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Can You Whiten Teeth to be as White as Eyeballs?

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I have a question that you will probably think is super weird, but I promise I have a good reason. Is there a way I could use teeth whitening to match my teeth to something like my eyeballs? I know, don’t laugh. But, I do need to know.

Harriet

Dear Harriet,

Teeth Whitening trays

I can’t promise I didn’t chuckle a little, but I love this question. In fact, it’s one of the most unique questions I’ve ever received. While it is possible to whiten your teeth to match the whites of your eyeballs, that would probably depend on how white they are. There are limits to what teeth whitening can do. One thing you you will find is that it is hard to get an exact match using that method because your teeth will continue to whiten for a week or two after you stop using the whitening gel.

If you are looking to get an exact match for something, then you would have better success with porcelain veneers. This can create a color match much more accurately. One thing to be aware of though is that while any dentist can do teeth whitening, porcelain veneers are an advanced procedure. It would require you to find a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. Dental school will not be enough.

The upside to veneers is they are what people use when they are looking for a complete smile makeover. It can change everything about your smile including the shape, size, and color. The downside is they are more expensive than teeth whitening. If you’re okay with getting it close and don’t want to change anything else about your smile then you can save money with teeth whitening. It all depends on what your goals are.

I hope this helps you.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Should I Restore All Of My Teeth?

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I went to my dentist in order to get a smile makeover. However, he is suggesting that I restore all of my teeth using dental crowns. I’m not sure about doing that with all of my teeth. I just wanted the ones you could see. It seems like a lot of money for teeth you can’t see that are healthy. What do you think about this situation?

Dustin

Dear Dustin,

An image of a porcelain veneer being held up to a tooth.

Please don’t go forward with this. What your dentist is wanting to do is known as a full-mouth reconstruction. This isn’t something that is used for a smile makeover. This is done either because your teeth are ground down to nubs or because you have serious TMJ Disorder. You mentioned neither of these.

Another concern I have is that you were just wanting a smile makeover. This is typically done with porcelain veneers. The fact that your dentist is suggesting a smile makeover with dental crowns tells me that he does not have training in porcelain veneers. Rather than tell you that, he is steering you toward a procedure that he does know. This means that he is unlikely to be able to provide a beautiful result for you.

There is something even more dangerous with this, too. Like a smile makeover, a full mouth reconstruction takes advanced post-doctoral training. While with cosmetic work, the training will focus on getting it to look natural and beautiful, with a full-mouth reconstruction, your dentist will need both the cosmetic training as well advanced training on occlusion (how the teeth meet together). There are countless horror stories on badly done full-mouth reconstructions that led to people having TMJ Disorder.

I do not think this is the best dentist for you. I want you to find a dentist who has post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry and provide you with porcelain veneers instead of dental crowns. You will not need them on all of your teeth either, just the ones that are visible when you smile. Though, they will likely suggest that you have teeth whitening done first. This way the lower teeth will blend in with the teeth that have the veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Dental Floss is Getting Caught Under My Porcelain Veneers

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I have a porcelain veneers and there is a problem with the dental floss getting caught under my porcelain veneers. My dentist said it is not a problem, but I am worried that my food is going to get caught there. Won’t that cause some problems with decay under the porcelain veneer?

Greta

Dear Greta,

Upper image: a veneer with proper contours. Lower Image: a veneer with a margin overhangI am glad you wrote. I strongly disagree with your dentist here. Based on your description, it sounds like you have a margin irregularity known as an overhang. When this happens it means that the dentist did not get a good impression of the teeth after they have been prepared for the porcelain veneers. The impression did not get an accurate record of the end of the preparation.

This causes problems for the lab technician who is creating the veneer based on both the impressions and the detailed instructions the dentist sends over. When done properly, the porcelain veneers will match the original contours of the teeth at the gumline. The inaccurate preparation of the impression means that the tech cannot create a smooth finish line between the tooth and the porcelain veneer.

If you look at the two images stacked on one another, the top image shows a smooth contour of the veneer against the tooth. The bottom image show one with an overhang. When you have an overhang, the porcelain veneer needs to be replaced. I believe the dentist should be willing to do this for free as it was their impression that caused the problem.

The Problems with an Overhang on Porcelain Veneers

You are correct that this could cause decay on your teeth, especially just under the margin. While that is a possibility, something that will definitely happen is irritation to your gums leading to gum disease. They will get puffy and then they will be come red and bleeding. Gum disease, when left untreated, can cause you to loose your teeth.

I would ask your dentist to replace the veneer with the overhang right away. If he or she is saying it is not a problem, feel free to show them this post. In the meantime, do your best to floss in that area very carefully.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.
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Should I Go to Costa Rica to Have These Dental Crowns Done?

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I need to get twelve crowns redone that I had for a smile makeover. I noticed I can get all twelve of them done for $6000 if I travel to Costa Rica. Is it possible to get close to that price in the United States?

Drew

Dear Drew,

Dental Crown Being Placed on a tooth

I am glad you wrote because you did something that could ruin your life. Here’s the deal with dental tourism. Sometimes it works and you save some money. However, in many cases, you end up with some serious problems.

Here are just some of things I have seen go wrong from people who have traveled to Central America for their dental care:

  • Their teeth became hypersensitive and hurt constantly.
  • Their crowns looked very pasty and fake.
  • The dentist used material that they were allergic too.
  • The porcelain in their crowns just started to chip away after they got home.
  • Their crowns fell off.
  • They ended up with a nasty infection. With one of those, it cost them part of their jaw.
  • They ended up needing a root canal treatment.
  • Their tooth broke off under the crown.
  • They ended up with TMJ Disorder because the crowns threw off their bite.
  • They lost the tooth that was crowned.
  • The crowns were placed in a way the negatively impacted their speech.

Sadly, this is not an exhaustive list. But, that is not the worst part. The worst part is that you have zero recourse. In most of those countries, there is little to no regulations that require the dentist to do any of the things that are required in the United States, including simple things like sanitizing their tools after each patient. Otherwise, it is completely up to the dentist. Many of those countries also have a corrupt government. One patient I know of made on online complaint about the dentist when she went to see another dentist who told her the work was criminally negligent. As a result, their government put out a warrant for HER arrest. She had to flee the country. Apparently, it is a felony in that country to speak against the reputation of a Costa Rican Citizen unless they have been convicted of what you’re saying about them.

As for getting care in the U.S. for a comparable cost, it is possible, but I would have serious questions about why that dentist is so much under the standard fee. It could be because they are new and trying to draw in new patients. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We all start somewhere. It could also be because they are terrible at their job and they have to keep drawing in new patients because they can’t keep their old ones.

I am a bit curious as to why the dentist who did your smile makeover used dental crowns. The standard for that is porcelain veneers because it does not require grinding down your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

How to Get a Cheap Smile Makeover

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I went to my dentist about my discolored teeth. He’s suggesting I do composite bonding on them to make them look better. I had a chip repaired with that once and the bonding does not quite match the rest of my tooth. I’m assuming it will match if he puts it over the whole tooth. The only thing I’m worried about is the dental bonding that I have is already stained and I’ve only had it for a few years. Does this mean I have to get it done again every few years? I was looking at porcelain veneers, but they are super expensive. Is there any way to get a cheap smile makeover that looks good?

Sammie

Dear Sammie,

Images before and after a dental bonding repair.

I would not have all of your teeth covered with composite bonding. As you noticed, it doesn’t last very long. Plus, if your dentist could not match the chip repair to the rest of your tooth, there is little chance that your smile makeover will look nice. I have some other suggestions for you instead. First, if the only thing wrong with your teeth is discoloring, then the easiest (and cheapest) treatment is to have teeth whitening done. Of course, you will have to have the dental bonding replaced.  I would not have that done by your dentist. If the first repair didn’t match the tooth, the next one is not likely to either.

Directly above is a picture of a chipped tooth repair done correctly. You can see that there is no way to tell the difference between the dental bonding and the rest of the tooth. This is what a correctly done bonding repair would look like. You will want to have the teeth whitening done first. This is important. That way the dental bonding replacement can be made to match your new, shiny white teeth. This is the way I would recommend getting your smile upgraded if the only thing wrong with your teeth is the discoloration.

Complete Smile Makeover

If there are other things about your smile that you want to change, then porcelain veneers are the way to go. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth all at the same time. As you mentioned, this is not cheap. If do decide you want this, I would not try to find the cheapest dentist. I would try to find the best dentist. What you’ll want to do is save up for it. When well taken care of, porcelain veneers can last your lifetime.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

How Can I Get REALLY White Teeth?

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I went to my dentist asking about teeth whitening. He does not do the procedure himself but told me that Crest Whitestrips work. I’ve been using them for a while now. While I can tell they are making a small difference. It is very small. I’m looking for a way to get my teeth very white. Is there another product that will do that?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,

teeth bleaching trays

Teeth Bleaching Trays

I am glad you wrote. While your dentist is correct that the over-the-counter product, Crest Whitestrips, will whiten your teeth, as you have experienced it does so very slowly. This is because any product you can purchase over-the-counter cannot be very strong for safety reasons.

There are two ways to get really strong teeth. The first is professional teeth whitening. When you have your teeth whitening done, you are under the care of a medical professional who keeps an eye on things. That allows you to get a much stronger gel, which you give you faster results.

A second option is to get porcelain veneers. These are generally used for a complete smile makeover. It’s what all those film stars use in Hollywood. The big benefit to these is that they can change more than your color. They can also remake the size and shape of your teeth, which can completely remake the character of your smile. This is a much more expensive procedure than teeth whitening. You should also be aware that though just about any dentist can do the teeth whitening procedure with no problems, it takes post-doctoral training for a dentist to be able to do porcelain veneers.

The good news is that nothing will get your teeth whiter than persistence using teeth whitening trays. It’s okay that your dentist does not do the procedure. For this, you can go to another dentist to have the whitening done and then return to your dentist for your general dental work.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

 

Can I Get a Functional and Beautiful Smile?

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I had a full-mouth reconstruction done because of a combination of both tetracycline stains and the fact that I sometimes grind my teeth. While the new teeth look okay, my mouth has been hurting ever since. I can’t tell what the problem is but it hurts the most when I bite down to chew. I’ve been back to the dentist who did the reconstruction and he said everything looks fine to him. I don’t know what to do at this point and I’m barely eating. Is it possible to get a beautiful smile that still functions well and doesn’t hurt?

Lacey

Dear Lacey,

Woman holding her jaw from TMJ pain

I am sorry this is happening to you. I’m curious as to the shape your teeth were in before the full-mouth recontruction. If there was nothing wrong with your teeth with the exception of the tetracycline stains, I am confused as to why he used dental crowns instead of porcelain veneers. If there was minor damage from teeth grinding, then wearing a mouth guard would help with that, even with the porcelain veneers, which are the typical treatment for a smile makeover.

As for the dental crowns, if your mouth hurts when you bite down, then everything is NOT fine. You can get a beautiful and functional smile, however in order to do that you need to see a dentist who has training in both cosmetic work as well as neuromuscular dentistry. This would include training in TMJ Disorder.

I think you will need to get a second opinion on your reconstruction case. It could be as simple as some of the crowns are sitting too high. However, it could be more serious. A full mouth reconstruction is one of the most advanced porcedures a dentist can do. If he or she doesn’t have the right training, then it can completely throw off your bite leading to painful TMJ disorder.

When you get your second opinion, you will be better served if you make sure it is from a dentist who has the right training. I would look for someone who has training from one of the following institutions:

  • The Pankey Institute
  • The Los Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Dawson Institue

They can give you the right diagnosis for what is wrong with your reconstruction, as well as make any necessary repairs.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

What are the Best Materials for Implants and Crowns?

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I am getting a smile makeover, which will probably include at least eight dental implants on my upper arch. I am trying to do my homework ahead of time and have some questions. First, as far as implants go, are the Astra Implants from the UK reliable?  I also wondered if zirconium was okay for crowns. I did read that porcelain fused to metal can leave a black line, but wanted something strong. I’m worried zirconium will be clear colored, though. Any help you can give will be appreciated, my appointment is coming up fairly soon.

Valerie,

Dear Valerie,

An assortment of titanium and zirconia dental implants.

 

I am glad you are trying to do research. However, I would like to steer you in a different direction. The most important thing to research is the dentist doing your dental implants procedure. That has a much greater impact on your result than the materials used. Before we get into what to look for, I want to ask you a question. You mentioned that the reason for your dental implants was a smile makeover. However, unless the teeth needed to be extracted, that is a gross overtreatment. The typical procedure for a smile makeover is porcelain veneers which hardly removes any tooth structure. A dental implant requires you to lose the entire tooth.  I just want to make sure the implants were necessary before you go through with this.

Dental implants are quite an advanced procedure. So advanced, however, that dental school is not enough training. It takes significant post-doctoral training to be able to do this the way it needs to be done. There is no way you can learn enough about the materials in the time you have. Plus, so much of it will also depend on your specific case. Look for a dentist with implant qualifications. As for the zirconium. That will be white, not clear. I hope that puts your mind at ease.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

 

Trying to Figure Out This Smile Makeover

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Can you help me figure out what is necessary for my smile makeover? I want to get porcelain veneers. My dentist said that I’ll need to get my teeth whitened first, which seems odd to me because the veneers should change the color, right? The other question I have is he wants me to get Invisalign first as well because I have one front tooth that is a bit crooked. I really just wanted the porcelain veneers. Is that possible?

Cadance

Hi Cadance,

porcelain veneer being held up near a tooth

I am glad you wrote. Your dentist’s advice here is about 50/50. His recommendation for teeth whitening before getting your porcelain veneers done is solid. It is actually to save you money. Most people cannot afford to get a porcelain veneer placed on each and every tooth. What you don’t want is part of your smile to look beautiful and white from the porcelain veneers and the others to look dingy and stained. That ends up making your veneers look fake.

So, unless you are planning on getting a porcelain veneer on every tooth, getting teeth whitening done helps the natural teeth to blend in with the veneered teeth, giving you a smooth, natural looking smile makeover.

The Invisalign is completely unnecessary in your case. A skilled cosmetic dentist can make a slightly crooked looking tooth appear straight when he plans your smile makeover. This begs the question “Is your dentist a skilled cosmetic dentist?” If he doesn’t know how to make that took look straight, then I would say he is not.

You will be better served getting your smile makeover done elsewhere by someone who does have the technical skills and artistry to give you a smile you will be proud of. I highly recommend looking at a dentist’s smile gallery to see if they can deliver the type of results you are looking for. If they do not have a smile gallery that is a red flag. Move on.

The other thing to look for is some type of beautiful smile guarantee. This means that your veneers are tried on with a temporary paste and you get to see them up close and in various lightings before approving them. If there’s something you want changed, the dentist should be willing to change that before any permanent bonding is done.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Concerned About My Porcelain Veneer Repair

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A couple of weeks ago I had some porcelain veneers placed. While I was there everything looked fine. However, when I got home I noticed a small horizontal scratch across one of them. I could even feel it with my tongue. I went directly back in and showed them. They got the dentist who said he could fix it right then. He sat me in a chair and smoothed it out, which was his description of the repair. I looked and couldn’t see the scratch and everything felt normal with my tongue so went home satisfied. Now I am noticing that the area he repaired seems duller than the rest of the tooth and I’m wondering if the fix could have changed the color at all. Should I be worried about this? I paid a lot of money for this smile makeover.

Beatrice

Dear Beatrice,

porcelain veneer being held up near a tooth

It sounds like when your dentist buffed out the scratch, he did it by removing the glaze on the veneer. This needs to be repaired as quickly as possible. It is the protective glaze that protects your porcelain veneers from picking up stains. Left the way it is, that area of your tooth will soon be a completely different color than the remainder of your smile.

Because he caused the damage, he needs to make this right. Generally, when this happens, the repair is simple, but it does require some technical knowledge and equipment that includes using a diamond polishing paste. Because he didn’t use this in the original repair, I suspect he does not do a lot of cosmetic dentistry and will not know how to do the repair this way.

In that case, you are better off asking him to simply replace the porcelain veneer. That should be easy to do because he already has the instructions ready from when he did it last time. Don’t put off calling him about this. The longer it stays this way the more stains the veneer will pick up and he may even try to blame you for it. Calling him now connects it with his repair.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.