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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

Can a broken tooth in my bridge be fixed?

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My eight upper front teeth have a bridge. I am trying not to get overly anxious about this, but I just moved from Maine and I don’t have a dentist yet. The second from my left front tooth chipped. Can it be fixed without having to re-do the entire bridge?

The same techniques that repair a porcelain crown can be used to repair the broken tooth in your bridge.

The chipped porcelain must be cleaned and prepared for bonding. If the bridge is porcelain fused to metal, it will then be rinsed and carefully etched with hydrofluoric acid or with a microetcher that is used to blast fine aluminum oxide particles.

The porcelain will be primed with a silane coupling agent and coated with bonding resin. A metal bonding agent and an opaquer will be used to treat any exposed metal. Composite resins that are translucent and that can be highly polished will be layered to match the properties of the porcelain.

You will need to take care of the composite repair. Extensive alcohol consumption softens composite, and smoking and extensive coffee drinking tend to stain it.

We recommend that you find an expert cosmetic dentist to repair the tooth. He or she will have the necessary material and equipment to properly repair and bridge. You won’t be able to tell that the tooth was broken.

The blog post is sponsored by Lowell cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Gum disease after not seeing a dentist for years

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When I was a kid my parents made me to go the dentist. That went on until about the 10th grade. I moved out early and since then I have taken care of my teeth myself. I brush one or two times a day and floss pretty regular. So I guess maybe its been about 7 yrs since my last dental appointment but I really did a good job on my own. No cavities it feels like and my teeth are perfectly straight but since the past few months I started to notice that my gums are sensitive and painful and swollen. Last week a couple of my teeth started feeling lose and since last Monday I haven’t eaten on that side of my mouth because it feels like the teeth are going to fall out. This is getting scary and I am wondering how bad I have messed up by not going to the dentist. – Chris T from Delaware

Chris,

You didn’t tell us your age, but based on the time you stopped going to the dentist and how long you said it’s been since you’ve seen a dentist, you’re likely in your mid- to late twenties. Your age will help your treatment to be less expensive, and give you a good chance to recover. Although you definitely need an examination by a dentist to confirm it, it sounds as if you have gum disease, and it’s serious. You should see a dentist promptly.

When your teeth are not cleaned professionally, you are not able to control the buildup of tartar on your own. A dentist is able to give your teeth the deep cleaning that they need, or gum disease is very likely to occur.

Gum disease often doesn’t cause pain. Teeth can get loose, spread apart, and fall out without warning signs. You are fortunate that the pain and swelling alerted you to the problem. If you ignore it, your teeth can fall out or need to be extracted. The gum disease will continue to spread and affect more teeth. If all of your teeth fall out dentures or dental implants will be the solution. Letting the problem progress will be very costly. Don’t put off getting help.

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

Is my toothache making me dizzy?

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I have a toothache that comes and goes. It’s been going on for two or three months now. I haven’t done anything about it yet but my dentist says that I need a root canal. I thought I just needed a new filling. Within the past two weeks I’ve noticed dizziness with certain movements. It doesn’t happen all of the time but it is very noticeable when it does happen. Could the toothache be causing the dizziness? Denise

Denise – Your dentist likely recommended the root canal because your tooth is infected. An infected tooth and abscess can cause you to feel lightheaded and use your balance. This is a result of an infection that has spread and begun to affect the nerves of the ears, which affects your balance.

Make an appointment with your dentist. He or she will prescribe an antibiotic for the infection as a temporary measure until you receive the root canal treatment. An infection that goes untreated will continue to spread and cause more health problems.

Many patients delay root canal treatment because they have heard stories about how painful the procedure is, or how the root canal treatment went bad. The treatment can be relatively pain free. Your dentist will prepare your gums and teeth to help you feel little or no pain at all.

It is best to promptly seek treatment to stop the infection.

This blog post is courtesy of Lowell Dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

My permanent teeth are too small

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My permanent teeth are embarrassingly small. I am 38 years old, but my teeth are the size of a 7 year old child’s teeth. I am a corporate banking professional, and I am frequently giving presentations at our branches. I feel very self conscious when I smile. What can be done to make my teeth look the size of adult teeth? Thanks in advance for your help. – Michaela T.

Michaela – Your concern about the size of your permanent teeth and the embarrassment that your teeth causes is understandable. Genetics or the environment can cause teeth to develop incorrectly.

There are two permanent procedures for which you might be a candidate—porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers.

A porcelain crown requires the natural tooth to be shaved down. The crown is placed over the natural tooth and it completely covers the tooth. A cosmetic dentist will make crowns that look like your natural teeth.

Porcelain veneers cover only the front of the teeth. Usually, teeth are lightly shaved before the veneers are placed. Veneers from a cosmetic dentist will have the color and translucency of natural teeth. They will give you a beautiful smile makeover.

You can schedule a consultation with a cosmetic dentist to find out your options and to get the best results. Cosmetic dentists are dental artists. Find one who has been specifically trained in cosmetic dentistry. You also can check the dentist’s credentials and his or her smile gallery for pictures of smile makeovers that the dentist has completed.

The blog post is courtesy of Lowell cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

What can be done to remove a stain on a porcelain veneer?

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I have six porcelain veneers on my upper front teeth. I’ve had them for years. The left canine veneer is starting to stain. More specifically there is a small gray stain near the margin. The color of the veneers is fine. Is there any way to remove the stain? Thanks! Sandy P. from Connecticut.

Sandy – It’s difficult to discern the problem without seeing your porcelain veneers and knowing how long you’ve had them.

Porcelain veneers are actually more stain-resistant than natural teeth, and they retain their color. If they do stain, it’s usually a result of something getting between the veneer and your tooth, or the glaze of the veneer is broken. Acid fluorides and power-polishing equipment can break the glaze.

If veneers are ten or twenty years old, it is possible that tiny particles are between the tooth and your veneers, as a result of leakage. The leakage can occur if the margin of the porcelain veneers breaks down. Microleakage must be addressed to prevent decay. In this case, the veneer will need to be replaced with a new one.

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