cosmetic dentist Archives - Dr. Allyson Hurley's Blog

Excellent Dental Bonding

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.

How easy is it to detect a cracked tooth when reading an x-ray?

How easy is it to see a cracked tooth from an x-ray? After having two full mouth x-rays from two different dental offices within a month apart, neither set of x-rays detected my cracked tooth. Then I went to another dental office for a third opinion, and that dentist referred me to an Endodontist. After the Endo took x-rays, he told me that my tooth was cracked, and that I needed a root canal immediately. How did the other two dental offices miss seeing the cracked tooth in the x-rays? Is it normal for x-rays and/or dentist to miss identifying cracks in teeth?

Peter from Roswell, NM

Peter,

To answer your questions, it is extremely difficult to distinguish a cracked tooth on an x-ray. If the x-ray is not taken at the precise angle of the crack in the tooth, it will not show up. My belief is that the endodontist didn’t see the crack either. He probably saw evidence that suggested the crack in your tooth.

This has happened to me personally. I had two molars that needed root canal treatments due to cracks developing in them. These cracks did not show up in my x-rays either.

Read more about fractured or cracked teeth are repaired here on my website.

Can my dental bonded teeth be whitened?

Dr. Hurley,

My two front teeth have were bonded about 13 years ago, and now they should be replaced. And unfortunately I don’t have the money to do this right now. From what I understand, bleaching doesn’t change color to bonding. But can I at least bleach the bonding back to its original color, and will white strips help with this?
- Anna from Washington State

Anna,

Sorry, but teeth bleaching will not get your dental bonding any whiter.

It will just make it look worse. Reason being, it will whiten your natural teeth even more, and it won’t lighten the bonding.

Polishing can the bonded teeth can help though. If the bonded teeth are discolored from external, and not internal stains, meaning, then it is possible that the discoloration could be polished away by and experienced cosmetic dentist. Otherwise, you would need to replace the bonding.

If money is tight, then you should wait to do this. Don’t bargain shop for cosmetic dentistry, especially when it comes to dental bonding. This procedure requires artistic talent to make your teeth look right. Most dentists don’t even have the materials or talent to do this correctly.

Will antibiotics help my tooth infection?

Dr. Hurley,

About four years ago, I had a root canal. I never had the cap or filling put in, because I lost my job. Since then, I’ve been using a store bought filling. There have been times I’ve gone without the filling for a few days or so, and now it feels like I have an infections. Can you tell me what antibiotics I can take to get rid of the infection? I don’t want to go to the dentist if I don’t have to.

Troy from Lansing

Troy,

Avoid taking antibiotics until you see a dentist. And you really do need to see a dentist for this. It’s possible that you may not need antibiotics for your tooth infection.

When a tooth is extracted, that normally eliminates the entire source of the infection, so it should go away.

Antibiotics are very helpful, but if they are taken excessively, they will breed bacteria. And these bacteria will be resistant to the antibiotics, which will interfere with treatment if not used correctly.

Read more about preventative dental care here on my website.

What is the best method for fixing my crooked tooth?

Dr. Hurley,

I’ve been searching for a good dentist to straighten my crooked tooth. My tooth next to my right front tooth is crooked and pushed back. I know there are a couple options, braces or possibly Invisalign, but I’m not sure which I would be a good candidate for. Are there any other options? Should I just have the tooth pulled?

Leslie from Sedona, AZ

Leslie,

Most of the time Invisalign will work for adults who have crooked teeth, but another option is to have porcelain veneers placed on your teeth. If you want to straighten your tooth right away, then porcelain veneers is the best and quickest approach.

Some dentists my offer extracting that tooth as an option, but I don’t advise you to do this. This will cause you to have an uneven number of front teeth, which will not improve your smile. Your front teeth include a combination of different shapes, and you have some options to making them look straight. But one thing you want to make sure of is that your smile remains symmetrical by keeping all six teeth.

Learn more about the methods for straightening teeth, and see patient photos of these procedures on my website.

Can my son get a fever from a tooth infection?

My son’s dentist told me that infections in mouths can’t cause fevers. Is this correct? Can you please tell me if this is or is not true? This dentist did not want to take the time to explain why or why not.

Sincerely, Becky from Tulsa

Dear Becky,

It seems that there is a bit of miscommunication here. Infections in the mouth most certainly can cause fevers. For that matter, infections anywhere in the body will cause the body to go into defense mode, which can potentially cause a fever. My advice is to have regular check-ups and cleanings to prevent from having infections.

Perhaps your son’s dentist was trying to convey that dental infections may not cause significant fevers. Although, most of the time they don’t.

Often times, an infection is will remain just within a tooth, and the body will contain the infection, to keep it under control so that there is no obvious infection. As a result, fevers don’t normally occur due to a tooth or gum infection. Mind you, I’m not completely ruling out the possibility.

Tooth infections can sometimes cause a person to feel run down though. I’ve observed this with many patients. Also, when a child’s teeth begin cutting, a fever can sometimes occur. Dentists who really care about their patients will take the time to explain these things.

This blog sponsored by New Jersey dentist Dr. Allyson Hurley