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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

Archives for November 2013

Gold crown on my dental implants?

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I am wondering if I can get gold crowns on dental implants or if they have to be white. I pretty much consider myself to be vintage old school and I already have 2 teeth with gold crowns that I got 20 years ago and they still look good. I like my gold crowns. If I get implants for 2 missing teeth can the crown be gold? Theodore

Theodore – Gold crowns can be placed on dental implants. Gold crowns are not as common as they use to be, but they are quite durable. Because of the contrast between the color of the metal and the color of natural teeth, most people prefer them on molar teeth.

The price of gold has increased significantly since you received your current gold crowns. You can expect that increase to be reflected in the cost of new gold crowns.

Speak with an implant dentist about your preference for gold crowns on implants. He or she will let you know your options, as well as the pros and cons.

This post is sponsored by Lowell dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening made my teeth feel like they’re being electrocuted!

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I got my teeth cleaned 2 days ago. I know it’s good to do my whitening touch-up after they have been cleaned so I put the gel in my whitening trays and wore them overnight. I didn’t feel any pain overnight, but as the morning went on I felt this huge zinging in my teeth, like my teeth were being electrocuted! It really hurt. Also I noticed that if I drank something cold or hot or ate something sweet, the sensitivity was even worse. It’s getting a little better now but I was really concerned. Why does teeth whitening hurt so bad? –  Rebekah

Rebekah – Teeth whitening can cause some sensitivity, but extreme sensitivity isn’t always felt. And for many people it doesn’t hurt at all.

The teeth-bleaching process opens pores in the dentin of your teeth and causes increased sensitivity. Dentin is the calcified tissue beneath the enamel of your teeth. The nerve in a tooth can also be temporarily irritated by the bleaching process and cause sensitivity.

After you’re finished with the bleaching process, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

You can ask your dentist for desensitizing gel, which is applied to your teeth about 30 minutes before you bleach them. If you experience extreme sensitivity, some dentists recommend taking ibuprofen before you whiten your teeth. Some patients find it helpful to brush their teeth with Sensodyne® toothpaste in the days and weeks following teeth bleaching.

Other suggestions are to reduce the amount of bleaching gel you place in the trays or wear the trays for a shorter period of time.

This post is sponsored by Lowell dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.