I had a Lumineer put on a tooth that embarrassed me. It has falled off three times. The last two times my gums started bleeding. Can you help me know what is going wrong?
Jennie- Alvadore, Oregon
Jennie,
Lumineers, or any type of porcelain veneers, are bonded on with a special technique for bonding porcelain. Unfortunately, this type of training isn’t always taught in dental school, and has to be learned with post graduate continuing education for cosmetic dentists. Though I can’t be certain, because I am not present when your dentist is bonding your veneer, it sounds to me like he or she is unfamiliar with the proper technique for doing this. Once a veneer is bonded on, it should stay put for many years.
My suggestion to you is to look for another dentist who is qualified to place this properly. One of the ways to do this, is to look on the mynewsmile.com website. They check the educational qualifications and work quality of cosmetic dentists and recommend ones they feel are up to snuff. Dr. Hurley is a recommended dentist for New Jersey on their site. She has to verify her training and submit pictures of work she’d performed. Any dentist listed on that site would be more than capable of permanently placing your Lumineer.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.
I’m wearing Invisalign aligners. After just a few days they are really loose and i find it completely distracting. I’ve asked my dentist if I could just move to the next set, but he wants me to wear these loose aligners for two weeks. Is there an invisible adhesive I could use to keep them in more snugly while I wait for my 2 weeks to end?
Thanks,
Jennifer R. -Maumelle, AR
Jennifer,
What you’re describing doesn’t sound normal with Invisalign. The aligners should feel tight when you first put them on. As a matter of fact, they may not quite fit down all the way. Then, the teeth only take 2-4 days to move to their new position, and the rest of the two weeks is needed to give the teeth a rest period before the next movement. During this rest period, your body is busy remodeling the bone that supports your teeth. During this period, they should feel looser than at first, but not as loose as you’re describing. Though you could possibly use a denture adhesive, the first thing I would do is talk to your dentist and have him call the invisalign company. They may have encountered this before and have a fix for it.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic dentist Dr. Hurley.
My dentist says I need crowns on my front teeth. Will I still be able to play my trumpet?
Mark S.- Kansas City.
Mark,
What a great question. The answer is yes, IF they are done properly. The thickness and position of teeth not only affect your appearance, but your speech, your ability to sing, and your ease of playing an instrument. If they are not done properly, you may have to deal with a lisping or whistling sound. It is important you have your porcelain crowns ( or even porcelain veneers) done by an expert cosmetic dentist.
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I have about 11 missing teeth. Five are on the bottom and the rest are on the top. I can’t afford dental implants, but wondered if I could use a snap on smile? Do I have too many teeth missing? How much will it cost?
Wallace-Alabama
Wallace,
You can use Snap-On Smile with missing teeth if you have enough teeth to hold the appliance in place. It sounds like you might. The cost varies from dentist to dentist. The variations are based on how much time they spend with your smile design. I certainly wouldn’t go with the cheapest, because you want your new smile to look as beautiful as possible. Ask for pictures showing samples of their work.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.
I’m getting a new crown. My dentist said it won’t be ready for a little bit so I’ll need a temporary crown. I don’t want to pay for two of them. What is the purpose of the temporary one?
Jay J. – Fordyce, AR
There are several reasons why your dentist wants you to wear a temporary crown. Be assured it will not cost the equivalent of your permanent crown, so you are not paying for two. It is made of a less durable material and is less esthetic than an artistically shaped porcelain crown, which cuts down on the costs.
First, it will need to cover your tooth to prevent sensitivity. Once your dentin is exposed it can be quite painful. Sweets can be painful, but also cold, and even air. Covering the live dentin protects you from that painful sensitivity. Secondly, it is important the temporary crown both touches the teeth on either side of the crown and occludes with its opposing tooth. The reason for this is that without that contact the teeth will move between appointments and your crown won’t fit once you return.
I hope this helps you understand your dentist is trying to protect your mouth and investment, and isn’t just racking up unnecessary expenses.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic dentist Dr. Hurley.
First let me start by saying I absolutely love how I look with my new crowns. They make my smile so much more beautiful. The only problem I have is that it feels sort of gritty when my tongue touches them and it is driving me crazy. I’m used to the smoothness of my natural teeth. Is there anything I can do about this?
Gina L.- Wisconsin
Gina,
If your dentist put a glaze on your crowns, as he should have, there should not be that gritty feeling you’re describing. Porcelain crowns have a final layer baked on them that is a clear glaze and gives them a glass like finish that should feel as smooth as your natural teeth. One way to tell if this was done to your porcelain crowns is to dry the crown and try to write on it with a pencil. If you can leave a mark on your tooth, it did not get the final glaze.
Unfortunately it is too late to glaze it if that step was neglected once it has been placed. However, there are superfine diamond polishing products that can be used to make your crowns both feel and look as if they’ve been glazed. I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.
I recently had one of my wisdom teeth removed because of a cracked filling. My dentist has suggested I have the others removed as well, kind of as a preventative. Their fillings are fine, so I’m not sure I want to do that. What do you recommend?
Francis M.- Florida
Francis,
I rarely recommend an unnecessary tooth removal. If your wisdom have erupted properly, and it sounds like they have, I’d let them alone. Even if the fillings crack, there are other options. If you’ve had your fillings for a while they are probably amalgam (commonly called silver) fillings. These are mostly made of mercury, so some patients opt to have them replaced with mercury-free composite fillings. These are stronger than their amalgam counterparts and less likely to crack. This will keep you from another extraction. Not all dentists know how to do composite fillings, so you’ll want to find a qualified dentist.
This blog is brought to you by top New Jersey dentist Dr. Hurley.
I need some dental bonding done of my front tooth. I tripped and chipped the tooth on some cement. When I went to my dentist for a consultation, he did a mock up for me. I was so glad I did that before agreeing to the procedure. The bonding looked quite dull and yellow compared to my natural tooth structure. He said he would have to order a lighter shade of bonding material to get what I am wanting. I think he said the lightest he has is B1. I’m a little uncomfortable with him doing the procedure because even if he had matched the right shade, it would not address how completely dull and lifeless the bonding looked. The change in opacity made it look like he’d just glued something on the mock tooth. I wonder if I am being unreasonable with my expectations, but I’d like to have bonding done that looks like my tooth, which was quite beautiful before my fall.
Bella T. – St. Martin
Bella,
You are not being unreasonable at all! If your dentist cannot match the natural appearance of your tooth than he is probably not a qualified cosmetic dentist. There is not a recognized cosmetic dentistry specialty. As a result, any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. However, to truly be qualified as a cosmetic dentist it takes a lot of additional training. I tend to think of general dentists as mechanics. They can fix the problem. Qualified cosmetic dentists are artists. They will make your smile look astonishingly beautiful.
Based on what you have said, I think your dentist falls closer to the mechanic side of things. He can fix the chip, but it will not be beautiful. Here are some things to be aware of with your dental bonding. As you consult with another dentist, you can get an idea if he knows what he’s doing. The fact that the lightest shade he could get to was a B1 tells me he doesn’t do a lot of cosmetic work. Additionally, it is much more than just picking the right shade to get a tooth to look natural. I loved reading your concerns because you instinctively knew what your dentist didn’t.
In addition to having the right shade, your dentist will need various translucencies and surface gloss. He will use an inner body shade of composite, for which he will use a strong hybrid composite that will have some opacity to it. After that there are lighter and lighter shades built into the composite as you get near the incisal edge, with a translucent area right on the incisal edge. After all that is done, he will add a microfill that will have a high surface luster in order to mimic the appearance of enamel. A dentist who does that will give you bonding that looks as beautiful as your own tooth. As you can see anyone who just picks a shade and goes does not know what they are doing.
Another procedure you might be interested in is porcelain veneers.
This blog is brought to you by New Jersey Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.
I recently had two fillings done. I got the white fillings, though I usually get the silver ones. This time I’m having tooth pain after I get it. What should I do? I like the white fillings because they look so much nicer than the other ones, but I don’t want to be in pain all the time.
Susan K. from Utah
Dear Susan,
When composite (white) fillings are done correctly, they do not cause pain. Many dental schools are emphasizing placing amalgam fillings on back teeth, instead of composite. Your dentist may not have taken the additional training required to learn how to fill them properly. One way to tell if the pain is from your fillings, or from another issue, is when it hurts. Do you have pain when you clench your teeth, or only when you are chewing something? If you only have pain when you’re chewing, than it is probably your fillings. However, if you’re having pain when you clench your teeth, than it may be a bite issue.
If it does turn out to be your fillings, they can be re-done. It might be pointless to have them done by the same dentist if he doesn’t have adequate training, but you can always try. Maybe he’ll re-do them pro bono, because of his mistake. If you decide to go elsewhere to have them done, I would make sure you use a qualified dentist with plenty of experience placing them. One way to tell is a dentist has a lot of experience with composite fillings is if they are a mercury-free dentist. If so, that means they only do white fillings.
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I had some bonding done on my two front teeth about three years ago. They are now chipped and my dentist wants to do two crowns instead. I don’t want that much of my teeth ground away. Should I just get them re-bonded?
Lissel D. in Kansas
Dear Lissel,
Though I haven’t seen your case, I would not consider crowns the next best step if all that is wrong with them is the chipping. Porcelain crowns seem like an aggressive move. You could have them re-bonded, but seeing as they’re already chipping I’m not sure that is a great option for you. My suggestion would be porcelain veneers. There is very little tooth preparation needed, just some mild shaving. You cannot tell the difference in appearance between a shaved and unshaved tooth. In addition, veneers are very strong and durable. Hope this helps your decision.
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