Menu Phone
Phone: 504-885-8869 Main Site Pen Icon Reviews: GoogleFacebook

Tired of Re-doing my Composite Bonding

Posted on by writeradmin.

I’ve had composite bonding for about six years and I’ve already had to re-do it twice. I do need to do something. I have a tooth gap and three different front teeth are chipped. I’m just tired of replacing them. What are my other options? My dentist suggested crowns, but my teeth are healthy so I’m not too keen on that idea. Are those the only two options?

Helen C. – North Dakota

Helen,

Yes, there is a much better option than either dental bonding or dental crowns. But, it’s generally used for total smile makeovers. Porcelain veneers can change anything you want to about your smile. It can change their shape, size, and color of your teeth. While bonding only lasts a few years, veneers last for many. With proper care, well over a decade. It’s the same procedure that celebrities use to remake their smiles.

I wouldn’t pressure your dentist to do the procedure though. If he didn’t mention it, it’s likely because he isn’t comfortable doing it. If you press him, he may do it to please you and it wouldn’t turn out nearly as well as you’d hope.

That doesn’t mean you’ll have to switch dentists to get this repaired the way you want. I’d just recommend going to an experienced cosmetic dentist for your porcelain veneers and your family dentist for everything else. Just make sure when your dentist does your check up, the hygienist doesn’t use anything like a prophy jet or other ultra-sonic cleaner on the veneers. That will take off the glazing.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Duane Delaune.

Could my new crown be making my TMJ pain worse?

Posted on by smiles4u.

I’ve been battling with TMJ problems for the past couple of years. Mostly, my jaw is just sore in the morning and it fades away as I go about my day. I know I should be wearing a night guard. My dentist told me I needed one and I still haven’t gotten it. But, here’s the thing – I had a crown done about two weeks ago and it didn’t feel right from the start. I mentioned it to my dentist and he made some adjustments, but I could still feel it hitting the tooth above it first. My dentist said he’d adjusted it as much as he could and that I will get used to it. My TMJ pain is even worse than usual since getting the crown. Could the two be related? — Marcella

Marcella,
Making sure the teeth come together properly requires intricate knowledge of the jaw and anatomy. When there are bite problems, like those caused by an ill-fitting crown, it can certainly exacerbate an existing TMJ issue or even cause one to start.

Unfortunately, a lot of dentists fail to realize this and they don’t take additional training to ensure they’re getting it right. Some will just make repeated adjustments to their work until a patient stops complaining, and others will reduce the restoration down so much that it doesn’t connect with the tooth it bites against at all.

The bottom line is that yes, you need to get your night guard made. Your TMJ problems are going to progress until you get the nighttime grinding under control. However, the crown is probably contributing to the problem right now and it needs to be corrected. It’s not a matter of getting used to it. Although you may become accustomed to biting incorrectly or moving your mouth differently so that it doesn’t bother you so much, it will still put undue stress on your joints. Keep working with your dentist to get it corrected. If you hit a point where it’s not getting resolved and he’s unwilling to help, get a consultation with another dentist who specializes in TMJ issues and understands occlusion.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

Should I still be in pain two weeks after cosmetic procedure?

Posted on by smiles4u.

A month or so ago, I went to Mexico to have a cosmetic dental procedure done and now I’m afraid I made a big mistake. I had several lower crowns done and also veneers on my front upper teeth. I am in so much pain and it’s been a couple of weeks since I had it done. My jaw hurts and one tooth is almost painful to the touch and I can’t even chew soft foods. When I asked the dentist about it, he told me to take ibuprofen to help with the pain and that it’s normal after having so much work done at one time. As for the crown that I can’t even chew on, he said something about it having high contact or possibly needing a root canal. Is it bad that it doesn’t even touch my top teeth when I bite together? Is this much pain normal so long after my procedure and should I just keep taking the ibuprofen until it goes away (I’m currently taking 800mg every 4-6 hours).

Julie,
You are right to be concerned. Taking those amounts of ibuprofen for such an extended period of time is not good for you, and it sounds like it’s not really helping – it’s only masking something that is not right. They amount of pain you are experiencing is not normal after getting crowns or porcelain veneers. Tenderness or soreness for a couple of days should be expected and your bite and teeth should align.

If you are back in the United States, go find a reputable cosmetic dentist in your area – or at the very lease, a competent general dentist. Even if you have to drive an hour or two, it will be worth getting a second opinion to determine what’s wrong before the situation gets worse. Try to back off or stop taking the ibuprofen and if you do need a root canal, don’t go back to the dentist in Mexico – there are only about a handful of good cosmetic dentist in the entire country. Even in the United States, only about 1 of 50 dentists is skilled in the art of cosmetic dentistry, but you should be able to find a reputable doctor near you.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

Can I Whiten My Teeth Too Much?

Posted on by smiles4u.

I need some advice on retouching my bleached teeth — I used Opalescence 20% PF. How many weeks should I touch up and how many hours each day? I don’t want a “glow-in-the-dark” white smile, but I do want to maintain my desired whiteness. I will also be having some crowns placed in the near future and wonder if I should stop whitening a certain length of time before my appointment to ensure a correct color match?

Sara in Georgia

Sara,
As with Opalescence 20% PF and most other brands of bleaching gel, there are no specific answers on how long you should touch up. When talking about crown matching, your dentist should be able to answer these questions for you, and if not, you should have some concerns. Many dentists today are not true cosmetic dental artists, so your desire to achieve a beautiful smile could be in jeopardy if your dentist lacks the skills needed for true cosmetic dentistry.

Can you whiten your teeth too much? There is no clear answer on that because the pace of whitening slows the more you do it, but the teeth will keep getting whiter. Your dentist should ask you several questions in determining what is best option for you:

  • How satisfied you are with the current color?
  • How much did you bleach them?
  • Have your teeth darkened much since the initial whitening?
  • What would you consider to be their ideal whiteness?

Teeth sensitivity will more often than not determine when and how long you whiten your teeth. If you are not experiencing sensitivity, bleach as long as you can. Bleaching overnight is ideal because the gel will typically last all night since your mouth produces less saliva. If you have to bleach during the day, you’ll have to add gel several times because saliva can get into the trays and wash it out. Just be sure you can get at least 20-30 minutes of bleaching time in because that is now long it takes for the gel to soak into the tooth.

Before any color-matching is done on your new crowns, you’ll want to be sure to have stopped whitening approximately two weeks prior. The secret to teeth whitening is in the peroxide gel releasing tiny bubbles of pure oxygen within your tooth, oxidizing the stains and darker colors. These little oxygen bubbles need time to disperse in order to get a true color. If you are doing eight front teeth, the color of the back teeth and the lower teeth just need to be a close match, so a week would be sufficient. If you need an exact color match of a front tooth with a crown matched to another front tooth with natural enamel, you need to wait the full two weeks. If your dentist cannot easily articulate this information to you, you should rethink whether or not f this is the best dentist to give you a new smile.

Remember, your teeth will pick up stains from food or drinks like coffee, tea, berries, etc. Typically, whitening for 2-3 days for an hour/day once every year or two should help you maintain that bright white bleached color.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Find out why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

 

Best way to fix two loosened teeth

Posted on by AllSmiles.

I was involved in a domestic dispute over the weekend, the day after THanksgiving, and a blow to my mouth caused my front two teeth to loosen. I don’t want to be taken advantage of with dental work that I don’t need. I will be making an appointment this week, but will you please tell me what is the proper treatment for my teeth? Vanessa

Vanessa – We are very sorry to hear about your incident and the damage that it did to your teeth.

If the roots of your teeth are not fractured, a dentist needs to bond your teeth into the correct position so the bone will heal. Your teeth should be fine after that. You will need a follow-up appointment with the dentist to ensure there is no nerve damage to your teeth.

A root canal treatment will be needed if you do have nerve damage. If the root canal treatment is needed, the dentist will ensure that crown of the tooth is free of cement. This prevents the tooth from darkening with time. If your tooth was in good condition prior to the damage, it’s unlikely that you need a porcelain crown, which will likely weaken the tooth.

Best wishes on the repair of your teeth.

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

 

How can I correctly whiten my teeth before receiving porcelain crowns?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

Hi, I am getting 4 new crowns in January. I have used Opalescence for whitening my teeth. I want to get my teeth to right as far as whitening is concerned before I get the crowns. Will you please tell me how many weeks I should do the touch up and how long I should keep the gel on each time? Also I know the whitening keeps working for a while after I stop the touch up, so should I give it a few weeks to take affect before my appointment or what is the right amount of time? – Tonya Miller

Tonya – It concerns us that you didn’t receive details from your dentist on how to effectively whiten your teeth before you receive your crowns. An excellent cosmetic dentist would have discussed teeth whitening with you in detail as part of your treatment plan.

How long you should do your touch-up depends on how white you want your teeth to be. Your teeth will become increasingly whiter, the longer you do the touch-up. The pace of the whitening will get slower, but your teeth will continue to brighten.

How long you leave the gel on with each touch-up treatment depends on how sensitive your teeth are to the bleaching gel. For daytime whitening, you should leave the gel on at least 20 to 30 minutes. If you sleep with the whitening trays on your teeth, the gel is less inhibited by saliva slow while you sleep, and the whitening will be even more effective.

Oxygen bubbles from the bleaching gel continue to whiten your teeth for approximately two weeks after your touch-up treatment is complete. Complete the touch-up at least two full weeks before receiving your porcelain crowns.

Touch-ups are needed every year or two to keep your smile bright. Certain food and drink like coffee, tea, and berries can stain your teeth, so the touch-ups will remove the stains.

A dentist with strong cosmetic dentistry credentials will ensure that your touch-ups are correctly done before you receive your crowns. He or she will also ensure that your crowns perfectly match your natural teeth.

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

Should I get my teeth bleached before I get a porcelain crown?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

I’ve been planning to have my teeth bleached this fall, but I had an accident that broke more than half of one of my front teeth. Now I need a porcelain crown. Does it matter which I have done first—the crown or the teeth bleaching? – Donna P. from River Ridge

Donna – Yes, it does make a difference which treatment you have done first. If you want whiter teeth, they should be bleached first.Then, the porcelain crown will be matched to your whiter teeth. If you get the crown first, when your teeth are bleached, they will be whiter than the crown.The crown will be noticeable—not natural looking—and you’ll likely want a new crown.

You need a waiting period between your teeth whitening and the placement of the crown. When your teeth are bleached, the color will stabilize in about two weeks. So wait for the entire two weeks to pass before attempting to match the porcelain crown to your bleached teeth.

You’ll save time and money if you have your teeth bleached first, wait two weeks for the color to stabilize, and then receive a porcelain crown.

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