Archives for June 2020

Bone Grafting for Dental Implant Didn’t Work

Posted on June 30, 2020 by writeradmin.

I have a dentist who has done many dental implants over the years, so I felt fairly confident he could do mine. When he went in the first time, he decided I needed to have some bone grafting done for the dental implant to have the best chance. So, we decided to go ahead with that. After I had time to heal, we went ahead to do the dental implant procedure a second time. Again, there wasn’t enough bone. He’s suggesting I get a dental bridge. I really had my heart set on getting a dental implant. Is a bridge my only option at this point? Should I go to a specialist?

Dan

Dear Dan,

dental implant diagram

The good news here is you have a dentist who is trying to expand their skills. Most dentists don’t even bother learning bone grafting and just tell their patients they have to get a different procedure. Your dentist, in contrast, is trying to keep up with all the advancements in his field. The bad news is your dentist is currently new at the procedure, so it didn’t work as expected.

Before I move on, I’d like to praise your dentist for another aspect of his practice. He’s honest. Some dentists would have had too much pride to admit their procedure didn’t work. They’d put the implant in there. A year later, or even sooner, you’d experience dental implant failure without having any idea it was because your dentist placed an implant where there wasn’t enough bone.

Unfortunately, implantology isn’t a recognized specialty. That means you won’t really be able to look up dental implant specialists and have any realistic expectation they have the necessary training. What I’d like you to do is take a look at Dr. Delaune’s training and qualifications. This is what you want from a dentist who is going to work on your dental implants.

At this point, you have two choices: You can start over with another dentist who has the right qualifications and experience. It will mean another round of bone grafting, time for healing, and then a dental implant procedure. I’m sure your dentist will be willing to give you at least a partial refund. It sounded like a dental implant was important enough to you that you’ll be willing to go through it one more time. If you’re weary of surgery, then getting a dental bridge is your next best option.

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

Is Grinding my Teeth No Big Deal?

Posted on June 25, 2020 by writeradmin.

I mentioned to my dentist that my jaw hurts and I realized that sometimes I clench and grind my jaw. He said it is no big deal and not to worry about it, but my jaw hurts. Is there anything I can do about it? It seems like a big deal from where I’m sitting.

Tracy

Dear Tracy,

Grinding your teeth IS a big deal.

The first thing I’m going to say is you need to get a different dentist. This is not only a big deal, it is a HUGE deal. First, the pain you are experiencing alone is enough to do something about it. But, in addition, you are slowly grinding down your teeth. Eventually, you will wear them down to nubs. If that happens, the procedure to deal with that is a full mouth reconstruction. That requires getting a dental crown on every tooth. While proactive treatment will only bring in a couple of hundred dollars. A full-mouth reconstruction is a cost of $30, 000 or more. Plus, you are at a much greater risk to develop TMJ disorder.

There are a few things that can be done to help this. First, you’ll want to get out of pain. Believe it or not, some Botox can help with this, as well as any migraines you may be experiencing as a result.

The next thing you’ll want to do is protect your teeth. While it is easy enough to notice when you’re grinding your teeth during the day. While you’re sleeping is when most of this likely occurs. I suggest you have a nightguard made. This will protect your teeth from grinding and clenching while you sleep.

However, I don’t think your dentist is the best one to handle this. I’d like you to see a dentist with TMJ training. They can help get to the root cause of all this and solve the source of the problem.

This isn’t something that is taught in general dental school, so you’ll want a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training. For instance, Dr. Delaune did advanced training in TMJ Disorder through the well-respected Dawson Academy.

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

Making Teeth Beautiful Fast without Spending a Fortune

Posted on June 13, 2020 by writeradmin.

A man I knew way back in high school is flying into town for a business meeting and wants to have dinner and catch up. This is going to sound a bit childish, but I used to have a crush on him and want to make a good impression. Sort of show him I’ve “aged well”. I’d like to improve my smile but he gets here in a month. I looked at porcelain veneers but they are way out of my budget. Is there another way to improve my smile that quickly without spending a small fortune?

Emily

Hi Emily,

One of the least expensive ways to make a dramatic improvement on your smile is to have professional teeth whitening done. That simple procedure alone will take years off your smile’s appearance. You have two options to get this done.

Teeth Whitening Option One: Take Home

Teeth whitening trays

The least expensive option is to use take-home trays. Your dentist will custom fit them to your smile so the whitening gel stays in place while still reaching the whole tooth for even whitening. You’d want to wear them for a minimum of 30 minutes a day at your convenience. Obviously, the longer you wear them, the whiter they will get. Depending on how much staining your teeth have and how white you want to get them, this can take around six weeks. Of course, the length of time you wear them each day will be a factor as well.

Teeth Whitening Option Two: Zoom Whitening

Zoom Whitening Light

You can also have your teeth whitened in just one appointment using Zoom Whitening. This is an in-office procedure and not all dentists have the equipment, so you may have to call around to see who in your area does. This uses a special light that activates the whitening gel. Your teeth will be their whitest in just three 20-minute sessions all done in one appointment.

I hope this helps. Best of luck with your reunion!

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

Dental Bonding Turning Yellow

Posted on June 11, 2020 by writeradmin.

I’ve had dental bonding for just a few days. I really liked how they looked, but they’ve started turning yellow. I can’t think of anything I’ve done to them except maybe the fact that I brush with baking soda. Is that a problem with bonding? Is it possible for me to whiten them?

Karyn

Dear Karyn,

As you can see from the picture above, as well as the results you had, dental bonding can look both beautiful and natural, when well done by a skilled cosmetic dentist. Unfortunately, your dentist neglected to instruct you on how to properly care for them. The likely damage culprit, in your case, is the baking soda. It is an abrasive. This will damage the polish on your dental bonding enabling them to pick up stains.

I think your dentist should be willing to re-do the polish on them without charge for a couple of reasons:

First, he should have told you how to care for your new dental work. His neglect to do so led to this problem.
Second, it hasn’t been that long since you had the bonding done. It shouldn’t be a problem for him to work with this.

Taking Care of your Dental Bonding

The first thing I want to recommend is you get some Supersmile Toothpaste. This is specifically designed to work with cosmetic dental work and will protect it while safely removing stains.

Unfortunately, teeth whitening won’t work. It will whiten your natural tooth structure but not your bonding. This is why I recommended instead you have your dentist re-polish them.

I would also like you to look at this link. It is a fairly extensive article on dental bonding. If you scroll down, there is a section just devoted to how to properly care for your new bonding.

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