dental bonding Archives | Poplar Crossing Dental

Tetracycline Stains and no Money for Porcelain Veneers

Posted on October 4, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have tetracycline stains. Years ago, I invested in dental bonding to make them look better. They were massively expensive and, while my teeth looked better, I always thought given the price I should have liked them more. The bonding is now stained and chipping. I know it needs to be replaced but I can’t afford that or porcelain veneers, which I now know would have been the better treatment. Is there any other option for me, like teeth whitening, that can at least brighten the teeth?

Carol

Dear Carol,

Teeth Bleaching Trays

I am very glad you wrote. There are a few things going on here. If you had dental bonding to cover all of your tooth structure, then that would have cost at least (and very likely more) than porcelain veneers. This is because bonding has to be done freehand and is very time-consuming. Unfortunately, as you’ve discovered, even though the cost was high for you, dental bonding does not last nearly as long as porcelain veneers. I wish your dentist would have told you this. To make matters worse for you, he didn’t even give you a beautiful result.

For those who don’t know, tetracycline stains develop when a child is given the tetracycline medication while their teeth are still forming. They are dark and extraordinarily difficult to deal with. See the image directly below.

Tetracycline Stained Teeth

If you can’t afford porcelain veneers, it is possible to make a difference with teeth whitening, with some caveats. First, teeth whitening does NOT work on dental bonding. It will only whiten natural tooth structure. That means the first thing you’ll need to determine is how your dentist approached your dental bonding procedure.

If your dentist placed your bonding over intact enamel, you will need to have your dentist gently remove the bonding from the tooth with sandpaper disks. He needs to be careful to leave the enamel intact. Once the bonding material is removed, your dentist will need to set you up with some teeth whitening trays, such as the ones pictured at the top of this post. You will also need the strongest whitening gel available that you can tolerate to use with the trays. If you are persistent enough and wear them for several months your teeth will get lighter. They will not be as white and bright as they would with porcelain veneers, but it will be a definite improvement.
Unfortunately, if your dentist removed your enamel, there is no way to whiten your teeth as a solution. The only thing to do is start saving up for porcelain veneers. In the meantime, you could have someone even out the bonding and polish it up a bit.

One word of warning if you can do the teeth whitening. You will want to do the tray only. Don’t let your dentist talk you into anything like Zoom Whitening or Laser Whitening. Yes, they are stronger than the trays, but the number of procedures you would have to do to get the results you want would not be cost-effective. It will be much more affordable to do it with the trays.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Brown Spots on Teeth

Posted on September 11, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve had some brown spots on my two front teeth since my adult teeth came in. They say it had something to do with a fever when I was younger. I don’t really care what happened, but I wanted to get a beautiful smile. My dentist and I started with over-the-counter teeth whitening, but that didn’t work. It makes the area around the spots whiter, which makes the spots look darker. She is now discussing grinding the brown spots until they’re gone but doesn’t know how much she’ll need to remove. Before I do something so drastic, do you think professional teeth whitening would work? I know it is stronger.

Lacey

Dear Lacey,

Porcelain Veneers

First, I want you to know that you can have a beautiful smile, but it will not be with this dentist. I want you to stop letting her experiment on your teeth. She can do irreparable damage. In your situation, professional teeth whitening will not be a good solution. Teeth whitening works on your teeth evenly. The results will be similar to what you saw with your over-the-counter tries. It will make the brown spots more obvious.

What you need is to find a cosmetic dentist with experience in microabrasion and dental bonding. Don’t let your current dentist do this. She may have good intentions, but teeth whitening is hands down the simplest cosmetic procedure and she doesn’t understand the principles behind it. What you need is so much more advanced than that, I recommend you find a different dentist.

Look for dentists who have a smile gallery. Then look for some before and after dental bonding images. If you love what you see in the results, call the office to make certain those are the dentist’s own work and not just stock photos. If it is you should be good to go.

Another option is to have porcelain veneers placed on your two front teeth. If a dentist tries to suggest you’ll have to do more teeth to get them to match, move on. He or she doesn’t have the skill you need.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Pain with Teeth Whitening

Posted on August 15, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have been whitening my teeth for a few weeks using an over-the-counter kit. Everything was going just fine, then recently, I started getting this sting of pain. It is a zap that hurts for a few seconds and then goes away. I noticed that it is always the spot where I have some dental bonding done for a chipped tooth. Is it possible the teeth whitening is breaking the bonding seal and that is why I am having the pain? If so, what do I do? If not, can you think of what can be the cause of my problem?

Angie

Dear Angie,

Teeth whitening is not known to cause any weakining of dental bonding, so I don’t think that is the cause. When bonding is weakened then the repair would just fall off. The more likely issue is that there is a weak, exposed spot where the dental bonding is.

My suggestion is you schedule an appointment with your dentist. He or she can analyze the area and touch up any exposed area with some more bonding. Until then, you can temporarily stop your teeth whitening. Using an over the counter whitening can be okay, depending on what kit you are using, but it is always better to whiten under the care of a dentist.

I am not saying this as someone trying to drum up business, especially because you have a dentist already. It is to protect you. There have been reported cases of someone needing a root canal treatment because of Crest Whitestrips and it is not even a very strong whitening. You don’t want to need an emergency dental appointment because of cheap teeth whitening.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Root Canal as a Result of Teeth Whitening

Posted on July 3, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have a tooth that has given me problems for a while after an accident. It was pushed back a bit and an oral surgeon repaired it. It’s been a bit darker than my other teeth and I wanted to do something about that. He suggested I use Crest Whitestrips, which I did. A few days after I started, that tooth began to hurt every time I whitened. I stopped whitening thinking I just needed to give the tooth a break and then pick it back up later. That didn’t help either. Now the tooth is sensitive to hot and cold even though I haven’t used the product for a week. I went back to see my dentist and he suggested I need a root canal treatment. I asked him to make sure and had him run some tests. It turns out he was right and I do need a root canal treatment. Have you heard of this happening with teeth whitening before?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

To be honest, I have only heard of one other case where a root canal treatment resulted from using Crest Whitestrips. The case was very similar to yours. Both times it surprised me because Crest Whitestrips are very mild. However, your tooth was already traumatized so maybe this just threw it over the edge. I am glad you are getting the root canal treatment you needed. It is no fun being in pain.

I will say that teeth whitening was not the right solution for your situation. Even if Crest Whitestrips were stronger this would not change the color disparity. When you whiten your teeth, the bleach works across all the teeth evenly. This means the darker tooth would still be darker.

Instead, you would have needed either dental bonding or a porcelain veneer to be placed on the traumatized tooth. I would not let your current dentist do it, though. Teeth whitening is the simplest cosmetic dentistry procedure there is. If he did not understand the basic tenents of getting that to work, then he certainly cannot do an advanced cosmetic procedure, such as porcelain veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Lumineers for a Chipped Tooth

Posted on May 12, 2021 by writeradmin.

I fell on the ice at the skating rink and chipped one of my front teeth. I wanted to get it repaired because it was embarrassing. When I went to my dentist, he suggested Lumineers. the price is pretty high and he said he’d need to do two of them to make sure the front teeth match. I’m not sure I can afford that. Are there any other options?

Vera

Dear Vera,

Absolutely! What your dentist is suggesting is not only an overtreatment, but it is not likely to turn out okay if he or she does it. Lumineers are a brand of porcelain veneers that are highly marketed to inexperienced dentists as being easy to place. They may be simpler to place, but getting them to look beautiful is still just as challenging if not more.

The standard procedure for a chipped tooth is to have dental bonding done. This uses composite bonding and rebuilds the area that was lost. Like porcelain veneers, it is a very advanced procedure. It takes an artistic cosmetic dentist to be able to do this well. Based on what I have heard from you, I don’t think your dentist has the skills to do this well. It was especially concerning to me that he needed to do two of them in order to get the teeth to match. A true cosmetic dentist can make a single porcelain veneer match the adjacent tooth. When they need to make two teeth together it is a particularly bad sign.

My suggestion is you find a different dentist and have them do dental bonding. Two words of caution here. First, check that they have post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. Dental school does not teach those procedures so they have to invest time and money in learning it after dental school. They should list their training on their website, either on the page where they talk about the procedure, their dentist bio, or both. Then, once you’ve found someone with the training, look at their smile gallery. You want to be certain it is a dentist that obtains beautiful results with their work. If you look at their smile gallery and aren’t thrilled with what you are seeing, move on to a different dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Zoom Whitening and Uneven Teeth

Posted on March 31, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’m wondering if our dentist did the Zoom Whitening wrong. Here’s the situation. When my daughter’s braces were removed, her teeth had an uneven color. Our dentist suggested we whiten them with Zoom because it is the strongest whitening. While her teeth are whiter, they’re still uneven and it actually makes it look worse. Did something go wrong with the procedure?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

I’m sure the Zoom whitening procedure was done correctly. The steps are fairly straightforward. The problem your daughter is facing is that it was not the right procedure for her situation. Any type of teeth whitening procedures, including Zoom, whiten teeth evenly. It won’t selectively whiten some areas to match the others. So what is the right treatment for your daughter’s situation?

The white spots on your daughter’s teeth are decalcification spots. This is fairly common after traditional braces. It is quite hard to brush thoroughly around all those metal wires and brackets. When students don’t brush those areas well enough the decalcification spots show up. Essentially, they are pre-cavities so you don’t want to leave them.

You can try a special product called Tooth Mousse that can remineralize teeth in certain situations, but in most cases, this has to be treated with dental bonding. To do this, a dentist will gently remove the decalcified area and replace it with composite dental bonding. It does take some artistry and training to do this well. It is a more advanced procedure than teeth whitening.

Because of this, I am going to recommend you use a different dentist for this particular procedure. Teeth whitening is the easiest cosmetic procedure there is and your dentist was confused about its principles. I don’t think there is much chance they will be able to do the bonding well.

For the benefit of other parents reading this, one way to avoid this situation is to get Invisalign instead of traditional braces. They’re removable, so it is easier to brush thoroughly. However, because they’re removable it does require your teeth to be responsible. If you don’t think they’ll wear them the correct amount of time or will lose them, then I’d stick with the braces.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Cavitron Safety with Composite Restorations

Posted on September 24, 2020 by writeradmin.

I am doing some research and getting conflicting information. I have three Class V composite restorations. My concern is whether on not to use a Cavitron Ultra Scaler on them or not. Some articles say they will damage the restoration. Others say they are fine to use. Which is correct?

Max

Dear Max,

What will damage my dental restorations?

This is a great and important question. There is a reason you are getting conflicting information. While some things, such as a power Prophy Jet or acidulated fluoride will damage dental restorations such as porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns, and composite tooth bonding every single time, a Cavitron instrument depends on the hygienist using the tools.

If the hygienist is smooth with the motions they use and light with their touch, there will be no damage to your restorations. However, if they don’t do this artfully, it can damage not just dental work, but even gouge the cementum of your tooth. This will leave you with sensitive areas of your tooth and leave it vulnerable to calculus.

When it comes to this type of situation, my advice is to ask your hygienist how she would use Calvitron on a Class V Restoration. If you are satisfied with her answer, you should be fine. If she doesn’t seem confident or doesn’t feel it needs to be handled any differently, ask her to stay away from the teeth with the restorations with that tool.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Optional Root Canal?

Posted on December 26, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’ve had a tooth that has been turning dark the last few years. I went to see a dentist who said the tooth is still viable, so I can either get a root canal treatment and dental crown or dental bonding. I’m kind of at a loss as to which one is the best option. What are the benefits to one over the other?

Meagan

Dear Meagan,

Your dentist has muddied the issue. If the tooth is infected, it is considered a dental emergency and you need a root canal treatment. If it is not infected you don’t need the treatment.

While it is true that when a tooth turns gray, it often means the infected pulp inside has died, this is not what has happened to you. Your tooth is still viable. This means that there was likely some trauma a few years ago (around the time the tooth started changing color).

When there is trauma to a tooth, sometimes it will build up defenses with a second dentin. This will have the two-fold effect of giving the tooth a darker appearance, as well as shrinking some of the living pulp. This will make it less sensitive to stimuli.

Because you are not dealing with an infected or dead tooth, my suggestion would be to fix the problem, which is the appearance. Either dental bonding or a porcelain veneer will be the right fix for this.

Teeth Whitening and Cosmetic Work

A good cosmetic dentist can match the gray tooth to the rest of your teeth, so you truly only have to do that one procedure. However, there is a consideration. Cosmetic work, including porcelain crowns, veneers, and bonding will not whiten once it is completed. You can whiten your natural teeth. Though the whitening gel won’t harm your dental work, it won’t whiten it either.

To prevent that in the future, most dentists will recommend you do any teeth whitening you may want before you have something like dental bonding done. This way your teeth are the permanent color you’ll want and the bonding can be made to match the brightness and hue you are happy with. If you’re in a hurry, Zoom Whitening can whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Daughter Broke a Front Tooth

Posted on November 30, 2019 by writeradmin.

I don’t know what to do. My 9-year-old daughter had a fall outside and broke one of her permanent front teeth. We took her in for an emergency appointment and he did x-rays. The root itself is fine, which was a relief but he said he can’t fix this for over a month. When I expressed concern he said doing it before then would be irresponsible because the tooth needs time to desensitize. Is that normal? I’d hate to wait that long to fix this for her, but I also don’t want to do anything which will put her in danger.

Cathey,

First, I want to congratulate you for getting her in with an emergency dental appointment. This was wise. Early intervention could have saved her tooth if the root or pulp was damaged. Great job, MOM!

I’m not sure why your pediatric dentist said you had to wait. My guess is he doesn’t want to lose the business by you going somewhere else that can get you in sooner. This can be fixed right now. In your case, I’d look for a good cosmetic dentist. You don’t have to take her to a pediatric dentist. For this type of repair, I’d focus on the aethetics, though you might want to make sure it is a cosmetic dentist who is good with children.

If you still have the part of the tooth which broke, a dentist may be able to reattach it. If you don’t have that, don’t panic. Instead, you can have dental bonding done. This uses a freehand procedure where a dentist can sculpt the missing part of the tooth back on. When done by a skilled cosmetic dentist it will look completely natural.

Just make certain you check their smile gallery to see before and after pictures of that particular procedure which they have done to make sure you like the results.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

Blacklisted by the Best Dentist

Posted on October 29, 2019 by writeradmin.

I went to a highly sought after cosmetic dentist about my smile makeover. I have some spaces between my teeth and they all need whitening, plus one tooth is chipped. I was very excited of the possiblity of having a smile I was proud of again, especially because all my friends have already been to see him and have gorgeous smiles. They’re all a tad wealthier than I am so I should have known this would be too good to be true for me. I went in for my consultation and we talked about what I wanted my smile to look at. When they gave me the plan and estimate it was significantly more than I could afford. I asked about alternative plans and they basically said, if I don’t like their plan, they’d prefer I find a different dentist to do my smile. I walked out humiliated. Now what do I do?

Karyn

Dear Karyn,

woman giving a thumbs up in the dental chair

The best dentists find options for their patients.

The first thing I want you to do is take a deep breath. He may have been the most sought after cosmetic dentist in your area, but that doesn’t mean he was the only one who can give you a smile you are proud of. In fact, based on the issues you mentioned were important to you to fix, there are a few alternatives I can think of.

With some dentists, it is their way or the highway. I don’t consider these the best dentists. In fact, the best dentists will work with their patients to find alternatives which work for them.

A Mini Smile Makeover

My guess is he planned on doing porcelain veneers, which in your case isn’t imperative. For the spacing issues, you could do Invisalign. This uses clear aligners to straighten your teeth. Adults no longer have to wear ugly metal wires and brackets. These aligners are invisible even at a conversational distance.

Additionally, you can have your dentist provide you with some teeth whitening gel. Your Invisalign aligners can also double as teeth whitening trays, This allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth at a fraction of the price.

As for your chipped tooth, after your teeth are whitened, you can have dental bonding applied to your chipped tooth. This is a composite resin that is hand sculpted to fill in the missing structure. The reason I say after the whitening is because the composite resin can be made to match any tooth color but, once it is completed, will not whiten. The color is permanent. You need to have your teeth the color you want the bonding to be when it is made.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.