Menu Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog Phone
Phone: 504-885-8869 Main Site Pen Icon Reviews: GoogleFacebook Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog
phone: 504-885-8869
  • Welcome to the Blog of Dr. Duane Delaune

Archives for October 2019

smile makeover disaster

Posted on October 30, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m very frustrated and disappointed. I spent a lot of money getting eight porcelain veneers. The first set came back bulky and too yellow so I asked him to send them back. When the next pair came back he said he wanted to bond them on so I could see them in my mouth and they could make adjustments afterward, if necessary. When he bonded them on, they were still not what I wanted, but it turned out they weren’t really able to make adjustments to them. He suggested I give it a few weeks and he was sure I’d love them after I got used to the change. I didn’t. I’ve called several times trying to get a refund but can’t seem to get a call back from him. What do you recommend I do?

Olivia

Dear Olivia,

porcelain veneer being held up by dental tool

I’m sorry this happened to you. It is unfortunate that doing a smile makeover isn’t taught in dental school. A dentist has to invest time in post-doctoral training to truly learn how to do cosmetic dentistry well. Even then, every dentist has to muddle through their first procedures with porcelain veneers.

Most dentists aren’t proud of their beginning cases, however, those who truly care about the work they do, will re-do it until they are proud of it. It doesn’t sound like your dentist is going to be one of those type of dentists.

He tried, you didn’t like it, so instead of trying until it is right he’s going to ignore you, likely in the hopes you’ll just give up.

What to Do With a Smile Makeover Disaster

In your place, I’d go to a an expert cosmetic dentist and try to get them on your side. If they agree the porcelain veneers aren’t well done, they could help persuade the original dentist to give you a refund.

The one thing you do have going for you is he mislead you about the adjustments. Unfortunately, though, without proof, you won’t have much legal leverage unless the veneers are not structurally sound.

To find a good cosmetic dentist to help you, I suggest you go to the mynewsmile.com website and see who they recommend. They pre-screen cosmetic dentists for their artistic skills and technical training, so anyone on their list will have the expertise to both evaluate your case as well as provide you a beautiful smile makeover the second time around.

I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Filed Under: Smile Makeover Tagged With: beautiful smile guarantee, cosmetic dentistry horror stories, finding an expert cosmetic detnist, getting a refund on a smile makeover, porcelain veneers

Can I rinse with peroxide to whiten my teeth?

Posted on October 23, 2019 by writeradmin.

I learned that teeth whitening is mostly a peroxide mixture. Couldn’t I get a faster and similar results by rinsing with peroxide at home? I want to get this done quickly. My dentist is talking about me wearing the peroxide gel for a few weeks. I’m thinking straight peroxide will be better.

Lucy

Dear Lucy,

You want to get teeth whitening done fast and you can, but it won’t happen with rinsing your teeth with peroxide. You are correct that a teeth whitening gel is made of peroxide. However, it is only effective if it soaks into your teeth.

When your dentist creates a tooth whitening tray for you, he does it so they will have a close custom fit to your natural teeth. With the solution being a gel, it will stay on your teeth better in the tray.

It will need to soak in for a minimum of 15 minutes a day for there to be any whitening effect. I don’t think you’re going to feel comfortable rinsing for 15 minutes a day. Even then, it would take a few weeks.

Getting Your Teeth Whitened Fast

If you really want your teeth whitened fast, look for a dentist who offers Zoom Whitening. This is an in-office procedure that will completely whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

This is a safer option for you than gargling with peroxide every day.

A Smile Makeover

Another option for fast, white teeth is to get a complete smile makeover with porcelain veneers. I would only recommend this if you want to change more than just the color of your teeth.

Porcelain veneers can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth all at the same time. It’s what celebrities use as their go-to for their Hollywood smile.

If all you want is to do whiten your teeth then I would just stick with Zoom. It is much less expensive.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

 

 

Filed Under: Zoom Whitening Tagged With: homemade teeth whitening, peroxide, porcelain veneers, same day teeth whitening, smile makeovers, teeth whitening

maryland bridge before a dental implant

Posted on October 9, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m trying to figure out what to do. My daughter has a congenitally missing lateral incisor. We did orthodontics to open the space. Now we’re working on the temporary tooth replacement. Our dentist decided on a Maryland Bridge. We did non-metal wings because I wanted them to be as natural-looking as possible. The problem we’ve had is the bridge has fallen off twice in just a couple of weeks. After the first time, she (our dentist) tried a different bonding cement, but that didn’t make it any stronger. Now she wants to try doing it with metal wings. Here’s the thing. My daughter is 14. She’s going to have to wear these for a few years. I don’t want her to feel self-conscious. I have two questions:
1. Will these stay on better? 2. Will the metal be a better choice?

Karyn

Dear Karyn,

I’m a little concerned about some things I’m hearing here. First, I would not consider a Maryland Bridge a temporary replacement. This requires tooth preparation, which means you’re reducing tooth structure. If you’re doing that, you might as well stick with a dental bridge and not get a dental implant.

Another thing is the bonding issue. It doesn’t sound like your dentist understands bonding principles. She placed the bridge with a cement and it fell off. Then, she gets (I’m assuming) a stronger cement and it still falls off. Her next thought is to switch to metal wings.

Maryland Bridge Preparation

That’s not likely to work out any better for her. The non-metal (zirconia) wings are usually easier to bond than the metal ones. My guess is the problem is with her tooth preparation. If you look at this image on the left. You can see that a groove should be cut into the tooth to support the wings. Without this, she’s likely to have trouble no matter what type of bonding she uses.

While she could go back and make the correct grooves, I am going to recommend a completely different direction. While you can go ahead with the bridge, once she gets her dental implant, you’re going to need another procedure to have these grooves filled in. Why do that when you can instead get a temporary tooth which will not require any modification to her adjacent teeth?

I’m not trying to discourage you from your future plans of getting her a dental implant. It is the best tooth replacement around. It will be a great solution for her when her jaw is fully developed.

I am trying to discourage you from the dental bridge. Instead, I’m going to recommend something else.

Removable Partial Flipper

A removable partial flipper will be perfect for her situation. When well cared for it can last long enough for her to get her dental implant. Even if something happens, it is significantly less expensive than any other tooth-replacement option. You could replace several of them for the cost of a single Maryland Bridge.

They can be made to look beautiful too, so your daughter won’t look self-conscious.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Filed Under: Dental Implants Tagged With: Bridge falling off, dental flipper, Maryland Bridge, temporary tooth replacement options

whitening tetracycline teeth

Posted on October 2, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’ve had tetracycline-stained teeth since I was a child. It has always been a source of horrible embarrassment for me. My dentist said teeth whitening wouldn’t do much good for me and not to waste my money. He didn’t have a solution for me either. Is there anything I can do or am I just going to have to learn to live with a smile I’d rather hide?

Betsy

Dear Betsy,

While one particular brand of teeth whitening has had more success with these stains than others, most make hardly any difference at all. That doesn’t mean all is lost.

As you can see from this smile makeover that Dr. Deluane did on a patient, there is a way to obtain a beautiful smile after tetracycline stains. Here Dr. Delaune used porcelain veneers. This enabled him not only to cover her stains, but to reshape her teeth to add length.

I don’t want you to think you can just run to your family dentist and get porcelain veneers and all will be beautiful and shiny. These are among the most difficult cosmetic dentistry cases to do. It would take a dentist with advanced cosmetic training.

The difficulty comes in needing to make the porcelain veneers opaque enough to cover the dark tetracycline stains, yet translucent enough to have their natural shine.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

I’m going to suggest you go to the mynewsmile.com website. A cosmetic dentist cannot just pay to be listed. They have to prove their cosmetic education as well as provide case samples to show they can get beautiful results.

However, while everyone listed on that site is an expert cosmetic dentist, tetracycline cases are a beast of their own. I’d like you to go one step further and ask to see specific before and after pictures of cases they’ve done dealing with tetracycline. You want to be certain they’re able to get the beautiful results you’re dreaming of. Then, you will have a smile you are delighted to share with the world.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: finding an expert cosmetic dentist, porcelain veneers, smile makeovers, tetracycline stains

Search

Recent Posts

  • Would Teeth Stains from Silver Fillings Show Through White Ones?
  • Is It Safe to Get a Tooth Filling at 7 Months Pregnant?
  • How Long Does Teeth Sensitivity Last After Getting Veneers?
  • Another Lumineer Popped Off My Tooth. It’s the Third Time.

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Topics

  • Affordable Dental Implants
  • all-on-4 dental implants
  • Best Dentist
  • Botox
  • Cosmetic Dentist
  • Dental Bonding
  • Dental Implants
  • Dentures
  • Emergency Dentistry
  • Gum Disease
  • Invisalign
  • Lumineers
  • Mercury-Free Dentist
  • Porcelain Veneers
  • Smile Makeover
  • Snap-On Denture
  • Teeth Whitening
  • TMJ Dentist
  • TMJ Specialist
  • Tooth Contouring
  • Uncategorized
  • Zoom Whitening
Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog
Duane P. Delaune, D.D.S.
3801 N. Causeway Blvd. Suite 305
Metairie, LA 70002 USA
Phone: (504) 885-8869
See on the Map

©2008-2023 Delaune Dental • All rights reserved
Website Design and SEO by Infinity Dental Web