Call Us: (267) 763-1500

261 Old York Rd, Ste 517, Jenkintown, PA 19046

  • About Us
    • Meet Dr. Michael Weiss
    • About Our Staff
    • Reviews
    • Financial Policies
    • Request an Appointment
    • Contact Us
    • What Can I Expect My First Visit?
    • Patient Forms
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Smile Makeovers
    • Dental Bonding
    • Teeth Whitening
    • Zoom Whitening
    • Porcelain Crowns
  • Gallery
  • The website of Dr. Michael Weiss
  • Implants
    • Dental Implants
    • Dentures
    • Implant Overdentures
    • Facial Collapse
  • Other Services
    • Dental Crowns
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • e.max Crowns
    • Full-Mouth Reconstruction
    • TMJ Dentist
    • Emergency Dentist
    • Mercury-Free Dentist
Banner image on site front page
Cosmetic and
restorative
dentistry

Archives for January 2021

Teeth Under My Porcelain Veneers are Turning Dark

Posted on January 28, 2021 by writeradmin.

I paid a small fortune for a smile makeover. For some reason, the teeth underneath it are turning dark. My dentist doesn’t seem to believe me. I don’t think I am imagining this. I wonder if it has something to do with the tops of the veneers don’t quite go flush with the gumline. There is a bit of a ledge there.

Portia

Dear Portia,

 

a porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

Bear in mind I haven’t actually seen your porcelain veneers, Based on what you’ve described, though. you have got a big problem here. It sounds to me that you have some open margins which is leading to leaking. This means your porcelain veneers need to be replaced. There is more at stake here than just the appearance. You are also putting your teeth at risk.

What is going on is your porcelain veneers were not bonded on properly. As a result, there is food and other bacteria getting trapped between your teeth and your porcelain veneers. That bacteria will sit on your teeth and turn into decay.

It doesn’t sound like your dentist is willing to own up to his error without some encouragement. Most dentists want to look good in front of their peers. My suggestion is you get another dentist on your side. In this case, you will want to see an expert cosmetic dentist. I recommend you see if there is an AACD accredited dentist in your area.

Have them look at your smile makeover and see what they say about it. Make sure it is a blind second opinion. By that, I mean don’t tell your dentist who did your smile makeover. If they ask, tell them you want their unbiased opinion.

If it turns out I am right and you do need to have these replaced, the dentist can help you get a refund. Then, I would make sure you have the expert cosmetic dentist do the new veneers. You’ll have much more beautiful results that will last a long time.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Filed Under: Smile Makeover Tagged With: AACD accredited dentist, cosmetic dentistry mistakes, finding an expert cosmetic dentist, porcelain veneers, teeth darkening

Dentist Won’t Do Bonding

Posted on January 23, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have black triangles that developed after some orthodontics.  I read online that this can be fixed with dental bonding but my dentist is insisting this is a bad idea. I don’t want to leave these holes so what can I say to convince him? I’ve tried showing him an article about it and he really still doesn’t think it is a good idea.

Brenda

Dear Brenda,

example of black triangles

While you are correct that dental bonding will be a good solution for this, I would not push him into this. When a dentist tries to steer a patient away from a procedure, it is usually because they are not qualified to do it but do not want their patient to lose confidence in them.

This is an advanced, tricky procedure to do. In your place, I am going to suggest you see a dentist with the training necessary to do it. The dentists with proven skills and training are AACD accredited. There are other excellent cosmetic dentists as well, but these have already been tested so you know what you are getting into. If I were in your position. That would be the dentist I’d use.

If you are interested in whitening your teeth. Make certain you do it before you have any bonding done. The color can’t be changed on the bonding after it is done, so you want any color matching to be done with the color you are going to keep.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

 

Filed Under: Dental Bonding Tagged With: AACD accredited dentist, black triangles, composite bonding, finding an expert cosmetic dentist, Teeth Whitening

Getting Front Implant Teeth to Look Beautiful

Posted on January 16, 2021 by writeradmin.

I am about to get four dental implants on my front teeth, but I want them to look beautiful. I’ve been doing research and read that I need to have a porcelain and not a porcelain fused to metal crown or they will look ugly.  My dentist is talking about putting crowns (not implants) on the two adjacent teeth in order to make sure everything matches. I realized after reading that we never talked about what type of dental crowns he’s planning on using. I should talk to him about that before moving forward. What else should I be looking into?

Catherine

Dear Catherine,

Diagram of a dental implant

I am very glad you wrote. You are correct that you want all-porcelain crowns. For front teeth, it is essential.  You mentioned something else that has concerned me, however. You said your dentist is planning on placing two extra (and if I understand correctly, unnecessary) dental crowns on your adjacent teeth in order to get everything to match.  That is a particularly bad sign that tells me this dentist is inexperienced in cosmetic dentistry.

Neither the cosmetic or dental implant fields are recognized specialties. This means that any general dentist can do the procedures regardless of the amount of training they’ve received. For cosmetic dentistry, this means people spending a fortune for smiles that end up disappointing at best. For dental implants, it has become one of the leading litigated malpractice procedures. For some patients, that has led to serious complications, including losing part of their jaw.

You are going to need to find a dentist who has both dental implant and cosmetic training. Because it is your front teeth, I would start with the cosmetic qualifications and then look for someone on that list who also has the right dental implant training.

Finding the Right Dentist for Your Implants

My suggestion is to find a dentist who has reach accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are among the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They have passed stringent exams proving their technical knowledge about every facet of the procedures. Then they had to pass an examination board that carefully looked at before and after results of a large number of cases they’ve worked on to prove that not only can they translate that knowledge to their practical skill, but they also have the artistry to create beautiful results.

Once you’ve made a list of AACD accredited dentists you are willing to travel to use, look at their dental implant qualifications. Ideally, they will have done post-doctoral studies at one of the following institutions:

  • Dawson Academy
  • Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Kois Center

There are others, but these three are among the top.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Filed Under: Dental Implants Tagged With: AACD accredited dentists, dental implant crowns, dental implants on front teeth, finding an implant dentist

Dentist Says I Can’t Whiten My Teeth

Posted on January 3, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have really ugly teeth and wanted to get them whitened. However, my dentist said my teeth are endogenous and because of that, I cannot get them whitened. Is that true? If so, is there anything I can do to make them look better? I am so embarrassed by my smile.

Kelly Anne

Dear Kelly Anne,

teeth whitening trays

There is always something you can do to make your teeth look better. I’m sorry your dentist was zero help to you. I am not crazy about it when dentists use clinical words with patients without explaining what it means. That doesn’t help you at all.

What he is trying to say is the stains on your teeth are endogenous, not your teeth themselves. Endogenous stains are simply stains that were acquired while your tooth was developing. There are two categories of this that dentists see most often.

The first is tetracycline stains. These are the result of taking the tetracycline medication during childhood while your teeth were still developing. Even professional teeth whitening does not make much headway with these type of stains. They are just too deep and dark.

The second is fluorosis stains. These are the result of consuming too much fluoride during your teeth’s development. While they are more superficial, teeth whitening is still not a good solution because the fluorosis stains usually result is splotched teeth. Because teeth whitening bleaches the teeth uniformly, the teeth will be whiter but still splotchy. That’s not an attractive look.

The Solution for Endogenous Teeth Stains

The best solution in both of these cases is to have porcelain veneers placed. These tiny wafers of porcelain that cover your teeth are the go-to procedure for celebrity smile makeovers. They can change anything you want about your smile, including the shape, size, and color.

The only real catch with these is it requires an advanced cosmetic dentist to give you beautiful results. Smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. It is up to the dentist how much training they invest in to do this type of work. Tetracycline stains, especially, are among the most difficult cases for a dentist to do. In your place, I would only go to an AACD accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: AACD accredited dentist, finding an expert cosmetic dentist, Fluorosis Stains, porcelain veneers, Smile Makeovers, teeth stains, tetracycline stains, tooth bleaching

Recent Posts

  • Is It Safe to Get Dental Implants with Osteoporosis?
  • Must I Have Bone Grafting Done in Order to get Dental Implants
  • Are Lumineers My Only Option to Repair Old Dental Bonding?
  • Will Vaping Stain My New Porcelain Veneers?
  • Is It Unsafe to Remove Amalgam Fillings?

Categories

  • AACD Accredited Dentist
  • Amalgam
  • Bad Breath
  • Best Dentist
  • Chipped Teeth
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Dental Bonding
  • Dental Crowns
  • Dental Implants
  • Gums
  • Implant Overdentures
  • Oral Health
  • Porcelain Crowns
  • Porcelain Veneers
  • Restorative Dentistry
  • Smile Makeover
  • Teeth Whitening
  • TMJ
  • Tooth Fillings
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • 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
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 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
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
Contact
261 Old York Rd, Ste 517
Jenkintown, PA 19046
Phone
Call Us: (267) 763-1500
Office Hours
Monday to Thursday: 8am – 5pm
Friday: 8am – 12pm
Follow Us
Facebook
Instagram
Reviews
Google
Yelp
Facebook
Michael Weiss logo on website

©2015- 2023 Michael Weiss, DDS Cosmetic Dentistry • All rights reserved
Website Design and SEO by Infinity Dental Web IDW Copyright Logo

  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Best Dentist in Philadelphia
  • Philadelphia Accredited Cosmetic Dentist
  • Jenkintown Affordable Dental Implants
Menu
Mobile logo for Dr. Michael Weiss Phones Icon of a telephone
  • About Us
    • Meet Dr. Michael Weiss
    • About Our Staff
    • Reviews
    • Financial Policies
    • Request an Appointment
    • Contact Us
    • What Can I Expect My First Visit?
    • Patient Forms
  • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Smile Makeovers
    • Dental Bonding
    • Teeth Whitening
    • Zoom Whitening
    • Porcelain Crowns
  • Gallery
  • The website of Dr. Michael Weiss
  • Implants
    • Dental Implants
    • Dentures
    • Implant Overdentures
    • Facial Collapse
  • Other Services
    • Dental Crowns
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • e.max Crowns
    • Full-Mouth Reconstruction
    • TMJ Dentist
    • Emergency Dentist
    • Mercury-Free Dentist