Smile Makeover Archives - Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist

Smile Makeover Disaster with Tetracycline Stains

April 18, 2022 by writeradmin

I have tetracycline-stained teeth. I went to my dentist who is very reputable and has done a great job for me over the years. I was considering porcelain veneers, but my dentist talked me into porcelain crowns saying that they would help cover the stains better. This did not turn out to be the case. The gray is visible with each of the crowned teeth AND the crowns look fake, so it’s obvious I have fake teeth. But, not even pretty fake teeth. He said he can send them back to the lab. I’m so confused. I looked online and there is a woman from a different dentist who has beautiful teeth after getting her tetracycline teeth made over and she used porcelain veneers! What has gone wrong with my teeth? Will doing them again with crowns make a difference? I don’t think I can get porcelain veneers after I have crowns, right?

Leslie

Dear Leslie,

You are correct that you will always have to have crowns now that you have them. This is because the teeth have been ground down to little nubs. That tooth structure is gone. In a way you have answered your other question already. You said, “…a woman from a different dentist.” The key to any smile makeover is the dentist who does it. One warning sign is when a dentist suggests porcelain crowns over porcelain veneers when the tooth is healthy and does not need a crown. These dentists are either not comfortable doing porcelain veneers to begin with or do not have enough skill in them and think that the added structure of dental crowns will make it easier to cover the stains.

Sending it back to the lab will only help if he can give them good directions. A lab is more like a pharmacy who fills the prescription of the doctor. It is the doctor that has to come up with the right diagnosis and the appropriate medicine for it. I am not convinced he can write the correct directions. However, there is no harm in allowing him to try. If you do that, do it on the condition that he uses a temporary try-in paste and if you don’t love them the second time then you get a refund. You should get to see them in several lights before making a decision.

If you end up needing a refund, you will want to look for an expert cosmetic dentist. The easiest way for you to do this is to look for a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists have proven skill and artistry. They can give you a beautiful smile whether using porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns.

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

What Do You Think of GlamSmile?

February 15, 2022 by writeradmin

I want to get a smile makeover and recently read about something called GlamSmile. It is supposed to be less expensive and the dentist can place them in just one hour. Have you looked into these? If so, what do you think of them?

Brooke

Dear Brooke,

I’m glad you wrote. I think I can help you and save you a major disappointment. Here are some things to consider with GlamSmile:

First, similarly to Lumineers, they are marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being super easy to place. GlamSmile tells them that the lab does all the work so they don’t need extensive post-doctoral training to place these. There are countless examples of cosmetic dentistry horror stories of patients from both Lumineers and GlamSmile, and even other brands of traditional porcelain veneers. where patients were distraught because they spent a fortune on a smile makeover that actually made their smile look worse. This is because the brand does not matter nearly as much as the technical and artistic skill of the dentist doing the makeover.

Second, they have another marketing push that is telling dentists that they can make five times their normal means in the same amount of time they normally would spend with a patient in the chair. Whenever you push how much you’ll make to dentists, it stops becoming “which is best for the patient” and tempts dentists to push certain procedures which can increase their profit.

Finally, I am quite skeptical about their suggestion that this can be done in one hour. In fact, even they say the dentist may need to schedule a second appointment to finish up removing excess cement. Generally, to do this well, would take around three or more hours.

So, what should you do? Instead of looking for a specific brand, I am going to suggest you change your thought process to looking for the right dentist. You need someone with extensive post-doctoral training, as well as technical skill and artistry. The easiest way to find a dentist like this is to go to an AACD accredited dentist. These have proven skills.

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

Can Snap-on Smile Make for a Nice Smile Makeover?

December 31, 2021 by writeradmin

I want to get a smile makeover but my dentist quoted me quite a bit of money. I did some online research and it looks like I can get snap on porcelain veneers for a fraction of the cost. Is this as good a deal as it looks?

Carter

Dear Carter,

When it comes to snap on veneers, such as a Snap-on Smile, which is the best brand of this sort, your expectations are way too high. These are made of acrylic and fit over your teeth. These are mostly intended as a temporary solution. the best uses for these are a job interview or photo shoot where you need to upgrade your smile quickly. However, they do not last long, nor do they look nearly as beautiful as a smile makeover with porcelain veneers will. Additionally, because they fit over your teeth, many of them look bulky.

My suggestion if you are in a hurry but do not have the money right now is to get Snap-on Smile only as a temporary solution while you save up for a real smile makeover with porcelain veneers. In reality, it will only last about three years tops anyway.

How to Get a Beautiful Smile Makeover

To get gorgeous results, you will need an expert cosmetic dentist. Don’t judge that by cost alone. Look for someone with extensive post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. If you want an easy button for this, I would look for an AACD accredited dentist. These are the best cosmetic dentists in the country. Any one of them can create a stunning smile for you.

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

Is It Possible to Save Some Money on a Nice Smile Makeover?

November 1, 2021 by writeradmin

When I was younger I wore braces, but didn’t wear the retainer afterward like I was supposed to. Now my teeth are shifted and not centered. I also have chips and dings and some teeth are worn down from grinding. I know you have to go to an expert cosmetic dentist for this. My neighbor recently had a smile makeover and his dentist did a fantastic job, but the cost was $35,000. I can’t afford that. Is there a way to get an attractive smile makeover without it costing quite so much?

Aaron

Dear Aaron,

A smile makeover is generally done with porcelain veneers, though because of your teeth grinding you may need some porcelain crowns as well. The most important aspect of any smile makeover is the skill and artistry of the dentist who does it. Each dentist’s prices vary depending on a great deal of factors including property and salary costs in their area.

There are two resources I can give you where you can safely price shop. Do NOT just call around to random cosmetic dentists looking for a cheap price. You will end up with a cosmetic dentistry horror story. Just use the dentists on these two lists I’m going to provide. The reason I say that is each of these cosmetic dentists have been screened for their training, technical knowledge and skill, as well as their artistry. Any one of them can provide you with a beautiful smile makeover. In these cases, you can go with the most affordable.

The first resource has a list of AACD accredited dentists. You will go to AACD.com and click on “find a cosmetic dentist”. Make certain you check the box for AACD accredited. Accreditation is completely different from membership, so that is vital. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country.

The second resource is mynewsmile.com. The dentist that runs this website is a retired accredited dentist. He prescreens dentists who want to be listed. They can’t get on there without massive skills. While many are accredited on his list, some are still in the process of accreditation, which takes years, but have the skills necessary now.

I hope this helps!

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

Do they Do Crowns for Smile Makeovers?

October 1, 2021 by writeradmin

I am a little confused about my smile makeover. I thought I was getting porcelain veneers, but when it was done, they seem to cover the whole tooth, not just the front. Is this normal for porcelain veneers? Should I be concerned?

Penny

Dear Penny,

You are correct that porcelain veneers just cover the front of the tooth. If yours are going all the way around your tooth, then that means you were given porcelain crowns. Every once in a while, in the midst of preparing a smile makeover, a dentist may notice a tooth that has an issue and needs a crown instead of a veneer, but your dentist should have discussed this with you before going forward.

Preparing a tooth for a crown is much more aggressive than for veneers. It also weakens your teeth and puts them at a greater risk of breaking further on down the line. I would talk to your dentist and ask him the reasoning behind doing crowns? It was unethical to make the change or misrepresent what he provided you.

The thing to ask at this point is how your feel about the look of your smile makeover. Crowns or veneers, are you in love with the smile? If so, I wouldn’t ask for a refund. however, I will tell him you are concerned about the weakening of the teeth and ask him to take some responsibility if a tooth breaks as a result.

If, however, you are not pleased with the smile makeover, you are within your rights to ask for a refund. Then, I would like you to get this re-done by a skilled cosmetic dentist. In your place, I would look for an AACD accredited cosmetic dentist to redo your makeover.

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

Number of Porcelain Veneers in a Smile Makeover

August 8, 2021 by writeradmin

I want to improve my smile with a smile makeover. Can you tell me how many porcelain veneers I’d need to get to make all my teeth look whiter?

Stacey

Dear Stacey,

First, I want to clarify something. If the only thing you want to change about your smile is the color, you can do that a lot more affordably by just doing teeth whitening. A smile makeover is when you want to change more. In addition to the color, you may want to change their shape, size, or character. From here forward, I am going to go on the assumption that you want a true smile makeover.

The number of porcelain veneers you would get for a smile makeover will depend on the color difference and the size of your smile. If you are only needing a subtle change to the color, then you can get away with six porcelain veneers. However, if you are looking for a more substantial change in color, then you would need between eight and twelve porcelain veneers. How many will depend on the width of your smile. Stand in front of a mirror and smile the way you do when you’re really happy. How many teeth can you see? That is how many veneers you should get.

The most important thing you can do for your smile makeover, however, is to find the right dentist. Smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. In order to become skilled, dentists have to invest in a significant amount of post-doctoral training. To give you a shortcut to finding those types of dentists I would simply do an internet search for an AACD accredited dentist. These are the most skilled and artistic dentists in the world. Any one of them can give you a stunning smile.

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

Why Has My Smile Makeover Lost its Shine?

July 3, 2021 by writeradmin

I am planning on asking my cosmetic dentist the same question I am asking you, but want to go into the appointment with as much knowledge as possible. Just over six months ago I had a total smile makeover done on my upper teeth with porcelain veneers. For the bottom teeth, we just did teeth whitening. I chose my cosmetic dentist very carefully and he is one of the tops in the field. The smile makeover itself was stunning and I was thrilled with the results. It cost me quite a bit of money, but I have looked at it as an investment. I’ve been very diligent with my oral hygiene as I want this to last for many years to come. My routine consists of brushing twice a day with Crest 3D Glamorous White Toothpaste, flossing once a day, and then rinsing with Listerine Whitening 6 in one with Fluoride. Despite all this effort, my porcelain veneers have lost their shine. Now they look quite dull instead of having the lovely sheen they had when I first came home with them. I went online where someone suggested I use baking soda. I did, but did not see any improvement. Can you help me here?

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

I am delighted to hear that you were satisfied with your smile makeover and that you are striving to take such good care of it. Let’s start with what you are using to care for your smile. Both the toothpaste and the mouthwash you are using can cause some minor damage to your porcelain veneers. Nothing to the extent you are describing, but they will contribute. Typical whitening toothpaste at the stores rely on abrasives to remove the stains on your teeth. With porcelain veneers, these abrasives will scratch the veneer and eventually, leave it very susceptible to staining. Listerine, like most mouthwashes, contains alcohol. This will also damage the veneer, but it mostly damages the bonding materials.

As I mentioned before, this isn’t really enough to lead to the amount to anything significant this quickly, I can think of two things that would result in the damage you are describing. The first is if your dentist provided you with composite veneers instead of porcelain veneers. While porcelain is extraordinarily stain-resistant, even more so than your natural teeth. Composite, however, picks up stains quite easily. You said you researched your dentist quite carefully, so I am not inclined to think this is the issue. It would take a very unethical dentist to place composite veneers but call them porcelain.

A second possibility is that your hygienist used something on your porcelain veneers that damaged the glazing. A couple of things you need to avoid during your cleaning/checkup appointments are the power prophy jet and the acidulated fluoride. If you go to a practice that does a lot of cosmetic work, the staff should be well trained enough to know this, but it is always possible you had someone new.

Your dentist can repair this. He should do so at his cost. Once they have that shine again, I want to make sure you have the right toothpaste to care for them. If you want a whitening toothpaste, the only one I recommend for people who have had any type of cosmetic work, especially a complete smile makeover, is to get SuperSmile Toothpaste. This is specially formulated to work with cosmetic procedures. There are no abrasives at all. Instead, it uses knowledge of chemical binding to remove the stains on your veneers. It is 100% safe. As for mouthwash, you can forgo it altogether or look for one that does not contain alchohol.

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

Teeth Under My Porcelain Veneers are Turning Dark

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,

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.

They Should Be Worried About Their Smile Makeover

December 5, 2020 by writeradmin

My husband and I went to a local dentist who advertised smile makeovers with Lumineers. We were both excited about getting our smile re-done. Our impressions were taken and we were told it would be two weeks. About the time they were supposed to be in, the dentist called and told us that the impressions were bad and we’d need to come in and have them re-done. It seems odd to me that they were still on the impression part when they were supposed to be done. Should I be concerned? Do you think we’ll actually get them? We’ve already paid upfront.

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

I am not concerned that you will not get them. I feel certain you will get them. The thing I am concerned about though is whether you’ll be happy with them. There are some things here that concern me. The first is the impressions. It doesn’t bother me that the first impressions were not good and needed to be re-done. That can happen from time to time even at the best of cosmetic offices. What does worry me is how long it took them to tell you.

I obviously wasn’t with your dentist but I can tell you what it sounds like to me. The lab would have known fairly quickly that the impressions were not good, so why didn’t they call you then? My guess is your dentist felt embarrassed that the impressions weren’t good. Maybe he or she is insecure about their cosmetic skills and they don’t have a ton of experience. Maybe they didn’t realize everyone has bad impressions now and again. Either way, for it to go that long they would have had to try to tell the lab to try anyway. After some effort, the lab called back saying the impressions were unworkable. Now they have to call you to re-do them.

Lumineers are a particular brand of porcelain veneers that are often marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. However, doing smile makeovers is not taught in dental school; nor is cosmetic dentistry a recognized specialty. A dentist has to invest in post-doctoral training in order to learn how to create beautiful smiles. Lumineers just requires them to do a single seminar and then the dentist is officially “Lumineers Certified”.

Unfortunately, that isn’t enough. Most patients who go to dentists with this type of training end up disappointed at best. Here is how you can prevent that. When the Lumineers come in, tell your dentist you want them to try them on with a temporary try-in paste. This is to give you time to look at them and decide if you love them. If you don’t, they should go back to the lab to make any changes you request. They shouldn’t get permanently bonded on until you are thrilled with them.

I suggest you call the dentist now and ask them to agree to this. If they don’t, ask for a refund. Then go to a great cosmetic dentist with extensive cosmetic training. The best cosmetic dentists are AACD accredited. Don’t be surprised if they suggest a different brand of porcelain veneers.

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

Horrible Color on My Front Teeth

November 24, 2020 by writeradmin

I had to have zirconia crowns placed on my front teeth. My dentist sent me to a prosthodontist. I have a bit of dental anxiety and so he suggested dental sedation. He assured me I’d be able to see the crowns before they were bonded on. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. He said I saw them and approved them, but I have no recollection of that. I am sure that if I had seen them, I would not have approved them. They are completely gray compared to the rest of my teeth. The dentist is absolutely refusing to replace them, saying that I approved them and they are fine. What do I do? I absolutely do not smile anymore. My teeth look ridiculous to me.

Marion

Dear Marion,

You shouldn’t feel ashamed to smile after having dental work done.

I’m very sorry for the experience you’ve had. We often see these type of cosmetic dentistry horror stories with people who get smile makeovers from an inexperienced cosmetic dentist. Most patients don’t realize that cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty. If a dentist wants training in cosmetic work, they have to invest in post-doctoral training.

Unfortunately, this means every general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist, regardless of the amount of training they’ve attained. This has resulted in some disastrous results. With a prosthodontist, it can actually be a worse scenario. This is because they think their extra training in restorations also makes them experts in cosmetics as well. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

This seems to be what you are facing. He fancies himself an expert and feels justified in not replacing his ugly work. Unfortunately, if the work is functioning it can be hard to get a refund, but I’ll give you some tips for that later. You do have one thing working in your favor.

He would be hard-pressed to say you were lucid enough to truly give approval. It’s never a good idea to use a strong sedation when there is cosmetic work involved, unless the patient is highly anxious. If that is what you are dealing with it is in both your and the dentist’s best interest to try you in provisionals for a while to ensure that you are satisfied with them, while you are in the best possible state of mind.

I’m also a tad curious about his choice of zirconia crowns for front teeth. These come in blocks and are milled into the shape needed for the tooth. Unfortunately, this has a very flat appearance. A wise cosmetic dentist would put a layer of porcelain on top of the zirconia. Porcelain can be done in varying levels of translucency which more mimics your natural tooth structure.

The best way to get a refund from one dentist is to get another one on your side. Often when a dentist won’t listen to a dentist they will listen to a peer. My first recommendation is for you to get a skilled cosmetic dentist, preferably an AACD accredited dentist, to look at them and share their opinion about the appearance. There are some more tips that you can find here.

I also think the dentist who referred you has some responsibility to make this right as well. If your teeth look bad, he or she could pressure the dentist into replacing them. After all, much of his patients will come from referrals. He should want to make sure your dentist is comfortable recommending him.

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