June 2012 - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

I’ve been wearing dentures for about 15 years now and I have never been fond of them. I moved from Georgia to Tennessee three years ago. About a year and a half ago I paid my new dentist a lot money for a new denture that I hate. I know that’s a strong word but I really hate these false teeth. That’s just what they look like. I am 60 years old. I was blessed to be able to retire at 57. I am happy and I have a very active social life. I’m a volunteer two days a week for two different organizations and these false teeth are embarrassing me. My dentist tells me I’m too picky. I think he forgot how much cash I dropped for these things. He has done the dentures over again twice but I am no where near satisfied. What can I do or say to help him understand what I want and get it right? Thank you. Ricky P.

Ricky, Your situation is unfortunate, but common. Many people see their regular dentist hoping for natural-looking dentures, only to be disappointed. Most dentists lack artistic inclination.

Find a cosmetic dentist. A cosmetic dentist is an artist who is committed to giving you a beautiful smile. He or she will listen to your concerns, and to what you want to see in a smile. Your smile with dentures will be designed to fit your personality and your preferences.

As an active person, you probably have concerns about slippage with dentures. Your dentures can be secured with as few as two dental implants. Implant dentures will look and feel more like your natural teeth.

If you need help finding an experienced cosmetic dentist, mynewsmile.com is an excellent resource.

This blog post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.

I got a dental implant crown five months ago. I’m pretty frustrated because the crown is on a left incisor and the color is off. The crown is darker than my other teeth and it actually looks worse now that the natural tooth did. On the first try, my dentist didn’t get the color right and he told me that it “didn’t look that bad.” After I insisted that he do something about it, he sent me to the lab to get the color matched to my natural teeth. I am starting to think that he really doesn’t know how to do it. So the second crown was ready and he cements in on, no checking, no questions asked. It’s worse than ever. I need to bring this issue to a close with my dentist. I can’t keep the tooth like this but neither do I want him touching it again. What are my options? Thanks for your help! Emilee from New Orleans

Emilee – Your situation is unfortunate. And it shows the value of an artistic cosmetic dentist. There are very few dentists with artistic inclination, but an artistic cosmetic dentist will be very attentive and determined to give you a beautiful porcelain crown that matches the color of your natural teeth—before the crown is cemented. If the crown is received and it doesn’t perfectly match your teeth, or if you don’t like the color, he or she will return it to the lab until it’s just as you want it.

Your being sent to the lab for a color match was an indication that your dentist is not comfortable with the art of cosmetic dentistry.

You will need a new crown to correct the situation. Find an artistic cosmetic dentist to do the work. No damage will be done to your dental implant. You’ll get an accurate match to your natural teeth and you will be able to confidently smile again.

This post is sponsored by the office of New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune of Metairie.

My dentist keeps botching up my dentures

My dental implant crown color is way off and my dentist can’t get it right

Archives for June 2012