Tag: Bedminster NJ AACD dentist

Need porcelain veneers for tetracycline and fluorosis but insurance won’t cover it

My teeth are really in bad shape. I only smile around my family and close friends. I am 33 yrs old and this is really affecting my socially. I saw a cosmetic dentist last June and she told me that I have fluorosis AND tetracycline stains in my teeth. They can’t be bleached white. The only thing that will help is porcelain veneers. I finally found a solution so I called my dental insurance and spoke with a rep who said my dental insurance won’t cover it. I appealed to the senior rep and the supervisor but the insurance company won’t budge. I don’t expect them to pay for everything but they are contributing nothing toward veneers and my teeth look horrible. So it is up to me to find thousands of dollars to get my smile fixed. Do you know of any insurance companies that will provide benefits for veneers? - Niveah

Niveah - Dr. Hurley would have to examine your teeth to let you know your options. But if your teeth are stained from both tetracycline and fluorosis it is likely that you do need porcelain veneers.

Covering both types of stains with veneers will require significant skill and experiences from a highly trained cosmetic dentist. Many dentists make the attempt to cover the stains, but the stains still show through the veneers. Others make the veneers too thick, or the veneers look opaque and pasty—not like natural teeth that have translucence.

Dental insurance companies provide benefits for preventive care and restorative treatment, but not for cosmetic treatment, such as porcelain veneers. We strongly suggest that you schedule consultations with two or three accredited cosmetic dentists to discuss your options. Find out how each dentist uses veneers to conceal your stains and produce natural-looking results.

Choose dentists who offer financing or payment plans. Speak with the billing assistant at each office to help learn about financial arrangements that will make porcelain veneers affordable for you. Don’t give up. You will be able to get your smile transformed.

This post is sponsored by Bedminster, NJ dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

How do I find the top dentist for a celebrity smile?

How do I find the top dentist to help me determine if I need crowns or veneers? My dentist isn’t a cosmetic dentist but she suggested that I just get braces for my teeth. My teeth are twisted inward. Braces might be an option but I am not really interested in them. The other thing is that my teeth are smaller than normal adult teeth. I am 39 yrs old so there is no chance that the situation will improve. I don’t want just straight teeth. I want celebrity teeth. I am not the most attractive woman so I want my teeth to make up for my appearance. My dentist is trying to refer me to a colleague of hers who is a cosmetic dentist and graduated dental school with her, but I am worried that this is just the buddy system. The colleague might be a good dentist but I need some definite markers to help me choose the top dentist for the work that needs to be done to get my smile where I want it. Thanks much. Symone T.

Symone – Your concerns are valid. Although many dentists claim to be cosmetic dentists, not all of them have the training, skill, or artistic talent to produce the celebrity smile you want. In fact, very few dentists can produce that kind of smile. So you will have to do a little work to find the top dentist for your case.

In your search for the top dentist for your smile makeover, look for a cosmetic dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, or who has high credentials in another association for aesthetic dentistry. Have a few consultations with cosmetic dentists. Find out how long each dentist has been practicing cosmetic dentistry, and ask to see before-and-after photos of cases similar to yours.

Braces are one solution to aligning your teeth. A combination of braces and gum contouring may produce the results you want. But so can porcelain veneers. Veneers will not only perfectly align your teeth, but they will also perfectly shape them. Porcelain crowns require more aggressive preparation of your natural teeth, so they are not the preferred option.

Ask each dentist about the pros and cons of your treatment options. Compare each cosmetic dentist’s work, experience, and credentials. And then you can make an informed decision about the top dentist for the celebrity smile you want.

This post is sponsored by Bedminster, NJ accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

Why is my crown still sensitive to hot and cold?

I got a crown on a bottom left molar in April 2015, so soon it will be a year since I’ve had it. I didn’t have any problems with it for the first 2 months but after that it started feeling sensitive. Any time I eat or drink something hot or cold I get a tingling sensation in my mouth. If something is really cold it actually hurts. Also I have started to notice that if I have to chew something that puts a lot of pressure on it, it hurts. I have mentioned this to my dentist a couple of times and he did x-rays at first. He has adjusted it both times. It is still tingly, but it doesn’t seem that my dentist is really trying to figure out what is going on. Does anything I’ve described give clues about what might be happening with my teeth? Scott

Scott – At times, when a crown is first placed, the tooth nerve is irritated and can be sensitive for a few weeks. Longer periods of sensitivity indicate that there is another issue causing irritation. There are several possibilities.

A Sensitive Dental Crown - Possible Causes

One possibility is that you are grinding your teeth while you sleep. Your dentist can examine your teeth and look for signs of wear. A customized night guard can be made for you to wear at night. The night guard will cushion the effects of teeth grinding.

It is possible that there is a problem with your natural tooth beneath the crown. The crown can be removed to check the condition of the tooth. A root canal treatment may be needed.

Another less common factor is that some of the cement from the bonding material was left around the crown. It can cause inflammation, irritation, and sensitivity.

Schedule an appointment with your dentist for a thorough examination of your crown and tooth. If he or she is not able to find the cause of the sensitivity, consider getting a second opinion from an experienced cosmetic dentist. Properly trained cosmetic dentists are skilled in the placement of dental crowns. He or she will work to resolve the issue with the sensitivity in your crown.

This post is sponsored by a NJ Monthly Magazine Top Dentist—Dr. Allyson Hurley. She is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

 

How can I flick off my temporary veneers that were bonded on?

I am sick of trying to tell my dentist that my veneers aren’t right. This is the 5th set of temporaries I’ve had and he can’t get it right. We had a heated discussion on my last visit and I told him to worry about seeing me again because the veneers are a mess. That was kind of silly of me because the veneers need to come off. I want to know if you can tell me how I can flick of these temporaries that were bonded on? Thanks. Joél M.

Joél – We strongly recommend that you not try to take off your temporary veneers. Your frustration in trying to get the smile you want with porcelain veneers is understandable, but don’t take matters into your own hands.

Self-attempts to remove the veneers can result in damage to your tooth enamel or to a tooth itself. Leave the job to a skilled cosmetic dentist, because he or she has the tools and knows the technique required to remove the mock-up veneers. But don’t just visit any dentist to have the veneers removed. Take the time to do some research and find a highly trained, accredited if possible, cosmetic dentist.

A cosmetic dentist has artistic inclination and personally designs smiles for each patient. You can ask friends for recommendations or search online for an accredited cosmetic dentist, or a dentist who is a long-time member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Schedule a few consultations, ask each dentist about his or her training and credentials in cosmetic dentistry, and ask to see before-and-after pictures of porcelain veneers cases fully completed by the dentist.

Taking the time to find the right dentist for you will help you get the temporary veneers comfortably and properly removed, and give you the beautiful smile you want with porcelain veneers.

This post is sponsored by top NJ dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

 

Porcelain crowns or veneers?

How do you know if porcelain crowns or porcelain veneers will be recommended to restore your teeth? The answer depends on the condition of your teeth, the goals for your smile, your individual case, and the cosmetic dentist you choose.

  • Condition of your teeth – Are your teeth healthy, free from decay, and not worn down? Porcelain veneers cover only the front of your teeth and are bonded to healthy teeth. Teeth that are cracked, decayed, or badly down need to be protected with porcelain crowns.
  • Goals for your smile – Do you want a smile makeover, or to change the shape, size, alignment, or color of your teeth? These are things that porcelain veneers can accomplish for healthy teeth. They cover only the front of your teeth and require minimal tooth preparation. To accomplish these goals with porcelain crowns requires significant tooth reduction, because a crown covers the entire tooth from the gumline to the biting surface.
  • Your cosmetic dentist – After examining and taking diagnostic studies of your teeth, your cosmetic dentist may decide that a particular treatment will work best to restore your smile. The final decision is yours, though.
  • Your case – Every patient case is different. Porcelain veneers may work well for you, but porcelain crowns may be the preferred treatment for someone else. Budget may be a concern for some patients, and porcelain crowns are less expensive than porcelain veneers.

Be certain to find an experienced cosmetic dentist who takes the time to evaluate your case and anticipate the results you will get—in both function and beauty—depending on which treatment is used. You may consider getting more than one opinion. Be prepared to ask questions, take notes, and compare your options before deciding on a provider for your treatment.

Find an accredited cosmetic dentist. He or she has a proven history of creating beautiful smiles, even for difficult cases.

This post is sponsored by award-winning NJ cosmetic dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.

Cosmetic dentist totally messed up my teeth!

In August I got cosmetic bonding on two teeth that got chipped in a bike accident. As soon as the dentist finished and she let me look at my teeth, a) I noticed that the bonding was much whiter than my own teeth and b) the bonding was very lumpy. I complained right away but she told me it needed time to settle and to call for an appointment if it didn’t settle in two weeks. I called for an appointment and was scheduled for a month later! So when I went back to the office my dentist said that she had to take off the bonding and start over. Sounded like a good idea to me. So she got the bad bonding off and re-did it. Now the shape of my two teeth is completely different from how they looked originally and they look like they don’t belong with my other teeth. The color is better but not quite right. I actually had a good friend ask me what happened to my teeth. I cannot go back to this dentist. I am cutting my losses, money and all. I am done. How many times can a dentist chisel off bad bonding without messing up my own teeth? What should I do now? – Tia

Tia – Take the time to find an experienced cosmetic dentist in your area. If you are able, find an experienced cosmetic dentist who is also accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

The dentist will examine your dental bonding and let you know your options. It is likely that the bad bonding can be removed, your teeth can properly be prepared for the bonding, and new bonding can be applied. An experienced cosmetic dentist will have plenty of composite available to match your natural teeth. He or she also has the skill to sculpt the bonding so that it looks completely natural.

Don’t settle for anything less than an experienced cosmetic dentist.

This post is sponsored by Bedminster dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley.