Dr. Allyson Hurley's Blog

I had porcelain veneers placed on my two front teeth around 20 years ago because of white calcium deposits on my teeth.  Lately, it seems like my teeth are getting darker and darker. It’s most obviousit is in pictures I see of myself. It’s really starting to bother me. What are my options?

Thank you,
Keith from Salt Lake City

Dear Keith,
I wouldn’t know for sure what the problem is with your porcelain veneers and your two front teeth without seeing them, but maybe I can still be of help.

Porcelain is a very hard and stain-resistant material.  It is actually more stain resistant than enamel… as long as its glaze is intact. But enamel has a certain capacity for self-repair by drawing minerals from your saliva. Porcelain isn’t able to do that.  All of this makes me  wonder if the glazed surface of the porcelain has been damaged in some way.

The easiest way to damage porcelain veneers like this is for a dental hygienist to use power polishing equipment on them. That will destroy the glaze in one short appointment. They’ll look bright and clean when you’re through with your appointment, but within a couple of weeks afterward they’ll begin to attract stains and start to become noticeably darker.

If they are darkening because the surface has been damaged, it may be possible to restore the beauty of your smile with sophisticated polishing techniques using diamond grit polishers.  An issue like this is beyond the ability of a family dentist. You’ll want an experienced cosmetic dentist like myself to administer this procedure.

Dr. Hurley

Counseling has finally helped me overcome my bulimia, and I’m glad for that… but my teeth have been ruined !  They are about half  their healthy size, and in the front they no longer touch. They are also severely chipped because they’ve gotten so paper thin. My teeth also do not fit well where they do still touch.  Also, the right side of my jaw protrudes out an inch every time I open my mouth to bite or chew. I’m pretty sure this is causing severe headaches for me on top of everything else.

I’d like to see a cosmetic dentist to improve my smile and the performance of my bite.
- Stacy from Oregon 

Stacy,

First of all,  congratulations on overcoming your disease. You have made truly great strides, and the worst is behind you.  I anticipate things will just get better and better for you from this point on.

Bulimia is an appearance issue as far as your teeth are concerned. When there is very little tooth structure left, you need to have bonding technology used to restore your smile because standard cementation techniques may not be strong enough to hold crowns on your teeth.

And yes, your headaches are most likely caused by a TMJ disorder, which comes from your bite discrepancy. One other piece of good news is that most expert cosmetic dentists are also fairly well trained in treating TMJ disorders, which requires restoring your bite to it’s normal state.  But brace yourself – you are probably facing needing  porcelain crowns on most if not all of your teeth.  But the end result, if you go to the right dentist, will be a beautiful, radiant smile.

- Dr. Hurley

When I was a baby I was given medicine that caused a gray discoloration to my teeth. My dentist applied bonding to fix this issue, but now it’s chipping and dulling. Is there any type of whitener that I can use? I just can’t afford veneers right now.

- Pam from Tulsa

Dear Pam,

This discoloration is from tetracycline. When children are given tetracycline around the age of 12, when the adult teeth are forming, it will build up in the dentin. This is what causes the gray or dark brown stains, known as tetracycline stains. And the deeper the tetracycline penetrates the teeth, the darker the stains become.

Be sure to carefully select the right dentist for treating these stains. You’ll want to look for a dentist who has cosmetic dentistry experience, and who knows how to mask tetracycline stains.

Porcelain veneers are the most effective method, but if this is not in your budget, then your existing dental bonding may work. Here are your two best options:

1. As long as the bonding was applied over your intact enamel, then your dentist can remove the bonding with sandpaper disks. Many states allow dental hygienists to perform this procedure, so you may want to check into this to help save you money. After the bonding has been removed, start using a home tooth whitening system. You’ll need to use the strongest bleaching gel that you can endure, so you will need to get this from your dentist. Then, apply the bleaching gel every night for at least two months. Your teeth won’t look as nice compared to having porcelain veneers but by whitening them you will improve their appearance. Make sure to avoid any over-the-counter whitening systems, because the gel won’t be strong enough to work on tetracycline stains.

In office treatments such as, Zoom whitening, KöR whitening, or laser tooth whitening are much stronger and quicker bleaching techniques, but they can be quite costly if money is tight for you. These whitening procedures require many visits to the dentist.

2. If  you find that some of your enamel has been removed before the bonding was applied, then you should set aside some money and have a cosmetic dentist place eight to ten porcelain veneers on your teeth. For now, get a dental professional to smooth out the existing bonding on your teeth. Porcelain veneers will cost you roughly 10% to twice the amount of having dental bonding done, but it will last much longer and look great the entire time. 

Best of luck to you!

Ever since I had my porcelain veneers placed on my teeth I have been experiencing a salty taste in my mouth. This is bewildering to me. Could this be from my new porcelain veneers?

Sarah from Ohio

Dear Sarah,

You should not be experiencing a salty taste from your new porcelain veneers. In a normal porcelain veneer placement process there is nothing that would have this kind of result. You should give your dentist a call to see if there was something unusual that was used during the procedure.

Click to learn more on Lumineers, which are a particular brand of porcelain veneers.

I would like to improve my smile by fixing the spacing between my teeth. I’m looking for quick and affordable way to make my teeth look straight. I really can’t afford costly cosmetic dentist work. What is your opinion of the Snap-On Smile appliance?

Shelly from Utah

Shelly,

If you’re looking for a temporary and inexpensive way to improve the appearance of your smile, then the Snap-On Smile appliance will work. Most dentists should be able to do this for you since it only involves taking an impression of your teeth and choosing a color shade and smile design. Then the dentist will send it New York to be created in the laboratory.

I believe the appliance will cost you between $1000 and $1500 as opposed to this same price for just one porcelain veneer. This appliance should last you anywhere from 3 to 5 years if worn daily, and then you can pop it when you don’t want to wear it.

Another affordable and longer lasting alternative to the Snap-On Smile is a technique called direct tooth bonding, but you would need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist who has artistic ability for this. Direct tooth bonding involves adding tooth-colored composite to both sides of your teeth where you want to correct the gap. Although, using this method depends on how many gaps you have between your teeth because direct tooth bonding should not be used for complete smile makeovers.

If you would like to learn more about complete smile makeovers, visit our porcelain veneers web page.

Not long ago, I had chipped my two front teeth that left a gap between them in the form of a V. When I went to my dentist I was told that he could repair the gap by doing a dental bonding procedure. Now that the procedure is complete, I can see where the bonding material has been applied, and I still have a gap between my teeth. While this procedure has made an improvement in my appearance, I am still not satisfied with the results. Is there anything I can do about this? Is this bonding process reversible?

 Karen from Ontario

 Karen,

 Fortunately, tooth bonding can be reversed by sanding these teeth down to the enamel with special sandpaper that most dentist should have.

 Once the material has been removed from your teeth, I highly recommend that you find a qualified cosmetic dentist, one who has had additional post-graduate training in this procedure. While dentist tend to be good technicians, they do not have an a artistic skill to do this type of work. Direct bonding takes a very special skill since it is done freehand. If the work is done right, you will be quite pleased with the results. When searching for a well-qualified cosmetic dentist to do the work right, look for one who is accredited in cosmetic dentistry by the American Academy of Cosmetic dentistry.

Over the last twenty-five years I have had an ongoing battle with bulimia. At last I finally feel like I have a grasp on this illness after having many years of intensive counseling and belonging to support groups. As a result of my illness, I now fear my teeth have been damaged beyond repair. I can no longer bite or chew correctly, because my teeth have worn down to almost nothing and many of them have chipped apart from being so thin.

Eating has also become difficult because of my damaged teeth and my jaw is even misaligned.  As a result of this damage, I suffer from terrible pain and I get headaches when opening my mouth to bite or chew.

I’m considering finding a cosmetic dentist to fix my jaw and improve my smile. Can something still be done for me?

- Sheri from Washington

Sheri,

I commend you for overcoming your eating disorder. As time goes on your life will improve more each day.

You’ve made a wise choice to consider a cosmetic dentist to help you with your jaw and teeth problems. Cosmetic dentists are highly trained in treating severe cases such as yours resulting from Bulimia. If your teeth have worn down to paper thin, this may require dental bonding technology to repair them. Crowns may also be a necessity, but they may not hold on your severely worn teeth since the conventional cementation techniques may not have the strength to secure them.

You also mentioned your bite is now misaligned and that you suffer from severe jaw pain and headaches when opening your mouth to chew or bite. These symptoms may be caused from TMJ disorder, so you will need to find a good dentist who can restore your bite. When searching for a cosmetic dentist be sure to look for one who also has extensive experience in treating TMJ disorders.

This will be extensive work that you will need to have done since you will more than likely require crowns on nearly all your teeth, so I’m glad you realize that you should find an experienced cosmetic dentist. I wish you all the best in overcoming these challenges.

New Jersey Monthly Magazine recently listed Dr. Allyson Hurley among their illustrious list of “NJ Top Dentists of 2009“. This list is compiled through a survey of New Jersey dentists, and so inclusion is truly an honor, as it is a nod of respect from her peers.

This blog will include news and information from Dr. Hurley about cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry.