Tag Archives: Teeth Whitening

Best Dentist in Lafayette

My Dentist Said I Can’t Get White Crowns

Years ago, I got ten dental crowns on my upper teeth for a smile makeover that need to be replaced. When I first got my smile makeover,  originally,  they’d talked me into a color that was darker than what I originally wanted. They said this was because it needed to look natural. I’ve always regretted letting them talk me into that color. Now that I’m getting them replaced, I’d like to remedy that. However, I’m running into a problem. My new dentist wants me to get a B1. Those are not much whiter than my original ones. I told him that I wanted them much whiter. He said that this is not possible because I have posts in my teeth which will show through if I get them too white.  Is that true?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,

woman with dentist

I don’t think you are with the best dentist for what you are wanting to do. He is confusing color with translucency. Having a crown whiter does not mean that it will be translucent. Those are completely separate factors.

If your post does not show through at a darker color, they will not show through on a super white color like BL1. However, you need an expert cosmetic dentist to do this well.

I know it will be tempting to just tell your dentist that you insist he give you the color you want for your dental crowns. However, if he doesn’t know how to do this properly, your smile will not end up looking right.

My suggestion is that you find a dentist with post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry so that he’ll know how to do it right. There are tons of cosmetic dentistry horror stories by people who let an unqualified  dentist do their work. The top cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited.

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

 

Zoom Whitening

Whitening Teeth Myself

I asked my doctor about why I couldn’t whiten my teeth using Clorox bleach and he gave me a whole litany of reasons. After he acted like I was an idiot and pretty much said so, he also added that dentists don’t use bleach like I was planning to but a peroxide bleaching gel. I was too embarrassed to talk to him any more about it. Now that I’m home, I’m wondering if I can use household peroxide to do the same thing? Please don’t tell me I’m an idiot. Just explain yes or no.

Carla

Dear Carla,

Person under a zoom whitening light
Patient Under Zoom Whitening Light

 

I’m glad you wrote. First, you should never suffer verbal abuse or condescension from a medical professional. I would like to gently suggest you look for a new dentist. Your question was not stupid and neither is the one you asked me. Rather, it shows an inquisitive mind trying to put together care for herself with the information she has.

While peroxide does whiten, what you get with a bottle you could purchase over-the-counter will not give you what you need. It is only 3%. What your dentist will use will be a minimum of 33%. However, the strength is not the only obstacle. The peroxide would need to stay on your teeth for a minimum of fifteen minutes to have an effect. The only way to keep that on your teeth with the home peroxide is to swish it around in your mouth for that length of time. That would be challenging to say the least.

Your dentist accomplishes this by using it in a gel and either putting it in teeth bleaching trays to keep it on your teeth or painting it on with Zoom Whitening.

A second consideration is the importance of being under the care of a dentist during the procedure. There have been cases where someone used an over-the-counter whitening product that is considered safe and still ended up needing a root canal treatment as a result of the whitening. The last thing you need is ending up with a dental emergency simply because you wanted a whiter smile.

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

Invisalign

Will Invisalign Work for Me?

I went to see an orthodontist about options in fixing my teeth. I was hoping to avoid braces altogether. I have some front teeth that are crooked. The orthodontist said that he tried Invisalign quite a few years ago and it did not work for the patients he tried it on. He’s recommending traditional braces. Is this my only option?

Caroline

Dear Caroline,

Invisalign aligner

I’m glad you wrote. No, it is not your only option. It sounds like your orthodontist only tried Invisalign when they first came out. In the beginning, Invisalign would only work on the most ideal cases. Since then, they have made great strides in being able to handle more cases. In fact, as of this post, Invisalign is able to treat all but the most complicated cases.

Orthodontists were trained in traditional braces. Not all of them are comfortable moving out of their original training. Plus, general dentists can provide Invisalign, which cuts into an orthodontist’s business.

You mentioned that you just had some front teeth that are crooked. Unless there is something extraordinarily unusual about your case, then Invisalign is a great solution for you. In fact, it even has a hidden benefit. The aligners can double as teeth whitening trays. You just need to ask your dentist to provide you with some professional strength teeth whitening gel. You place the gel inside your aligners at a time that is convenient to you.

This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time, giving you the equivalent of a mini smile makeover at a fraction of the cost that it would be if you did the two procedures separately. Even dentists who only offer Zoom Whitening can provide you with whitening gel for your aligners.

I hope this helps. Talk to a few dentists who offer Invisalign. This will give you more than one opinion about your particular case. Based on what you’ve described, I don’t think you are going to have any problems.

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

Zoom Whitening

Can Zoom Fix Dental Bonding

I have dental bonding that is really picking up stains. I asked my dentist for take home whitening trays to try to get them back to the whiteness they had. I know they can’t get whiter than they were originally made. But, my dentist told me that teeth whitening won’t get them to their color again. I know zoom whitening is stronger than your typical teeth whitening. Would that have more success? My dentist doesn’t have zoom so I don’t think he’d tell me if that would work.

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Someone using a Zoom Whitening Light

While Zoom Whitening is a bit stronger than the take home whitening, they both work on the same principles, so they will only whiten your natural tooth structure. Neither of them will have an impact on your dental bonding. There is a possibility if the stains are all surface stains that your dentist could polish them up a bit. However, if they are internal stains he won’t be able to do anything about those. Dental bonding is made with composite material, so they are not very stain resistant and you should expect to have to replace them every few years.

If you’re looking for something more permanent, you could look into porcelain veneers. They can last a lifetime and are more stain resistant than both dental bonding as well as your natural tooth structure. They can also change anything about your smile, including the shape, size, and color in order to give you a complete smile makeover. However, they are much more expensive than simply replacing your dental bonding.

Whichever you decide on, you’ll want to make certain that you have an expert cosmetic dentist do the work.

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

Invisalign

How Often Do I Have to See a Dentist With Invisalign?

My husband knows that I have always been embarrassed with my smile. For this year’s birthday, he told me that I could do anything I want with my smile to fix it. I’ve been looking at options and decided I want to get my teeth whitened and get Invisalign. It looks like I get new aligners every two weeks. So, my only hesitation is that I have six kids. Yes, I know what causes that. I’ve heard all the jokes so don’t bother. They’re all under the age that I can leave them home safely and babysitters for that amount of children are expensive, as you can imagine. Do you think the dentist will let me come less than every two weeks?

Tamar

Dear Tamar,

Invisalign aligner

You’ll find that Invisalign has a very high patient satisfaction rate, so I think you will be remarkably happy with your choice. I also have a couple of pieces of good news for you.

First, even though you switch out the aligners every two weeks, your dentist will give you two pairs of aligners at a time. That means you would likely only need to go in once a month. However, given your situation. I think as long as there are not any complicating factors with your case, if you explain things to your dentist, he may be willing to let you come in even less.

Second, the aligners you will use to straighten your teeth can also double as teeth whitening trays. This means you can straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. This will save you additional money because you will not need to have custom fitted teeth whitening trays made. Instead, you’ll just need your dentist to provide you with the whitening gel which you can wear in your Invisalign trays at your convenience.

Even dentists who only offer Zoom Whitening will be able to provide you with whitening gel to use.

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

Zoom Whitening

Lemons for Teeth Whitening

I want to whiten my teeth but I don’t want to wear those trays. I was thinking of using lemon to whiten my teeth. I’ve heard that is a good way to remove stains. Is there a special procedure to do this?

Helen

Dear Helen,

lemons

There are countless articles online about ways you can DIY your teeth whitening. I don’t know any of them that are safe. If you are looking for something that you can do over-the-counter, like a whitening kit, I would recommend Crest Whitestrips.

While it does work, it is much weaker than anything you would get from your dentist. However, this is even messier than trays because there is nothing to contain the gel and the strips will slip and slide.

I do not recommend using lemons to whiten your teeth. The main reason for that is because lemon is a citrus fruit. That means it contains citric acid. If you use something containing citric acid on your teeth, it causes damage to the enamel. At first they may look a little whiter because the acid will etch away those stains, but that etching will also take away the protection for your teeth, which means that the teeth will end up looking darker.

Years ago, there was actually an at-home kit that used citrus to whiten teeth. It would start with a slurry to put on the teeth, which did make the teeth look whiter. Soon, however, the patients found their teeth ended up darker. This didn’t last on the market long.

If you are drinking either a citrus drink or a soda (which also contains citric acid), it is important that you rinse out your mouth before brushing your teeth. Otherwise you end up grinding the acid into your enamel.

If you do not want to do at-home whitening with trays, there is an option to get your teeth whitened faster. In fact, you can whiten your teeth in just one appointment with Zoom Whitening. Not all dentists do this procedure, but I feel confident you won’t have trouble finding one.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.
Click here to learn about smile makeovers with porcelain veneers.

Sedation Dentist

Can I Really Wake Up with a Whole New Smile?

I was at my dentist’s office for a check up and mentioned to him that I was thinking about improving my smile. Honestly, I was just thinking about whitening my teeth, but he’s suggesting something completely different. He wants to crown all of my teeth for a complete smile makeover. He said I could even use dental sedation which means I could go to sleep and wake up with a whole new smile. I don’t know why I feel uneasy about the situation. Maybe it just sounds too good to be true to take a nap and get a prettier smile. What do you think?

Laura

Dear Laura,

Woman resting in dental chair from dental sedation

You have good instincts. Dental sedation is a wonderful tool to help patients with dental anxiety get the care that they need without fear. While it is true that you can completely sleep through your procedure, I would not recommend that for any type of cosmetic work. One thing that is important when it comes to a smile makeover is that you get to approve the work before it is permanently bonded on. You can’t really do that if you’re asleep.

If you were an extremely anxious patient, then I would say it is okay to use nitrous oxide. This way your dentist can turn the nitrous to oxygen and you will be lucid and ready to approve or disapprove anything. I can’t say I trust your dentist at this point. It’s not just the recommending sedation, which is a big red flag in this situation. It’s also that he is recommending crowning every tooth.

You just wanted to whiten your teeth, which (believe it or not) is done with a simple teeth whitening procedure. Even if you wanted a total smile makeover, what your dentist is recommending is a huge overtreatment. The typical procedure for a smile makeover is to get porcelain veneers, which does not require grinding down your healthy teeth. Plus, at the most you would only cover the teeth that are visible when you smile and use teeth whitening for the remainder so that they blend in naturally.

If a dentist is suggesting porcelain crowns for healthy teeth, it is a sign that they do not know how to do porcelain veneers. So, they’re pointing you toward a procedure they do know how to do. Unfortunately, knowing how to do dental crowns and knowing how to do a smile makeover are completely different skills. If they’re not skilled in porcelain veneers I would not expect a beautiful result.

My recommendation is that you get just the procedure you originally wanted. While it takes real expertise to do a smile makeover, any dentist can do teeth whitening. If you find a dentist who does Zoom Whitening, you can get your teeth whitened in just one appointment.

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

Invisalign

Do I Really Need Three Procedures for a Smile Makeover?

I hope to get a smile makeover. I thought it would just mean porcelain veneers. I have stained teeth and my two front teeth are a bit crooked. However, my dentist is suggesting that I get three procedures. First, Invisalign to straighten the crooked teeth, then, teeth whitening. Finally Lumineers, which he said are better because they do not need any tooth prep. Is all of this really necessary? I thought veneers could make teeth look straight.

Penelope

Dear Penelope,

Invisalign aligner

I am really glad you wrote. I’m concerned about the advice you are getting. While it is true that porcelain veneers can make teeth look straight, it actually takes an advanced cosmetic dentist to make it look right. I don’t think your dentist qualifies. He is suggesting Lumineers. This is a brand of porcelain veneers that is heavily marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists.

While a few smiles do okay without any tooth prep, most of them require some. Otherwise, the teeth will look bulky. I think this is why he is suggesting Invisalign. He doesn’t know how to make your teeth look right without the orthodontics.

This teeth whitening is okay and will actually save you money. Unless you want to get a porcelain veneer on every tooth, which would cost a fortune, you can get your teeth whitening first and then have porcelain veneers placed on the teeth that are visible when you smile. Because of the teeth whitening, the remainder of the teeth will will blend in.

However, I want to suggest something. You only mentioned that you had discolored and crooked teeth. You didn’t say anything about wanting to change the shape and size of your teeth. In that case, you can save a LOT of money by just having Invisalign and teeth whitening done. That will take care of both of those issues for you. In fact, Invisalign can double as teeth whitening trays. All your dentist has to do is provide you with professional strength teeth whitening gel to wear inside your aligners.

This means you can straighten and whiten your teeth at a fraction of the cost.

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

Zoom Whitening

Zoom Whitening for Tetracycline Stains

I talked to my dentist about solutions for my tetracycline stains. I cannot afford porcelain veneers and told him that. His suggestion is that I use Zoom Whitening because it is very strong. Before I get my hopes up about this solution, I wanted to get a second opinion. Do you think this is a viable solution for my smile?

Kelli

Dear Kelli,

Zoom Whitening Logo

I appreciate that your dentist is trying to find a solution for you that does not include porcelain veneers. He was sort of on the right track. If you are persistent enough, and I mean really persistent, then teeth whitening can greatly improve the look of your smile, even with tetracycline stains. It will not look as beautiful as porcelain veneers would when done by and expert cosmetic dentist, but it can make a big difference. The downside is that it will take many months.

Because of the amount of whitening necessary to make a real impact, I don’t think Zoom Whitening is your best option. It is more expensive than tray whitening and you will need so many treatments that it will not be cost effective.

My suggestion is that you have at-home tray whitening done. Your dentist will make you custom-fitted trays for your teeth and then can provide you with whitening gel that you will wear at your convenience. The longer you can wear them each day, the faster your teeth will whiten. It is much more affordable for you to keep purchasing new gel to put in the bleaching trays, than it will be to do additional Zoom treatments.

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

Invisalign

Do I Need Porcelain Veneers, Teeth Whitening AND Invisalign?

I am a bit confused. I thought that porcelain veneers could make teeth look straight and white. When I went to see my dentist about getting a smile makeover with porcelain veneers, he said I would need to get my teeth whitened first, next Invisalign, THEN I can get porcelain veneers. I really don’t understand why three procedures. The only thing crooked on my teeth is a slight overlap of my front teeth. I truly thought the porcelain veneers would take care of that. Do I need all three procedures?

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

Invisalign aligner

No, you should not need all three procedures. Two makes sense. The third does not. Which two you get will depend on your goals. If you are wanting your teeth to simply be whiter and straighter, then you would save a LOT of money by having teeth whitening and Invisalign. In fact, you could do both of these procedures at the same time. This is because the Invisalign aligners can double as teeth whitening trays.

If, however, you were wanting to change the shape or size of your teeth, then your best option is to get teeth whitening and porcelain veneers. You may be wondering why both? Most people’s smile is eight to ten teeth wide. If you cannot get that many porcelain veneers, you will want to whiten your teeth before getting the porcelain veneers so that the teeth can blend together more naturally. Most people do not place veneers on their bottom teeth unless they feel the need to change their appearance. In most cases, the will just whiten the bottom arch. You will not need the Invisalign in this case because a skilled cosmetic dentist can make those front teeth look perfectly straight.

So why is your dentist suggesting all three? The most logical reason is that he or she is not skilled enough to make the teeth look straight. If you want porcelain veneers, you will want to have an expert cosmetic dentist to do the procedure. If you decide to do Invisalign and teeth whitening, just about any dentist who does Invisalign can do both procedures.

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