Archives for November 2022

Dental Bridge Looks Awful

Posted on November 29, 2022 by writeradmin.

I am from Romania and had a crooked later incisor as I was growing up. My mother took me to dentist who took out the tooth and eventually gave me a dental bridge. It looked awful. It whiteness was much more than my other teeth and it was bigger. To me, it looked like an alien creature growing out of my mouth. Now I am in United States as an adult and thought they will do it right. I went to my dentist and he redid it. While it is better, it is still too big and too white for my other teeth. Then, it fell off a few times. He always glued it back on but it has me worried constantly. He said my crooked teeth were the problem, so I went to a braces doctor. He fixed it the crooked teeth. Now, for the worst part. He said my bridge looked weird with the rest of my teeth and offered to shave it smaller. I thought that would be okay and he’d know what he was doing but when he finished, I see all the metal coming through. Should he pay to help me fix this? He said I needed another one anyway, but also I wasn’t planning to get one for a while.

Alina N.

Dear Alina,

I am sorry this happened to you. As you have learned not every dentist in the United States has the cosmetic skill and artistry to do something beautifully. You happened on one of those, though there are many. To make matters even worse, your dentist didn’t even have the skill to keep your bridge bonded in. Even if your bite was off, with proper placement and bonding technique, the bridge should have stayed in.

To get this fixed, you will need an expert cosmetic dentist. I would look for an AACD Accredited Dentist. These are the top cosmetic dentist in the country. It would be worth it to you even if you had to drive to a nearby city or state. He or she can make you a dental bridge that will match your smile exactly.

As to your orthodontist, yes, he should contribute to this cost. While it is true that you needed another one, he damaged the current one far beyond what is acceptable even for someone who doesn’t do cosmetic work. Plus, you weren’t planning on getting another one for some time. Maybe a fair compromise would be for him to pay half.

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

A Way to Guarantee a Beautiful Smile Makeover

Posted on November 18, 2022 by writeradmin.

I want to have a smile makeover done because I have never liked my smile. I am ready to invest in something great, but I am concerned about the results. I’ve had two friends get smile makeovers. One looked great and the other really was a disappointment. I think her smile was prettier before her makeover. The veneers are even darker than her original smile. I didn’t want to tell her she got ripped off but that is what I was thinking. If I am going to do this, I want to make sure I get the nice one. Is there a way to make sure that happens?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I commend you for both your caution and your research. To answer your question, yes, there is a way to guarantee that you will receive a great smile makeover. Often we get questions such as, “What materials should I choose for my smile makeover?” or “What type of porcelain veneers should I get, Lumineers or DuraThin?” But the materials do not make the biggest difference when it comes to smile makeovers. My guess is your two friends went to two different dentists because that is the key. The dentist.

Think of it like commissioning a painting. Let’s say you want a portrait of the love of your life done. You hire two artists to do the same portrait. You can give both of them the same materials. The same canvas. The same brushes. The same paints. Yet, the portraits will turn out differently. Why? Because each artist has different skill levels.

If you want a great smile makeover, I would look for a cosmetic dentist who has great post-doctoral training and beautiful artistry. That is a lot of legwork, so if you want a shortcut, my suggestion is to look for an AACD accredited dentist. These dentists have passed stringent exams on their technical knowledge, as well as demonstrated artistry on a large number of cases they’ve done personally. Any one of them can create a gorgeous smile for you.

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

Dental Bonding Problems

Posted on November 4, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had a gap at the top of my gums, between my teeth. The empty space looked like tiny black triangles. My dentist told me dental bonding was the solution for that and assured me it would blend perfectly naturally. It did not. Instead, it looked like he put some caulking between my teeth. I expressed how I felt about it and he responded that it was just the harsh lighting in his office. It wasn’t. When I got back to my home, which had low light, it still looked the same. That night, when I was brushing and flossing, I realized that now I couldn’t floss between those teeth. I’m very concerned about this. Is there a way to fix this?

Bernie

Dear Bernie,

When dental bonding is done well, it will blend seamlessly. You would also be able to floss between your teeth. The fact that you cannot floss is a big issue. This area will become a magnet for trapped food and bacteria leading to decay. In a weird, fortuitous way, though, this benefits you. Without this issue, you would not have had any recourse.

Believe it or not, because cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty, the standard of care is whether or not it is functional, not whether or not it is beautiful. In that case, you would have been stuck with bathroom caulk for your bonding. However, because his repair is not functional, you can ask for your money back to have this redone by a dentist who has the cosmetic skills to do it well.

This type of repair is more challenging than your typical dental bonding case. The area at that part of your gums can be dark, which means there needs to be subtle coloring differences in the bonding that goes in this area. I would think only the top cosmetic dentists can do this correctly.

Once you get your refund, my suggestion is that you look for an AACD accredited dentist to close your black triangles. They are the dentists with the skill and training to pull this off in a way that looks both beautiful and natural.

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