hoping to do Lumineers because I was told they could just go on top of my teeth. My dentist said I could do them, but would need Invisalign first for the crooked tooth. Are both really necessary? That’s more money than I was planning.

Katie

Dear Katie,

Invisalign aligner

Please bear in mind that I haven’t seen your case, but in general you would either do Invisalign or Lumineers, not both. There would be some exceptions in severe orthodontic cases. Based on what you’d mentioned, I don’t think that is your situation.

Let’s go over what you can do with each treatment and you will have an idea of which will most help you meet your smile goals.

Invisalign

These use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. No one will know you are wearing them, even at a conversational distance. That is why some people call them invisible braces.

They are more comfortable than traditional metal wire and bracket braces and usually work in half the time.

The aligners have the additional benefit of being able to double as teeth whitening trays. This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth simultaneously.

If all you feel your teeth need are a straighter look and whiter color, this method will save you thousands of dollars.

Lumineers

The first thing you should know is that Lumineers are simply one brand of porcelain veneers. Most expert cosmetic dentists prefer other brands. This is mostly because this brand is owned by the DenMat company, which requires dentists to use their labs. This lab is not known for skilled results.

Porcelain veneers, when done by a skilled cosmetic dentist can completely remake your smile. They can change the shape of your teeth, the size of your teeth, and the color of your teeth all at the same time. It is the go-to for celebrities trying to get that perfect Hollywood smile.

While it won’t straighten your teeth, it can make your teeth look straight.

Even without the need to make your crooked tooth look straight, doing a smile makeover is an advanced procedure. Your particular case requires a little more expertise.

If you want to go that route. I’d go to aacd.com and search for an accredited cosmetic dentist in your area. Dentists who’ve reached accreditation are the top cosmetic dentists in the country.

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