Archives for January 2019

Disappointed in Smile Makeover

January 31, 2019 by Admin

I asked my dentist to do porcelain veneers for me. I have one gum which is a little lower than on the other front tooth. In addition, the teeth are stained and short. Two are also chipped. I told him exactly what I wanted. When he did what he called provisionals I wasn’t thrilled. I was hoping they’d reshape the teeth a little more. He told me they’re beautiful and that is as good as it gets. That surprised me because I’ve seen before and after pictures of other porcelain veneers and they seemed to do a lot more. Are those faked?

Catherine

Dear Catherine,

A porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth — Porcelain Veneers Can Give You a Stunning Smile

No, the photos aren’t likely to be faked which you saw. Porcelain veneers can completely re-shape a smile. The problem is more with your dentist. There are a few things going on here.

The first obvious problem I see is he didn’t take care of the gum re-shaping before starting on your porcelain veneers. This shows a profound lack of understanding about cosmetic work.

In addition to that, he didn’t listen to your concerns about the looks of the makeover. A true cosmetic dentist would never say, “This is as good as it gets.” They would keep working until you were absolutely thrilled.

What Can Porcelain Veneers Do?

You picked the right solution. In reality, porcelain veneers can simultaneously change the shape, size, and color of your teeth. Unfortunately, because your dentist didn’t know what he was doing, you will need to have these completely redone.

Ask him for a refund. He didn’t follow your express wishes for the procedure so you should be able to at least get a partial refund.

Then look for a more artistic cosmetic dentist. After doing an internet search for cosmetic dentists in your area, be certain to check both their smile galleries and their reviews. You want to see what kind of results they get before you invest in them.

One last bit. You don’t have to veneer the bottom teeth. Most patients will do teeth whitening on the bottom arch and then just do veneers on the top arch on your visible teeth.

I hope this helps. With the right dentist you’ll be thrilled with your gorgeous new smile.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Dentist Dr. Imam.

Dentist Wants to Place Lumineers

January 11, 2019 by Admin

I want a smile makeover. My dentist told me he was just certified to place Lumineers and they’re great for makeovers. While he’s the dentist and likely knows best, I can’t get past this nagging feeling that if he just became certified he’ll be practicing on me. He can’t have been doing it long. Should I look elsewhere or am I worrying over nothing?

Anna B.

Dear Anna,

before and after pictures of a smile makeover — This smile makeover was done by Dr. Imam

Your gut feeling is serving you well. First, let’s talk about certification with Lumineers. Their only requirement for certification is for the dentist to attend a seminar. There is no evaluation of his actual skill as a cosmetic dentist.

Another thing to be concerted about is that this particular brand of porcelain veneers is often marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being “easy” to place.

They say that because they are slightly thinner than some other brands. Because of that, they contend that there is no need for tooth preparation. While this sometimes works out, in many cases it makes the smile look too bulky.

What Do You Want From a Cosmetic Dentist

Think of cosmetic dentistry as an art form. It takes experience and some natural artistic skill. You can have two artists creating the same sculpture and one will likely be more beautiful than the other.

You want both an artistic and experienced cosmetic dentist, who is a true artist.

What I’d like you to do is an internet search for a list of cosmetic dentists in your area. Then, check out their smile gallery. Make sure it’s their own work and not stock photos. If you don’t like what you see, move on. The work in their smile gallery should be something they’re proud of.

If they’re proud of it but you’re unimpressed, that’s not the dentist for you. If you find some dentists whose work you love, the next step would be to check their reviews on sites such as Google Reviews and Yelp!. It’s always useful to know if patients who’ve actually used them felt they had a good experience.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam.

Can I Get Dental Implants?

January 1, 2019 by Admin

I’ve been losing teeth for a bit and want to replace them. Can I get dental implants if I’m a healthy adult or are their other qualifications?

Ken

Dear Ken,

While, under normal circumstances, it is a good sign that you are in great general health and that would make you a good candidate for dental implants. However, you’ve been losing teeth. The important thing for you is to find out why.

If you’ve been losing teeth due to trauma than you should be fine. However, if you’re losing teeth due to gum disease, that won’t allow you to get dental implants. You can eventually, but not until you have dealt with your gum disease.

It is treatable and often just requires some extra dental cleanings that go a little more in depth than the traditional cleanings. If you are diligent, you’ll be able to get dental implants before you know it.

Dental Implants and Gum Disease

When plaque builds up, it can affect your teeth, then the infection will move on to your gum tissue. If it continues to be left untreated, it will move into the bone. This will cause the teeth to come loose and fallout.

If this is what is happening to you, a dental implant won’t help. At this point, the bone is still infected and won’t be able to hold on to your implant any more than they could your teeth.

The Importance of Dealing with Gum Disease

See your dentist. They regularly check for gum disease at check ups and cleanings. He or she will let you know if you have it. Then, if you do, it is imperative you get treated.

It will continue to infect the bone and you will continue to lose your teeth. Eventually you’ll lose all of them. From there, you’ll be looking at dentures or implant overdentures.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Dentist Dr. Imam.