Whitening My Non-Veneered Teeth
I have six porcelain veneers, but the teeth next to them look very dark compared to them. It makes it obvious my veneered teeth aren’t my natural tooth structure. Is there a way to whiten my non-veneered teeth without damaging my porcelain veneers? I was looking at using Crest Whitestrips.
Emory
Dear Emory,
I am very glad you wrote. First, I want to say that I wish your dentist had thought ahead on your smile makeover. Most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide. When you are getting a smile makeover, it is standard operating procedure for the dentist to recommend you have your teeth whitening first. This way your adjacent teeth will blend in better with your veneered teeth. It also helps the teeth in your lower arch to match your smile without spending a fortune on veneers for those teeth too. Had your dentist followed this procedure, you would not be in this situation.
To answer your question, whitening your teeth will not damage your porcelain veneers. Bleaching gel only works on natural tooth structure. I’m going to recommend something a bit different from Crest Whitestrips, though. While they do whiten teeth, they will have two big disadvantages in your situation.
First, the strips are designed to cover your front six teeth. As those all have porcelain veneers on them, it won’t really improve your situation much. Second, the strength of the whitening gel you would get from their strips is not nearly as strong as what you’d get from the dentist. Depending on how white your veneers are, it could take you several years to get them as white as your veneered teeth.
My suggestion is that you have your teeth whitening done by a dentist. This uses custom-fitted trays and professional strength bleaching gel. Your dentist can even shape the trays to fit around your veneers.
This blog is brought to you by Douglas, AZ Dentist Dr. Gilberto Tostado.
Read More...Is Premium Home Whitening Effective?
I keep seeing advertisements for Premium Home Whitening. I don’t know if you are familiar with this product, but can you tell me if it is as effective as the teeth whitening that my dentist does? It’s a little cheaper than what he offers and money is tight for me right now. I’m just trying to find a way to have a pretty smile in the budget that I have available to me.
Melissa
Dear Melissa,
The one thing that this product does have going for it is that it is using a valid tooth whitening ingredient. Will it be as effective as what your dentist offers? No. Even if it did have the same whitening strength as what your dentist provided, The whitening trays will destroy any hope of getting the full efficacy out of it. Here’s why.
The bleaching trays that your dentist provide for you are custom fit, like the ones pictured above. A mold is taken of your bite and the trays are made to fit your teeth perfectly. This serves two important purposes. The first is that it will keep the gel on your teeth, while keeping saliva from getting in. If saliva can get inside the whitening trays, then it will dilute the gel.
Additionally, if your saliva can get in then that means the gel can also get out. When that happens, you are losing gel and again lowering the efficacy. This means you will need several kits for every one tube of gel that your dentist provides for you. That won’t exactly save you much money. On top of that, you put your gums at risk of irritation because they are no longer protected from the gel.
If you want to whiten your teeth safely and effectively, I would do it through your dentist. If cost is the only thing stopping you, then I would simply talk to your dentist about your budgetary restraints. He or she may be willing to work with your on payment options.
This blog is brought to you by Douglas, AZ Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Gilberto Tostado.
Click here to learn about a total smile makeover with porcelain veneers.
Can a Long Dental Appointment Give You TMJ Disorder?
I had a rather long dental appointment. Four of my upper teeth were prepared for dental crowns and the rest were prepared for porcelain veneers. I’ve got my temporaries now. While I like the way they look, my jaw really hurts. The appointment was three days ago and I’m still needing to take pain relievers twice a day. My dentist is on vacation. I don’t know if I should just wait this out or if this is a sign that I’ve developed TMJ Disorder and need to find a dentist who is available. Any advice?
Molly
Dear Molly,
TMJ Disorder can be aggravated by a long dental procedure, but won’t develop because of one unless there was some trauma to your jaw. You did not mention anything unusual about the appointment. Four crowns along with porcelain veneer prep is a lot of work to have done at once. I’m not surprised that your jaw is hurting.
My suggestion is for you to take the following steps, some of which you are already doing.
- Continue taking your anti-inflammatories.
- Throughout your day, take notice as to whether or not you are clenching your jaw. Most people do not notice when they are doing it and clenching will not only prolong but even increase your jaw pain.
- A cold compress will help reduce swelling, if there is any; a warm compress will relax strained muscles and increase blood flow. You can switch between them as needed.
If, after a week, you are still struggling that would be the time to call your dentist to determine if further evaluation is necessary. In all likelihood, you’ll feel better in a day or two. It’s never fun to hurt so I understand the desire for it to just go away.
This blog is brought to you by Agua Prieta Dentist Dr. Tostado.
Read More...Cheap cosmetic dentistry: are composite veneers worth it?
I chipped one of my upper front teeth last year and my dentist patched it up with some composite bonding. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the job. Lately, however, that tooth has started to look stained and darker than the teeth next to it. I went back to my dentist to see if he could fix the bonded tooth. He said that since all of my upper front teeth are discolored he recommends putting composite veneers on them. He said it would only be about $3,000 to get all eight upper teeth done. I’d like to save money on my treatment if I can, but that sounds a lot cheaper than what I’ve heard veneers normally cost.
Now I’m a little suspicious. Are these composite veneers really a good idea, or is there a reason they cost so much less than other veneers?
– Jim from Arizona
We recommend you trust your intuition on this one, Jim.
Some people opt for composite veneers because they are more affordable than traditional porcelain veneers. The lower price makes it easier to improve the appearance of multiple teeth at once.
But you have two good reasons to think twice about getting composite veneers, especially ones that are priced so cheaply:
Reason #1: It takes great skill to make composite veneers that look natural.
While porcelain veneers are crafted outside the mouth in a dental lab and then later bonded to the teeth, composite veneers are built up directly on the surface of the teeth. A cosmetic dentist must be highly skilled in layering composite material so that the outcome is as lifelike as possible. But if your current dentist is charging a low rate for composite veneers, then this could indicate that he is not confident in his ability to deliver the best results. Naturally, you might doubt whether he can do a high quality job on your teeth.
Reason #2: Composite veneers do not last as long as porcelain veneers.
Composite dental material, while durable, is more susceptible to stain and discoloration than porcelain. New composite veneers can look very nice for a few years after they are placed, provided the dentist does a good job. If you avoid smoking and dark-colored foods and brush and floss religiously, then you can minimize stain accumulation on composite veneers. But it is only a matter of time before composite veneers become so discolored that you are obligated to replace them again.
Choosing Between Composite and Porcelain Veneers
At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself:
Is it worth it to save money on your dental veneers by choosing composite even if it means the results may not turn out great?
Are the savings truly worth it when you consider the fact that your composite veneers will need to be replaced every two to three years?
Many patients choose porcelain veneers because they deliver more predictable, lifelike, and long-lasting results and because they are practically immune to stain. Porcelain veneers could last you 20 years or even longer.
Do a little more research before making your decision. Ask your current dentist about how many sets of veneers he has placed so far and ask to see some before-and-after photos of patients he has treated. If you’re still interested in composite veneers and trust your dentist’s skill, then you can safely get them.
But if you want a more lasting solution, you’d be better off seeing a dentist who has a track record of creating beautiful smiles with porcelain veneers.
This post has been published on behalf of Dr. Gilberto Tostado of Corei Dental, a dentist near Douglas, AZ.
Read More...