June 2010 - Allyson K Hurley, DDS

Keeping Our Patients Safe

Dear Friends:
I am excited to announce that we are accepting new patients again. To insure that our patients and staff stay safe myself and the full staff have received the Covid-19 vaccination . We would like to ease your concerns about coming to the office.

Click here for our new office safety protocol

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

Archives for June 2010