Supersmile toothpaste Archives - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

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.

Protecting Lumineers

Posted on August 9, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m considering getting a smile makeover with Lumineers. Can you tell me how hard they are to take care of?

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

Advertisement with Lumineers including a woman smiling and a single veneer being held by a tool

It’s great that you’re getting a smile makeover. However, I want to caution you against choosing the brand. Instead, you should carefully choose the dentist and let them choose the brand.

While some dentists place Lumineers. Others prefer different brands. What you want is an expert cosmetic dentist who knows the pros and cons of each brand and can create a stunning smile for you.

Caring For Your Lumineers

Whatever brand of porcelain veneers you get, there are things that are important for you to know to keep them in great shape.

Make sure your hygienist understands cosmetic dentistry: Not all hygienists are familiar with cosmetic work. It is important during your checkup and cleanings that your hygienist doesn’t use anything like a Prophy Jet or acidulated fluoride. Either one of these will damage the glazing and cause your veneers to pick up stains.
Keep up with your home care: Being stain-resistant doesn’t mean you can get away with not taking care of your teeth. You’ll have to brush regularly as well as floss. Some dentists recommend you use Supersmile toothpaste, which is specifically designed for cosmetic work.
Protect your teeth from grinding: If you grind your teeth, you’ll want to make sure you get a night guard. Consistent grinding can cause your veneers (and natural teeth) to chip. A night guard protects them.

Finding that Expert Cosmetic Dentist

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. Because of that, any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of their skill level. There are countless cosmetic dentistry horror stories by patients who’ve thought they were getting a gorgeous smile with a qualified cosmetic dentist only to leave heartbroken and disappointed with the results.

Because of that, Dr. Hall, who runs the mynewsmile.com website, decided to make a recommended list of skilled cosmetic dentists. He screens them for both technical training as well as their artistry. Anyone he recommends can give you a gorgeous smile you’ll be thrilled to share with the world.

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

Did I ruin my porcelain veneers by using abrasive toothpaste?

Posted on February 9, 2014 by smiles4u.

Hello,
I started using Crest 3d Vivid toothpaste a couple of months ago. A friend of mine just told me I shouldn’t be using abrasive toothpaste on my porcelain veneers, and recommended Supersmile toothpaste. I’m concerned that I have made a very expensive mistake…that the abrasive toothpaste has either scratched my veneers or it will cause the glaze to come off and the shine will not last as long. Help!

John in California

John,
Your friend is correct in telling you that abrasive toothpastes are not ideal for porcelain veneers. However, you do not need to worry about it scratching the porcelain because porcelain is too hard. The issue is with the bonding composite used to attach the porcelain to your tooth — abrasive toothpaste will scratch or wear it away. Bonding composite forms a very thin line around the entire veneer and the thickness of it depends on the technique of the dentist and the ceramist (it could be anywhere from 100-200 microns or about the thickness of three to five hairs). Using abrasive toothpaste for only two months, you likely will not notice anything yet. If the bonding composite was scratched, it could eventually pick up stain and you would notice a line of stain around the veneer. The other issue with abrasive toothpaste is that it wears away the composite, forming what would be the equivalent of a tiny “ditch” around the veneer. This ditch would attract plaque and eventually start decaying.

Just like your care needs regular maintenance to keep working properly, think of Supersmile toothpaste as great “maintenance” product for your expensive cosmetic dental work. If you use Supersmile on a regular basis from here on out, you should be smiling for many years to come.

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.

Can abrasive toothpaste damage my porcelain veneers?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by AllSmiles.

I hope that I haven’t ruined my new porcelain veneers or at least that I haven’t affected how long they will last. I have been brushing them with a toothpaste that is abrasive. Will the glaze come off? thanks jessica from georgia

Jessica – The porcelain surface of your porcelain veneers will not be scratched by the abrasive toothpaste. But the composite that is used to bond the porcelain to the tooth can scratch and wear away.

If you haven’t used the abrasive toothpaste for an extended period, you probably won’t notice any scratches or wear on the bonding. If the bonding is scratched, a stain line around the veneer will be visible. Or a thin groove around the veneer can form and attract decay. When this happens, see an experienced cosmetic dentist to correct the problem.

Dental bonding is softer than porcelain and it is likely to be scratched from abrasive toothpaste. But an expert cosmetic dentist would be able to polish away the scratches.

Supersmile toothpaste is best to use on cosmetic dental work. It can help preserve the life of your smile makeover.

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