Teeth Whitening Archives - Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist

Teeth Whitening Before a Dental Crown

Posted on August 10, 2022 by writeradmin.

I am getting a dental crown on a white tooth and I want to do a touch-up on my teeth whitening before I get it. I asked my dentist how long I would have to whiten my teeth each day and for how many days to get them back to their original color when I first whitened them three years ago. He couldn’t tell me so I am wondering if there are some tips you have.

Bethany

Dear Bethany,

I am going to help you with this, but before I do I want to let you know that I am concerned that your dentist was unable to answer these type of questions. Teeth whitening is a fairly straightforward procedure. If he can’t deal with that I would not trust him to place a dental crown on your front teeth. We’ll go over how to find a dentist who can in a moment.

The Basic Principles of Teeth Whitening

The main idea behind whitening your teeth is the longer you wear the whitening gel, the faster your teeth will whiten. You can wear them one hour a day, but they whiten faster than if you wear them several hours a day or overnight. Because each person’s teeth are different in the amount of staining and how white they want them, there is no way to quantify a number of days/hours. The one constant is you want to leave a week between when you stop your teeth whitening and when you begin the procedure for your dental crown. This is because the teeth will continue to whiten during that time period.

Getting a Crown on a Front Tooth

Crowns on back teeth are no big deal. The color doesn’t have to match exactly. However, matching a single crown to a front tooth is a completely different story. All the light hits your front teeth making all the differences much more visible. Even the best cosmetic dentists will do a couple of try-ins before settling on it being just so.

Ideally, you would want an expert cosmetic dentist to do this. Look for a dentist who is AACD accredited. Then you can be certain they will get it right. If your dentist cannot tell you about teeth whitening, I would not let him near this crown.

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

Do Whitening Strips Work?

Posted on July 24, 2022 by writeradmin.

I went to my dentist to price teeth whitening. He uses this special light machine that whitens your teeth right there in the office. The cost was way above what I could do. I was wondering if those over-the-counter teeth whitening strips do any good. Ideally, I’d like something I can do at home.

Ben

Dear Ben,

It sounds like your dentist offers Zoom Whitening. There are options that will allow you to whiten your teeth at home with professional strength gel, but before we go into that, let’s go over your question about over-the-counter whitening strips. The only one of these I would recommend is Crest Whitestrips, but before you run out to the store, I want you to understand its limitations.

Crest Whitestrips are Much Weaker

As a means of consumer protection, over-the-counter whitestrips you purchase will not be nearly as strong as what you would get through a dentist. For instance, Crest Whitestrips, which does work, only has a 6% concentration. What you’d get with your dentist has around 33%. This means you would have to purchase significantly more kits to get the same level of whitening.

Crest Whitestrips Only Covers Your Front Six Teeth

In addition to being weaker, the strips will only cover your front six teeth. Most smiles are eight to ten teeth wide. This means you will have to use more strips with each use, costing you even further.

Crest Whitestrips Tend to Whiten Unevenly

Unless you have just completed a cleaning with your dentist the results are going to be spotty. The cleaner areas are going to get more of the whitening gel than those which have some film over them. This film is often invisible to the human eye so you won’t be aware of it.

You Can Get Professional Whitening at Home

Your best option is to have take-home teeth whitening done by your dentist. If he doesn’t offer it there are plenty who do. They can make you custom-fitted trays that will allow you to whiten your teeth at your convenience. They’re discreet enough where you can wear them while running your errands or just overnight while you sleep if you prefer.

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

Discolored and Crooked Teeth

Posted on June 28, 2022 by writeradmin.

I finally have money to do something about my hideous smile and wanted to find out what my options are. My teeth are both stained and crooked. What are some ways I can approach this?

Mindy

Dear Mindy,

You actually have a couple of good options. The first is porcelain veneers and the second is Invisalign combined with teeth whitening.

Option One: Porcelain Veneers

A skilled cosmetic dentist can use porcelain veneers to do a total smile makeover. This can make your teeth look straight while making them any shape, size, and color you want. The key to this is the dentist who does the procedure. You need someone who has advanced training in cosmetic dentistry. This would need to be post-doctoral training because it is not adequately taught in dental school. Unfortunately, it is not a recognized specialty. This means any dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist regardless of the amount of training they have invested in. So, how is a patient supposed to know whether or not a dentist is truly qualified to give them a smile makeover?

The simplest way is to look for a dentist who is AACD accredited. This is different than just being a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. To receive accreditation, they not only have to pass difficult exams on the procedures and technique but also have to demonstrate their artistry in a demanding number of cases with visual evidence of their results. These are among the top 1% of cosmetic dentists in the country.

Option Two: Invisalign and Teeth Whitening

Invisalign uses clear aligners to straighten your teeth. They are a huge improvement on braces. No one will even know you are straightening your teeth because they are even invisible at a conversational distance. Additionally, the aligners can double as teeth whitening trays, which means you can do them simultaneously instead of one at a time.

This is something I would recommend if you can’t afford (or don’t want) porcelain veneers. They don’t need someone with special cosmetic training. You simply have to find a dentist that offers Invisalign.

Enjoy your new beautiful smile whichever procedure you decide on.

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

Crowns Versus Veneers for Tetracycline Stains

Posted on December 29, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have tetracycline stains on my teeth and really want a pretty smile. I spoke to one dentist who has a good reputation in cosmetic dentistry, name Dr. —–[name withheld]. He wants to charge me $42, 000 for upper and lower full mouth veneers. Another dentist is suggesting porcelain crowns and is only $28,000. I really only have $30,000 to budget for this, so I should probably go with the crowns. However, I wanted to double check with someone not invested in getting my business as to crowns versus veneers for tetracycline stains. Is one better than the other for this? Plus, you should know I have a tooth grinding problem, which may impact your answer.

Carla

Dear Carla,

The first dentist you mentioned, who is suggesting porcelain veneers is one of the top cosmetic dentists in the country. If you decide to go with him, he will provide you with a stunning smile. You didn’t give the name of the second dentist, but I am cautious about recommending him either way because he is suggesting dental crowns.

Tetracycline stains are some of the trickiest to deal with when it comes to a smile makeover. You have to get the teeth opaque enough to cover the stains, while still creating a natural looking translucency to the teeth. To compensate for the difficulty, some dentists will suggest dental crowns instead of porcelain veneers thinking the added thickness will make it easier for them. It doesn’t. I find porcelain veneers to be the superior treatment. As for your bruxism (teeth grinding), if you get a nightguard to wear while you sleep it will protect you from the grinding damage. So that will not be an issue.

If your budget is the main reason for going to the cheaper dentist, I am going to suggest a different approach. I know the quality you will get with the first dentist. Why don’t you have him just do your upper arch and use a strong teeth whitening, such as Kor Whitening to do on your lower teeth. It will take a bit to get the lower teeth to match, but if you are persistent they will. Then, you are only paying $21,000, which is below budget and will have a stunning smile.

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

Dentist Wants to Crown My Tetracycline Stains

Posted on September 15, 2021 by writeradmin.

I mentioned to my dentist how much I hate my smile because of my tetracycline stains. He said the best solution is to put crowns on all my visible teeth. While my teeth are ugly, they are also healthy. I hate the idea of grounding them all down. Will they look natural if I do? Would teeth whitening solve the problem instead?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

It is difficult having a smile you are embarrassed by, especially when our smile is the first thing people notice about us. I agree with you that dental crowns is not the way to go for this. If you have healthy teeth, it is always best to keep them as intact as possible. While teeth whitening could help IF you were very persistent. Even then, they would never be completely gone. Because of that, it is not the best solution for tetracycline stains.

My recommendation is that you use porcelain veneers. These remove hardly any tooth structure. Unlike dental crowns, which have to fit around the entire tooth, porcelain veneers go on the front of the tooth. One important word of caution. I am going to recommend you do not go to your dentist for this.

Tetracycline stains are one of the most difficult to address. It takes advanced cosmetic dentistry training to do it properly. Training that is not available in dental school. The trick comes in getting the veneers opaque enough to cover the stains, but still translucent enough to look beautiful and natural. A dentist has to invest in that instruction post-doctorally. The fact that your dentist is suggesting crowns instead of veneers tells me he does not have the right training for this. Many dentists think they can make up for that lack of training by using dental crowns, which are thicker. But that is not enough to make them look beautiful.

When dealing with tetracycline stains, I would only go to a dentist who is AACD accredited. You can find them on aacd.com. Accreditation is different than membership. Any dentist can join the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. To become accredited, however, requires passing extensive examinations as well as proving your artistry to a board of examiners.

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

Will Tooth Mousse Get Rid of My White Spots?

Posted on August 30, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have some white spot lesions. My dentist provided me with some tooth mousse. When it is done, we’ll start teeth whitening. What type of results should I expect from this?

Casey

Dear Casey,

Your dentist is way off here. Tooth Mousse can help some by remineralizing your teeth, but the company that made it has never suggested it be used on its own. There is normally some microabrasion that needs to be used with it.

His suggestion of teeth whitening is even worse. Any type of teeth whitening will whiten your teeth evenly. That means that you will still have the white spots. In fact, they will be even more noticeable.

Your best option to get rid of these spots is to have dental bonding done on the affected teeth. However, this will require an expert cosmetic dentist and I don’t feel your current dentist is up to the task. I am going to suggest that you look for an AACD accredited dentist to advise you on this. They will get a good look at your teeth and give you the best course of action.

The good news is, because they are in the top 3% of cosmetic dentists worldwide, you will get a beautiful result. My recommendation would be to go that route. Have your teeth thoroughly examined by the right dentist. Then let him or her suggest the best course of action for it. You will love the results.

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

Zoom Whitening and Uneven Teeth

Posted on June 4, 2021 by writeradmin.

My daughter got her braces off not too long ago and there were a bunch of white spots around her teeth. The orthodontist said this was fairly common in teenagers and that our dentist could take care of it. When we went to see our dentist, she suggested we try Zoom Whitening. She had just gotten the equipment and would even give us a discount as her first patient using it. I liked the idea of getting a discount for the treatment that she would need anyway and agreed. When we were done, the teeth seemed worse, not better. Is it possible because this is a new thing for our dentist she did something wrong?

Sally

Dear Sally,

I am very glad you wrote and believe I can be a great help to you and your daughter. Zoom Whitening is an effective teeth whitening procedure that can produce remarkable results in just one appointment. The problem wasn’t with her not understanding how to do Zoom Whitening. The real problem was her not understanding the principles behind how teeth whitening works.

No matter what method of teeth whitening you do, it will always whiten the teeth evenly. That means the white spots will get whiter along with the remainder of her teeth. The good news is there is a solution.

The white spots your daughter is dealing with are actually decalcification spots. Decalcification is a precursor to decay. My guess is your daughter used traditional wire and bracket braces. Those can be very hard for patients, whether adults or teenagers, to really get in there and brush well around all the metal clutter. This leaves food and other bacteria trapped, which in turn leads to the decalcification which your daughter is dealing with now.

There are two possible ways to fix this. One only works sometimes but is less expensive, so I’ll make sure you know about it in case it works for her.

Repairing White Spots on Teeth

The first thing I would try is a product called Tooth Mousse. This is applied topically and can sometimes remineralize the teeth. You can purchase it over the counter. It doesn’t always work so if you don’t start seeing results, I would move on to the next option before decay sets in.

The second solution is dental bonding. This needs to be done by an expert cosmetic dentist. I’ll tell you how to find one in a moment. With this repair, the dentist will gently remove the decalcified spots and then fill in the area with the composite bonding material. The dentist will use a variety of colors, textures, and translucencies to match her tooth structure and appearance perfectly.

As I mentioned, she will need an expert cosmetic dentist. This has to be done freehand and is one of the most difficult cosmetic procedures. I cannot stress enough that I do not think your current dentist is up to the task. In your place, I would look for an AACD accredited dentist or one who has been recommended on the mynewsmile.com website. Any of those dentists will be able to give your daughter a beautiful result.

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

Thoughts on Premium Home Teeth Whitening

Posted on May 4, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve been wanting to do a smile makeover for a while. Recently, I received an offer in the mail for Premium Home Whitening. Then, I received a Groupon offer for the same thing. It is less than what my dentist charges. I was wondering if it will really work or if I will be wasting my money.

Katherine

Dear Katherine,

I looked into this. There are some good and bad things about this. First the good. The whitening ingredient they use is 35% carbamide peroxide. This is a valid whitening ingredient and will whiten your teeth. That is great. Now for the less than good news. The light they advertise seems bogus. This makes me uncomfortable with the company. If they are willing to lie to patients to draw them in, how do we know their ingredients are what they say they are? I don’t like deception.

A second thing to consider is the whitening tray. When you get teeth whitening done with your dentist, he or she will prepare custom fitted trays. This both protects your gums for being irritated by the whitening gel as well as keeps the gel concentrated on your teeth by not leaking or by letting saliva in to dilute it.

The tray you get with this will not be not be custom fit. Instead, it will sort of fit. However, your saliva will weaken the gel meaning you won’t get as much whitening out of each kit as you would with your dentist.

You mentioned the price was more than your dentist, but did not say how much more. One thing I would do is tell your dentist how much the kit is and ask him if he can come close to that so you will be able to do the procedure with him under a professional’s care. My guess is if he is not willing to, some dentist will be.

If you are thinking about improving your smile, teeth whitening will make you and your teeth look younger. If you are looking for a complete smile makeover, the way to do that is with porcelain veneers. However, while teeth whitening can be done with any dentist, porcelain veneers require an expert cosmetic dentist. If you decide to go that route, my suggestion is you only do that with a dentist who is AACD accredited.

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

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.

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,

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.