Archive for the ‘Porcelain Veneers’ Category
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Does the cement color affect the look of the veneer in certain shades? I had 10 A1 veneers put on 8 years ago with an A2 cement. Then I had a chip on the front tooth and the dentist put an A1 veneer with a clear cement and it doe! sn’t match in darker shades. The one tooth is lighter.
What should I do?
- Jim in Michigan
James,
Yes, the cement color affects the porcelain veneer.
But your problem isn’t that simple. If you ask two different laboratory technicians to produce an A-1 porcelain veneer, unless they collaborate with each other, they are going to look slightly different. Every tooth has multiple colors. And if all the dentist told the technician was “A-1″, that isn’t sufficient. You need a dentist with enough training in color to create a complete color map, and then to know how to try in the porcelain veneer and check the color before it is bonded. Matching a single front tooth is very demanding, especially with a thin porcelain veneer.
Find an expert cosmetic dentist. There’s a website, mynewsmile.com, that recommends cosmetic dentists who can do beautiful smile makeovers. Check out their list of recommended cosmetic dentists. They will know how to take care of this for you.
Dr. Hall
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Sunday, February 28th, 2010
I just had a smile makeover done, and while I am thrilled with the results, I am a little uncertain about some of the choices my dentist apparently made. I thought my dentist said that she was going to use porcelain veneers, but now that I have had a chance to really look at my new teeth, I can see that the porcelain goes all the way around my tooth. Isn’t that a porcelain crown?
Have you heard of using crowns instead of veneers? I had another dentist take a look at the work, and he was quite impressed and said that it was normal to use porcelain crowns instead of veneers. What do you think?
Gloria in South Philadelphia
Dear Gloria,
It is indeed quite common to use porcelain crowns instead of veneers, especially on your highly visible front teeth. In fact, the difference between a porcelain veneer and a porcelain crown is a matter of degree—there is no definitive line between a crown and a veneer.
That being said, I would have expected your dentist to provide you with a detailed treatment plan before treatment. If she did so, and what she did is actually different from what the plan stated, I would ask why. There are several reasons I can think of that would indicate the use of crowns as opposed to veneers, such as existing fillings in the affected teeth or a need to alter your bite.
Most cosmetic dentists will always elect to go with the most conservative treatment in an effort to preserve as much of your natural tooth structure as possible. Crowns require a reduction of the entire tooth, whereas veneers can be placed with only a small amount of shaving. Ask your dentist to explain to you why she chose to go with the more aggressive form of treatment.
Posted in Dental Crowns, Porcelain Crowns, Porcelain Veneers | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
I have eight porcelain veneers on my upper front teeth that are twenty years old. They don’t look that great, they aren’t as white as I would like, and I don’t like the shape. I don’t think the dentist who originally did them was experienced in veneers at all. As I recall, he removed a lot of my existing enamel before he placed them. How difficult/expensive will it be to remove these old veneers and replace them? What kind of result can I expect?
- Tracy from California
Tracy,
Replacing your existing porcelain veneers is pretty much the same process as getting them in the first place, and will cost about the same. In California, expect to pay about $1200 to $2000 per tooth.
Since the veneers are bonded tightly to your teeth, they have to be shaved down and prepared just as if they were enamel. It isn’t even absolutely necessary that all the old porcelain be removed, but generally we like to remove any old restorative materials. There are special techniques that experienced cosmetic dentists use to selectively remove old restorative materials without having to remove tooth structure.
But this time go to a truly artistic cosmetic dentist. I’m sorry that you have been disappointed all these twenty years with how they have looked. But a good 98% of dentists simply aren’t artistic enough to create a beautiful smile. When you get them re-done, expect to be excited about how they look before you pass off on them. If you go to a truly artistic cosmetic dentist, that will be the case. And twenty years from now, you’ll still have a stunning smile.
Good luck.
Other links:
Read about Seattle Lumineers
Dr. McKay has a special interest in dental work for people with bulimia.
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Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Two years ago, I got Lumineers on my top teeth. At the time, I did not have the money to fix the bottom ones, so I just left them alone. Now I want to bleach my teeth, but am not sure what that will do to my Lumineers. Thanks for your help.
Taryn in South Fork
Dear Taryn,
Are you looking to bleach just your bottom teeth, or both the bottom and the top? If you are hoping to make both your natural bottom teeth and your Lumineers whiter, I am afraid you are in for a disappointment.
Your bottom teeth will certainly respond to the bleaching process. Check out our page on Zoom Whiteningto read more about what is involved with that procedure. That being said, teeth whitening procedures will do nothing to change the color of your Lumineers. They are as white now as they are ever going to get, so I hope they are a color you like. This is true not just of Lumineers, but of all brands of porcelain veneers. Bleaching will not harm them, but it also will not whiten them.
If you were coming into our office to get Lumineers or some other brand of porcelain veneers, we would advise you to chose the shade you want to wind up with, rather than trying to match the shade of your lower teeth. Hopefully your dentist has done the same, and now the bleaching process on your lower teeth will make them closer to the color of your Lumineers.
I hope you wind up with the result you want!
Posted in Lumineers, Porcelain Veneers, Tooth Whitening, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
I have a few teeth with receding gums. Can lumineers be made to cover up the exposed gums also if I have my teeth covered by lumineers?
- Jeri from Missouri
Jeri,
You have to be very careful about what dentist you will allow to do this, but with a highly artistic dentist, yes, you can use porcelain veneers to cover your teeth and make them look more natural when you have receding gums. When done right, your smile can be made to look more youthful and it won’t appear like you have receding gums. But it’s a situation where the cosmetic dentist needs a lot of experience with smile makeovers and a strong sense of artistry to be able to create a natural-looking result, because the exposed roots have to be camouflaged, long teeth have to be made to look shorter, and the dark triangles that usually occur with receding gums have to be dealt with.
And you asked about Lumineers, but I answered with the more generic term of porcelain veneers. Lumineers is a particular brand of porcelain veneers, and I believe there are better brands. So don’t get hung up over the brand name. In fact, I would stay away from dentists that promote themselves as “Lumineers” dentists. Most expert cosmetic dentists don’t like to use the Lumineers laboratory because it’s a large, impersonal laboratory. Especially for a case like yours, you will need a more customized approach.
Posted in Gum Disease, Lumineers | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
I am starting my final year of graduate school, and will finish around this time next year. It feels like I’ve been working towards graduation day all my life, and I want everything to be perfect. In some class pictures we took recently (we’re a small, tight-knit group), I noticed how tight and uncomfortable my smile looked next to everyone elses’. It’s because of my awful teeth! They are crowded and crooked, and have embarrassed me all my life.
I want a new smile to go with the new phase in my life. I did some searches on the Internet about braces, but it looks like that will take way too long (up to 3 years!). Is there a faster way? I want to be able to smile my widest on graduation day.
Thanks for your help,
Siobhan from Boston
Dear Siobhan,
Congratulations on your upcoming celebration. You’ve worked hard, and deserve to feel as confident on the outside as you do on the inside.
I would caution you, however, about relying too heavily on the Internet to make decisions about your dental care. You really need to seek the opinion of a skilled cosmetic dentist who can look carefully at your situation and make a recommendation.
Generally speaking, if you want to have straight teeth fast, the quickest route is porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers do not actually straighten the roots of your teeth, but they make the portions of your teeth that can be seen (the crowns) look as if they are perfectly aligned. This could also take care of any issues you have with discoloration or misshaped teeth. If you chose this route, be very, very certain that you chose the right cosmetic dentist. Check their education and credentials! Review their website to see the before and after pictures in their smile gallery.
Another route that is faster than conventional braces is Invisalign invisible braces. Most people who chose Invisalign are generally done with treatment in 6-9 months, and it almost never takes more than a year. Even if your treatment is not completely done at the time of your graduation festivities, you can always remove the aligner for pictures and the ceremony itself.
The best option for you is to go to an expert cosmetic dentist who does Invisalign braces. That way, you can get their informed, honest opinion on which option would work best for your unique situation.
Good luck!
Posted in Invisalign, Porcelain Veneers | No Comments »
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Can porcelain veneers be used to make crooked teeth look straighter? My lower teeth are overlapping, and turned slightly, and I really do not want braces because of how much later I’d have them compared to other people.
- Larry in Kentucky
Larry,
Yes, that is a common reason for getting porcelain veneers - to make crooked teeth look straight. Sometimes they’re called “instant braces,” because you don’t have to wait two years for the teeth to get straight.
You do have another option though, and that is Invisalign invisible braces. With Invisalign, you don’t have to wear the uncomfortable and unsightly brackets. They truly are invisible, because it’s just a clear plastic aligner that you snap on to your teeth and it’s so thin that others can’t tell you’re wearing anything. The results aren’t instant, but they straighten your teeth about twice as fast as conventional braces.
Posted in Invisalign, Porcelain Veneers | No Comments »
Monday, June 15th, 2009
I just had six crowns done in the front and the color in natural light is pretty yellow and dingy as opposed to the office. I’m just sick over this. My dentist was very clear that I chose the color, even though we only discussed color for 30 seconds. Now he suggests veneers over them if I pay the lab fees. Do you have any suggestions on how I should handle this?
- Sarah from New York
Sarah,
I wouldn’t do any more cosmetic dentistry with this dentist. There are some dentists that are really passionate about appearance-related dentistry, and those dentists will have procedures in place that will insure that you love your new teeth before they’re put on. They will have full-spectrum lighting in their offices that simulate natural sunlight because of this very problem that you have discovered—the teeth look one color in the office and another color outside. If it were really important to this dentist how you thought this smile looked, he would never have put these crowns on in the first place.
It should be the same cost whether you do new porcelain crowns or porcelain veneers over your existing crowns. And doing porcelain veneers over existing crowns has so much potential for going wrong. I wouldn’t be surprised if you would end up looking worse with that route.
I think you have two reasonable choices. The first is to just live with your result. The second is to save your money and have these re-done by a true artist/dentist. Maybe 2% of dentists would fit into this category. Most dentists are technician-minded, and went into dentistry because they like to fix things. Only a small percentage are really passionate about appearance-related dentistry. When the dentistry is functional, your not being happy with the appearance isn’t sufficient grounds before a judge or a dental peer review committee for any recovery on your part.
Seattle cosmetic dentist
Posted in Porcelain Crowns, Porcelain Veneers | No Comments »
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
I have had my porcelain veneers for approx. 1.5 years and everyone has come off at some point. Actually one twice now. I just am so frustrated and my dentist tells me it could have been the original bonding he used or that there is not enough enamel or something to adhere to and that if it continues to happen we might have to crown them. Do you suggest I get another opinion as well? I cannot afford to replace them with crowns and hope after he puts this one that came off this morning back on Monday, it will not happen.
- Tammy in Florida
Tammy,
It isn’t that hard to get porcelain veneers to stay on your teeth. Even if you have no enamel on your teeth, you can still get porcelain veneers to stay on. It sounds to me that there is something missing in your dentist’s technique.
Don’t go to crowns. That would risk damaging your teeth, after what they’ve been through already. They have to be ground down quite a bit in order to do crowns. If you needed crowns, that would be okay, but you don’t. You just need porcelain veneers that are bonded on correctly. I would recommend you go to a dentist who knows how to do porcelain veneers and get these bonded on correctly.The porcelain veneer bonding procedure is a complex series of steps, and every one has to be done correctly in order for them to stay on. Most dentists don’t know enough about the bonding procedure to be able to do this right. I would find a dentist close to where you live who has been trained at the Las Vegas Institute, or who has and extensive portfolio of smile makeovers, so that you can have confidence that they understand this process well.
Other links:
Seattle cosmetic dentist - see Dr. McKay’s main website.
Dr. McKay has a special interest in bulimia and teeth. Read about his work in this field.
Posted in Porcelain Veneers | No Comments »
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
How does tetracycline affect the dental tissue to make it discolored?
How about the dosage of its consumption? And the age of its consumer?
thank you
Marshanti from Indonesia
Marshanti,
Before I answer your question, let me give a little background.
Tetracycline stains of the teeth are very difficult to treat. If you have tetracycline stains, I would strongly recommend that you get a highly experienced cosmetic dentist to treat them. The stains are embedded deeply in the tooth, and they are very intense. They don’t respond well to zoom whitening. They need to be masked with porcelain veneers.
Dentists that aren’t passionate about cosmetic dentistry or haven’t done very many cases tend to make one of two errors: either they make the porcelain veneers too opaque so that they look chalky and fake, or they make them too translucent so that they are still dark. Expert cosmetic dentists who have chosen dental labs that understand color and translucency can get a natural and beautiful result. Inexperienced cosmetic dentists also have problems covering enough of the tooth so that edges of the darkly stained teeth show.
Sometimes dentists will advocate full crowns for these cases, but that treatment is much more aggressive than is necessary and often results in fake-looking opaque teeth.
Tetracycline, when it is taken while the teeth are forming (ages 0-13), actually becomes chemically bonded to tooth dentin and becomes structurally a part of the tooth. Any therapeutic dose will cause a problem, but the larger the dose and especially the longer period of time it is taken, the more severed the effect will be.
Cosmetic dentistry Seattle
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