Archives for March 2021

Sonic Toothbrushes and Dental Bonding

Posted on March 30, 2021 by writeradmin.

I read that you cannot use ultrasonic toothbrushes if you’ve had dental bonding. Is there a particular type of toothbrush that should be used?

Addy

Dear Addy,

I think there is some confusion of terms here. Toothbrushes can be sonic, but I don’t know of any ultrasonic toothbrushes at this point. Could it be you read something about ultrasonic scalers or cleaners? These are used by dental hygienists. When not done skillfully, they can nick and damage the dental bonding. This is a danger to dental work.

However, if you are going to an office that does a LOT of cosmetic work, then the hygienist is probably trained and highly skilled and your dental work will be safe.

Sonic toothbrushes do not have the same risk. Sonic moves slower than ultrasonic. Plus, the bristles are soft, which also lessens the chance of damage.

You’re fine using pretty much any toothbrush you will use regularly.

That being said, one thing you will definitely want to avoid at your dentist’s office is that the hygienist doesn’t use the power prophy jet or acidulated fluoride. Both of those things will permanently damage your dental work.

Like the scalers, an office that does a lot of cosmetic work will know this, but your average family dentist may not.

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

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Tanda Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System

Posted on March 27, 2021 by writeradmin.

I recently read an advertisement about a Tanda Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System. It said I could whiten my teeth in just 5 minutes a day. I like that idea because the system I am using now aches my jaw and is aggravating my TMJ Disorder. Do you know if the advertisements about this system are accurate?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

I am glad you wrote because I think I can help you. I looked up this system. It functions on the basic system that other professional teeth whitening systems use. It uses a peroxide gel that is placed in a bleaching tray. In that aspect it is fine. However, there are some differences you need to be aware of that could cause some issues.

First, the tray. This system uses just one tray that you bite down to form to your teeth. Here are my concerns about that. When you have trays made by a dentist, they are form-fitted to your specific bite. This keeps the gel from leaking out and saliva from leaking into the tray. Both of those things weaken the effectiveness of the teeth whitening. This means you will have to get more whitening gel than you normally would in order to get the same results.

However, there is another difference with the tray that will be a bigger problem for you. Custom-fitted trays can be worn anywhere and are more comfortable than most. With the Tanda Pearl System, there are not really trays as much as a single tray you have to bite down on the entire time to keep it in place. Even for just five minutes, that is going to cause serious problems with your TMJ Disorder. Because of that, I would not recommend this system for you.

You did not mention what you were currently using, but if it isn’t a system through your dentist, that may be why you are experiencing the aching. Talk to your dentist about what is going on and have him make you trays that won’t ache your jaw when you wear them.

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

Metal Allergies and Dental Implants

Posted on March 15, 2021 by writeradmin.

Can you point me in the right direction? I have several missing teeth. While I have removable partial dentures for them, I’d really love to upgrade my smile to dental implants. However, I have a horrible metal allergy. I can’t wear my jewelry and even have to put fabric over all metal snaps and buttons, etc. Is it possible for me to get dental implants? Do you know if many people are allergic to them?

Kelsey

Dear Kelsey,

I am glad you wrote. Traditional dental implants are made from titanium for the root form and generally some form of porcelain for the crown. Titanium has been used for decades now in body prosthetics and is considered to be one of the most biocompatible materials available. Documented cases of titanium allergies are less than 1% of the population. It is extremely rare.

If you are still concerned, you have two options:

First, you can get tested specifically for a titanium allergy. Though, allergy testing can be expensive, especially if it turns out you are not allergic.

Your second option is to get metal-free dental implants. These are made from zirconia, which is nicknamed ceramic steel. It is more than strong enough to provide the prosthetic necessary for your biting forces. If it is just as good as the traditional dental implants, why don’t more dentists use them?

That is mostly because there is not as much long-term data on them. We have decades of data on the longevity of the titanium implants. The zirconia counterparts just have not been around as long so the data isn’t there yet. Many dentists prefer to stay with what they know.

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

Implants Came Out in Two Days

Posted on March 1, 2021 by writeradmin.

I need some advice. I had six dental implants placed. I’ve already paid 2/3 of the bill and 3 of them have fallen out just two days later. Should I have to continue paying for these with half of them already gone? Should I be worried about the other half? Is there a way to still get dental implants or will I be stuck with dentures?

Emily

Dear Emily,

Implant overdentures are a combination of dental implants and dentures

While dental implant failure does happen. The failure rate for dentists who know what there doing is somewhere between 2% – 5%, even then it wouldn’t happen in days, but years. Your dentist has a 50% failure rate in just two days. No, you should not have to keep paying. In fact, I would say you are entitled to a full refund, plus enough to have this repaired correctly. I have little confidence the remaining three dental implants will fair any better.

One thing I would like you to do is having an experienced implant dentist look at these. Look for someone who has qualification such as you find on Dr. Weiss’s bio, especially the Dawson Academy and his involvement with the Academies of Osseointegration (a word we’ll get to in just a moment). They should be able to tell you why it failed and help you secure the refund you are entitled to.

Common Reasons for Dental Implant Failure:

Development of infection: The cause of this is often poorly fitting dental implant fixtures. I do not think this is you, because an infection is usually accompanied by fever and / or pain.
Diagnostic shortcuts: Before doing any dental implant procedure a dentist should do extensive tests to determine whether you have enough bone to adequately support the implants. This should include a CT scan, though some dentists do try to skimp on the diagnostics. This hurts the patient. So you know, not having enough bone support does not disqualify you from getting the implants. There is a bone grafting procedure that can be done prior to the implant procedure to build up the support you need to have secure fixtures.
The use of substandard implant fixtures: This is when dentists try to increase their profits by purchasing their implant fixtures overseas. These are significantly less expensive than they ones you purchase in the U.S., but for good reason. They do not go through the same quality control and are much more prone to fail.
Incorrect placement of the implant: Placing dental implants correctly takes a lot of training as well as the correct x-rays and scans. In some cases this happens because your oral surgeon determined the placement instead of the dentist. Even if the dentist has to refer you out for the surgical procedure, it should always be the dentist that determines the placement. In other cases, the dental implants don’t fail, but are still placed incorrectly and either perforate the sinus cavity or end up on a nerve.
Premature loading: This means putting stress on the implant before it has fully fused with the bone. That is the osseointegration I mentioned earlier. If your dentist had just placed the dentures on them and then they fell two days later, this would be one of the first things I would look into.

Once you know why the implants failed, you can get your refund, then get this done properly.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.
An AACD accredited dentist.