Tag Archives: teeth bleaching

Dentist

How Much is Too Much Dental Work to Get at One Time?

Hello,

My dentist recommended I get a lot of dental work – both cosmetic and general work. I need some cavities filled, one tooth filed down, and several root canals done. I’d also like to get my teeth whitened at this time. Can I get all of this done at once? Or will it take multiple visits?

Tammy, from Mesa, Arizona.

 

Hi Tammy,

To get the most work done at once, you’ll need a sedation dentist. The dentist will put you under oral conscious sedation. Without the sedation, it varies from dentist to dentist how much they will do at one time.

The procedures you need done are not complicated. However, it depends on where in your mouth you need the root canals done. It will take double the time if the root canals are needed in the back of your mouth, versus the front. Your best bet may be to see an endodontist for the root canals, as they are the most experienced and can work fastest.

If you have an experienced root canal dentist or endodontist that can work quickly, your appointment can be completed in about four hours. However, this also depends on your endurance. Without sedation, it may be best to break up the appointments.

This blog post is brought to you by Gilbert dentist, Dr. Roper, of Vista Dorada Dental.

 

Affordable Dentistry, Teeth Whitening

A more affordable treatment

I am looking for ways to make my dental care more affordable and I was wondering if dental bonding will save me money over porcelain veneers?

My teeth are very yellow even though I brush my teeth after every meal. It seems that you can see through the ends of my two front teeth. I’m unhappy with my smile but I don’t want it to look fake.

After the research I’ve done, I don’t think I want to have porcelain veneers done. They seem like they may not look natural and they are extremely expensive. I guess I’m wondering if simply whitening my teeth will work or if tooth bonding is a better choice for me. Or maybe I should get the bleaching done first and then the bonding? I don’t want to spend a lot of money and then have my teeth turn yellow again either. Can you explain how bonding works and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

– Tanya from Florida

Tanya,

After hearing your case, I don’t think dental bonding is the alternative that is right for you just because you are looking to save money on porcelain veneers. Teeth whitening sounds like the best solution from what you have described. This is because good dental bonding will end up costing almost as much as veneers and it won’t last as long. In fact it would probably only last about one-tenth as long as veneers.

Teeth bleaching will take care of the yellow color of your teeth and they will not return to their original color. Your teeth will pick up stains as time passes, but you can always do some touch up bleaching to keep your white new smile.

This post is sponsored by Glibert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Related link: affordable dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry

How do I get rid of white spots?

I have always had white spots on my teeth ever since I was a kid. When I was a teenager, I also had braces to fix the alignment of my teeth. I think the braces actually made the white spots worse on my front teeth. My family dentist that I have been going to for quite some time said there is nothing wrong with my teeth and that they are perfectly healthy for my age. The problem is that the white spots make me want to hide my smile.

I have been looking into teeth whitening and porcelain veneers as a possibility to correct this problem. What I’m wondering is, would over the counter white strips, professional whitening, or Zoom whitening make the spots stand out more? This is my thought since they may end up whiter than the teeth that do not have marks? Or would you recommend porcelain veneers or Lumineers for this issue?

– Karen in Michigan

Karen,

Dentists are trained to fix things, bottom line. So, this mentality of “don’t fix what isn’t broken” is not surprising. It sounds like your dentist is offering an honest opinion and truly believes that your teeth are fine. To treat the white spots, you need to seek out the expertise of a true cosmetic dentist.

Teeth whitening will likely not do the trick, even though many dentists may go this route. You are correct that when you have spots on your teeth, the whitening may actually make them to end up looking worse.

Depending on how big the spots are, tooth bonding may be the way to go. Or porcelain veneers would remedy your problem giving you the beautiful smile that you are after.

You need to have a consultation with an experienced cosmetic dentist. They may recommend a combination of treatments. For example, it may make sense to whiten first and then have the spots fixed. There are many simple, long-lasting solutions that when performed by an expert cosmetic dentist will transform the way your teeth look.

Stick to your regular dentist for your routine dental care, but seek the talents of a cosmetic dentist for your white spots.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Bonding, Uncategorized

Flouride stains on teeth

My little boy has spots on his teeth. They are brown in color and are from fluoride. He has had his teeth bleached by a local dentist to try and get rid of them. But it did not work. The brown stains are still there. Now the dentist is recommending porcelain veneers. Can you tell me how much more expensive veneers are than dental bonding?

– Laura from Florida

Laura,

Unfortunately, I think it’s time to find a new dentist. Brown fluoride stains will not be remedied by teeth whitening or bleaching, which you are now aware of.

Dental bonding is a possibility. But it all depends on how bad the staining is. It is imperative that you research an expert cosmetic dentist. Tooth bonding takes artistic talent and not every dentist can do it well.

Porcelain veneers tend to be a more expensive treatment but will give the best results. Pricing varies from dentist to dentist, so you will have to discuss cost comparison with the dentist you choose. Again, I would urge you to have a consultation with a cosmetic dentist that has trained with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. An AACD dentist should be able to provide you with the best recommendation and cost based on your specific circumstance.

This post is sponsored by Gilbert dentist Vista Dorada Dental.

Teeth Whitening

Can my dental bonding work be whitened?

I was wondering if it is possible to whiten teeth that have been bonded? I have dental bonding work on my front teeth which is pretty old. It was probably done close to 14 years ago now and I guess I should probably have it replaced but I can’t afford that right now. From what I have heard, the bonding doesn’t change color with teeth whitening. Is that correct, if I use bleaching will the bond be returned to its original color?

– Ted from New Jersey

Ted,

Teeth bleaching will not make your dental bonding any whiter and unfortunately it may make it look worse. What happens is the teeth whitening procedure will actually whitens your non-bonded, natural teeth. But, the bond will remain unaffected. This means that your teeth will appear to be two different colors.

Polishing may improve the look of your dental bonding. That is as long as the discoloring has occurred from surface stains and not from the bonding materiel itself. You can meet with a cosmetic dentist to see if polishing will work for your case.

Other than that, you may need to have the bonding replaced to get your desired look.

It is important to visit a true cosmetic dentist. Don’t compromise on quality or fall for a deal that sounds too good to be true. If it is not in the budget right now, start saving and have it done the right way.

Hopefully this information was helpful to you.

This post was provided by Gilbert dentist 16th Street Dental Care.

Teeth Whitening

Pain with teeth whitening

Hi there. I just started an in-home teeth whitening system. I have been using it for about two weeks now and haven’t had any issues. Except yesterday when I used them I had a sharp pain. It was on my front tooth and seemed very intense for about thirty seconds or so. I have a dental bond on this tooth that was orginally chipped and then reapaired over a decade ago. So I was wondering if this reaction means that my bond is going bad or nearing the end of its lifecycle? Or could the whitening treatments I’m using be weakening the dental bond? That is my guess. Thank you for your help.

-Jane from Texas

Jane,

It is unlikely that the bond was weakened by the teeth whitening system you are using. The common bleaching gel has not been known to weaken dental bonds. Also, if that was actually the case and the bond was weakened then it would mean that the repaired chip would most likely fall off. This would probably be causing much more pain.

The way you have described it, I think the bleaching agent may be irritating a sensitive part of the tooth. If the tooth was injured previously and repaired, there may be a senstive area that has become exposed due to some of the bonding agent that has wore off.

Your situation is a good example of why with any teeth bleaching treatment, it is important to consult and remain under a dentist’s professional supervision. My assumption is that you are working with a dentist. So, you should let your dentist know about your problem. Hopefully, they will be able to pin point the issue you’re having. If it turns out to be a sensitive spot then there are solutions to re-coat the area. You should be able to continue bleaching safely once this issue has been resolved. Make sure you get this checked out before continuing with your bleaching treatment.