finding a cosmetic dentist Archives - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

The Secret to Very White Teeth

Posted on March 31, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have been using whitening toothpastes for years and never seem to get very white teeth. I’ve about given up and am now looking at getting Lumineers at the suggestion of my dentist. It looks like it can give me very white teeth, but I wanted to make sure I am on the right track with this before investing that much money. Any advice?

Melissa

Dear Melissa,

You have a few good options. Before we get into that, I’d like to discuss why your whitening toothpaste hasn’t worked. These don’t actually whiten our teeth as much as scraping them clean. Whitening toothpaste uses an abrasive on your teeth, which removes the stains. However, it also will scratch the surface of your teeth. This has the unfortunate effect of damaging the surface of your teeth, in turn making them pick up stains more.

I’m a bit concerned that your dentist jumped from whitening toothpaste straight to Lumineers. It is massively more expensive than some of your other options. Lumineers are one brand of porcelain veneers. It’s a highly marketed brand. Unfortunately, it is mostly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists. This rarely goes well for the patient. Plus, porcelain veneers are not intended for simply whitening your teeth. Instead, they are for total smile makeovers. If that is what you want, then great. Get porcelain veneers. They can be made as white as you’d like. They can also change the shape and size of your teeth. It’s important you choose an excellent cosmetic dentist to do that procedure. If you decide to go that route, I suggest you look for a dentist that is listed on the mynewsmile.com website. These dentists are pre-screened for their training, technical knowledge, and artistry. They cannot just pay to get listed.

If you are not looking for anything quite that expensive, then you can get your teeth very white by doing professional teeth whitening. Doing bleaching trays can get them very white and you can do it at your convenience. If you want them white super fast, then you can go with Zoom Whitneining which will whiten your teeth in just one appointment. Unlike with porcelain veneers, you won’t need an exceptional cosmetic dentist for either teeth whitening procedure. Pretty much any dentist who offers the services can do them without any problem.

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

My Lumineers Do Not Look Right

Posted on January 4, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had porcelain veneers done almost 20 years ago. I loved them but it was time to get them replaced as they had started to show their age. My old dentist had retired and I used his replacement. I wish I had not now. It has been a completely different experience. First, even though I told him I wanted them to match my last porcelain veneers exactly, he made some changes. He used a different brand of porcelain veneers he called Lumineers because he said they were thinner and he was placing these over my old veneers. That sounded okay to me. But, then he also put a strain on the Lumineers, which he did not mention ahead of time. When they came in I told him I wanted whiter and he said to give it a couple of days and see what I think then. He felt they looked more “natural” this way. I did and still didn’t like them. He told me to come in and he would “fix” it, if that is what you would call it. His fix was to sand off the front which had the staining. Now I am left with this dull underneath. What do I do?

Lorainne

Dear Lorainne,

There are a couple of problems going on here. First, the fact that he put Lumineers over old porcelain veneers is a problem. Porcelain sticks much better to natural tooth structure than to other porcelain. Now not only will you have to worry about the bonding of your new veneers failing, but your old veneers are eventually going to wear down as well and he attached the new ones to them. It is just as much work to place new over old as it is to just do them over. It doesn’t make sense that he did it the other way.

I’m not surprised he placed a stain on them to “make them look natural,” nor that he told you to give it a few days and you would get used to it. What he really meant by that is he didn’t want to do this over and he was counting on you to give up. Most patients don’t have your courage to stand up for themselves. A true cosmetic dentist would not bond on your porcelain veneers until trying them on with a temporary try-in paste and then letting you see and approve them. If you weren’t happy with the color he would never ask you to give it some time, but rather would send them straight back to the lab to be re-done.

He never did this. He may not even have the experience to know about a temporary try-in paste. When he suggested Lumineers, I knew you probably were not getting a highly skilled cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. Any dentist can try the procedures regardless of their skill level. This particular brand of porcelain veneers is marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place.

Under normal circumstances, you would have no recourse. The standard of care in dentistry is functional. They don’t have to be beautiful, even for cosmetic work. However, once he ground down your Lumineers, they were no longer functional. He removed the glazing on them which is what protects them. Because of that, you have the right to ask for a refund.

Once that is secured, you can use that money and go to a true cosmetic dentist to have these re-done. Look for a dentist listed on the mynewsmile.com website. Each of those dentists are pre-screened for both their technical knowledge and artistry. They can not pay to be listed. Instead, they have to be skilled cosmetic dentists.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Click here to learn more about our cosmetic consultations.

Dental Bonding Doesn’t Match

Posted on September 18, 2020 by writeradmin.

I chipped a tooth after a fall. My dentist wanted to put a crown on the tooth, but I did some research and saw the best solution was dental bonding so I asked him to do that. He agreed, but the results aren’t that great. The colors don’t match so you can really tell it is a repair. Is it okay to have this dentist do it again? Should I have to pay for it to match?

Olivia

Dear Olivia,

When dental bonding is done correctly, it can match perfectly with the rest of the natural tooth. However, it isn’t easy to do. Not only is it done freehand, but many dentists don’t carry enough of a selection of shades and textures to do this right. When a dentist suggests something like a dental crown for a chipped or gapped tooth, which is a massive overtreatment, it is an indication they are uncomfortable with cosmetic dentistry.

You have two options: The first is to give your dentist another chance to get this right. Explain to him that the repair is obvious and doesn’t match the rest of your tooth. If he cares about the quality of his work, he should be willing to do it again. And, no, you shouldn’t have to pay for it.

I would give your dentist another opportunity to get this right. You shouldn’t have to pay for the color to match. That is part of what you paid for in the beginning. Don’t be surprised if he still struggles, but it is fair to give him another chance. If after the second go he still can’t get it to match, then I would suggest your next step is to ask for a refund, then find an experienced cosmetic dentist.

Who Should Do Your Cosmetic Bonding?

In your place, if it doesn’t work out with your original dentist, then I am going to suggest you look at the mynewsmile.com website. The man who runs this site has retired from cosmetic dentistry but wanted to offer patients a service to help them know who has the skills to do beautiful cosmetic work. Most patients don’t realize that there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. That means any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of the level of skill they have.

To make matters worse, most of the skills they need for well done cosmetic work isn’t even taught in dental school. For a dentist to develop the necessary skills they will have to invest in post-doctoral training. It’s nearly impossible for patients to know which dentists have done that. The mynewsmile site, pre-screens dentists for their technical training as well as the artistry of their work. Only those who pass his rigorous standards can be listed. Any dentist on that site can give you a beautiful, natural-looking result.

Should You Whiten First

I don’t know if your dentist mentioned this, but the color that is created for your dental bonding is permanent. If you were to whiten your teeth at a later date, your natural tooth structure would whiten, but not the bonding. Therefore, most cosmetic dentists will warn their patients if they are even considering getting their teeth whitened, it will save them money to do it before they have the bonding done. This will save them money by not having to replace the bonding after they whiten.

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

Dentist Stained My Lumineers

Posted on November 30, 2018 by writeradmin.

I am so angry, but don’t know if I can do anything about it. Before getting my “smile makeover” my dentist and I discussed what I wanted it to look like. One thing I specifically said was how white I wanted them. Despite my instructions, he put a stain on my Lumineers. When I asked him about it he said, “I want smiles I do to look natural.” When I let him know I wasn’t thrilled, he said, “Well it’s certainly prettier than your natural smile.” I’m furious. Can anything be done?

Stephanie

Dear Stephanie,

I understand your anger and have heard these type of stories so often it makes me sad. It’s so hard to get patients the information they truly need before getting their smile makeovers done. Here’s the thing, the only thing which guarantees a great result in your smile makeover is the dentist you choose. Too many patients think their family dentist is qualified.

I don’t blame the patients. They’re supposed to trust their medical and dental providers. However, doing proper smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school. In order to be a great cosmetic dentist, your dentist would have had to invest in post-doctoral training at a reputable institute which trains in cosmetic dentistry.

It’s not a recognized specialty so it’s completely up to the dentist how much time and money they invest in this type of training. At the same time, there are companies (like the Lumineers company) which heavily markets their products to dentists as being “easy” to place because they’re not required to do tooth prep. While they may be easy to place, that doesn’t make them any easier to get a beautiful result.

Evidence Your Dentist Isn’t a Skilled Cosmetic Dentist

In dental school, dentists are taught that they know better than the patient and should tell them what to do. However, cosmetic dentistry is different. Notice your dentist said, “I want smiles I do to look natural.” What he’s not realizing is cosmetic dentistry is about what you want, not what he wants.

Additionally, he thinks a stain is what makes a smile look natural. But, patients who come for cosmetic work aren’t looking for a “natural” smile. They’re looking for a gorgeous smile.

Finally, he didn’t do a try in. Based on what you described, he didn’t let you see them before he permanently bonded on your porcelain veneers. Any cosmetic dentist worth his salt will use a temporary try-in paste to make sure the patient is satisfied before bonding them.

What to Do About Your Lumineers

You have a reason to get a refund. You gave your dentist specific instructions about the color. He ignored them. That means he didn’t have your permission to place those porcelain veneers. Tell him, either you get a refund or you’ll go to the dental board about him not following your instructions and then bonding them on without giving you an option.

Then, once you get your money back, go see an expert cosmetic dentist to have them redone. My suggestion to find the right dentist is to go to the mynewsmile.com website and use their “Find a Cosmetic Dentist” link. They only recommend expert cosmetic dentists who can create gorgeous smiles and know how to follow a patient’s instructions. In fact, most of them have a beautiful smile guarantee.

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