accredited cosmetic dentist Massachusetts Archives - Page 2 of 4

4 Challenges of Using Porcelain Veneers for Tetracycline Stains

Posted on February 14, 2019 by AllSmiles.

Concealing tetracycline stains in teeth is one of the most challenging issues a dentist will ever face. But a highly skilled cosmetic dentist can conceal the stains with porcelain veneers and provide natural-looking results.

What Causes Tetracycline Stains in Teeth?

The stains develop due to taking tetracycline, an antibiotic, during childhood while permanent teeth are forming. Grayish brown stains become deeply embedded in teeth and cause them to look very dark.

Why Is Concealing the Stains So Challenging?

Although the stains can be concealed with porcelain veneers, there are challenges:

Natural teeth have translucency, and porcelain needs to have this same quality to look lifelike.
Tetracycline stains can easily show through translucent veneers.
In an effort to conceal tetracycline stains, a dentist or laboratory technician might make porcelain veneers too opaque. The result is chalky looking teeth.
Due to lack of experience with concealing the stains, some dentists cover only the fronts of teeth. The dark color from the stains can be seen on the edges of teeth.

Achieving the Best Results with Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneer

Skillful color manipulation is needed to provide natural-looking results. We recommend that you visit a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry or a dentist who can show you photographs of his or her own work on a patient’s teeth that had tetracycline stains.

Your treatment plan should include a try-in of the porcelain veneers before they are bonded to your teeth. Otherwise, you should request the try-in to ensure your investment is worthwhile and the results look natural. If you have any hesitation about the look of the veneers—if the tetracycline stains are showing through them—don’t accept them. The dentist and his or her laboratory need to ensure your veneers look natural.

A family dentist who is not skilled in aesthetics will likely offer you porcelain crowns to conceal tetracycline stains. But this treatment requires significant removal of tooth structure on every tooth that needs a crown. Porcelain veneers are more conservative, and a cosmetic dentist can produce beautiful results.

You can schedule consultations with at least two cosmetic dentists who will briefly look at your teeth and discuss the possibilities for concealing the tetracycline stains with porcelain veneers. A full exam will be needed to accurately explain your options and provide a treatment estimate.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek—an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

3 Factors to Consider if Your Porcelain Veneers Don’t Match

Posted on December 16, 2018 by AllSmiles.

Porcelain veneers are an investment in your smile. Teeth that are worn, crooked, misaligned, or discolored can be beautifully transformed with these thin wafers of porcelain. But what if you’ve been waiting to get your dream smile only to find that your porcelain veneers don’t match? Consider three factors before making a hasty decision.

1. Have They Been Bonded On?

If your porcelain veneers don’t match but have not been permanently bonded in place, stop. Don’t allow your dentist to bond them on. The try-in is your opportunity to let your dentist know whether or not you’re completely satisfied with your veneers.

Porcelain is colorfast, so the color can’t be changed. Once they have been bonded on, it’s too late. Before they are bonded, let your dentist know that you’re aware of the mismatch and you’re dissatisfied. The veneers should be removed and sent back to the laboratory to be remade. Don’t hesitate to let your dentist know there is a problem with your smile makeover.

2. Insist on a Match

Don’t let anyone convince you that the mismatch in color is okay or that you’ll get used to it. It won’t take long until you’re completely dissatisfied and looking for ways to get the off-color porcelain veneers removed and replaced. You paid for smile enhancements, so insist on a match. Settling for less will detract from your smile and become stressful as you find yourself hesitant to smile.

3. Get a Second Opinion

Photo of a porcelain veneer, which cannot be whitened, held against a natural tooth for Lowell, MA cosmetic dentist Dr. Szarek

Porcelain veneers cannot be lightened or darkened.

If you have given your dentist a reasonable amount of time to correct the veneers that don’t match but have not received positive results, it’s time for a second opinion. A true cosmetic dentist is an artist who knows how to manipulate porcelain so all veneers will match.

Schedule appointments with at least two cosmetic dentists—preferably accredited dentists—to examine your veneers. Unfortunately, your porcelain veneers will need to be replaced with new ones. An accredited cosmetic dentist will work with a master ceramist to produce beautiful veneers that match and make you feel confident—not embarrassed—about smiling.

It is possible that the dentist who originally placed your veneers will be willing to negotiate with you on the expense of having the veneers replaced.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek. If you’ve received faulty cosmetic dentistry, schedule an appointment with Dr. Szarek for a consultation or an exam.

I don’t trust my dentist to polish my porcelain veneers

Posted on October 26, 2018 by AllSmiles.

2 of my porcelain veneers had small scratches in them, so my cosmetic dentist buffed them out. The scratches are gone, but so is the shine on the veneers. They look like they have a matte finish. I asked my dentist about the process he used, and he said he used a process called “cups” and then he polished the veneers. I’m really not satisfied with the look, because the 2 veneers are not shiny. But I’m also afraid that if I ask my dentist to do the correction he might make the situation worse. If I decide to keep the veneers as they are, will they eventually stain and need to be replaced? Thanks. Karyl

Karyl,

Porcelain veneer

The matte finish will make your porcelain veneers more susceptible to stain. Your veneers can be polished to restore their original gloss. A skilled cosmetic dentist knows the process and has the materials needed to correctly polish veneers.

Restoring Shine to Porcelain Veneers

Restoring the shine to previously scratched porcelain veneers requires the following tools and materials:

Diamond polishing instruments
Polishing paste
Ultra-fine diamond polishing paste

If your dentist placed your porcelain veneers, he should have these tools and materials in his office and be able to restore the glossy shine. Many skilled cosmetic dentists use the Brasseler’s Dialite porcelain polishing system to get highly aesthetic results.

If your dentist seems uncertain about how to restore the luster of your veneers, you can schedule a second opinion with an accredited cosmetic dentist to discuss your options.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek

Love Ariana Grande’s Smile? 3 Things to Know Before Asking Your Cosmetic Dentist for a Makeover

Posted on August 30, 2018 by AllSmiles.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande is one of the most followed celebrities on social media. And millions of girls say they love Ariana Grande’s smile. While it’s not realistic for fans to become patients of Ms. Grande’s cosmetic dentist, many of them want to know how they can get a smile like Ari’s. What’s the attraction?

Cosmetic Dentistry for a Perfectly Imperfect Smile

Many people who want a smile makeover ask their cosmetic dentist for perfectly even, perfectly symmetrical, perfectly white teeth. But that’s not what Ari’s smile is about. Her central incisors (front center teeth) are noticeably longer than her surrounding teeth. And the teeth on either side of her smile lack perfect shape. Her smile is bright, but not stark white. Youthful girls like the look of Ariana Grande’s teeth because they are different and natural looking, and fans want to copy it. But what should you know before asking your dentist for a smile makeover that will resemble that of your favorite celeb?

1. It Starts With a Consultation

If you’re thinking about changing your smile, it is highly recommended that you schedule a consultation with at least two accredited cosmetic dentists. Why an accredited cosmetic dentist? There are several reasons:

Before applying for accreditation, a dentist has completed extensive post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry and has years of experience in the field.
Accreditation requires very high levels of clinical skill.
Written and oral examinations and extensively documented patient cases are required by applicants.
Highly aesthetic results are only produced by dentists who are artists and understand the tools and techniques required to achieve the results you want. Accredited cosmetic dentists are accomplished artists.

2. What to Expect

A cosmetic dentist will listen to your smile goals and provide the following input:

How the smile you want can be achieved
Digital models of how you’ll look with your new smile
How your facial structure and genetics will affect your desired results
Suggestions for a smile design that will really compliment your facial features—whether it looks similar to Ariana Grande’s smile or is an expression of your own personality
An explanation of the cosmetic dentistry options for your smile makeover, which might involve a combination of treatments

3. Which Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment Will Be Used?

If you want a look that resembles Ariana Grande’s smile—or one that is authentically yours—the treatment you receive will vary based on your oral health, the condition, and shape of your teeth, and of course, your budget. Treatment might include one or more of the following:

Porcelain Veneers – Customized thin wafers of porcelain are bonded to the front of your teeth. Often, your teeth must be prepared for porcelain veneers so they look natural from the gumline to the edge. Porcelain mimics natural teeth, and an accredited cosmetic dentist can produce stunning results with it.
Dental Bonding – Cosmetic dental bonding is less expensive than porcelain veneers, but it doesn’t last as long. Still, a dentist who is an artist understands how to manipulate bonding so the color, shape, and gloss look natural. In time, bonding picks up stains and needs to be periodically polished by your cosmetic dentist and eventually replaced so it stays fresh and vibrant.
Teeth Whitening – Teeth whitening is recommended before you receive veneers or dental bonding. The cosmetic work is then crafted to match the shade of your newly whitened teeth.
Contouring – The skilled hands of an artistic, accredited cosmetic dentist can contour, or shape, your teeth into the desired look.

Interested in a Smile Makeover?

If you want to transform your smile with cosmetic dentistry, don’t schedule an appointment with a dentist and insist on a certain look or treatment. Schedule a consultation with an accredited cosmetic dentist to discuss your goals, your options, and the results you can expect. You will get amazing results that just might give Ariana Grande’s smile a little competition.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Michael Szarek, a Lowell MA dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

If you’re interested in new trends in cosmetic dentistry, read about San Diego Bioclear—a technique that improves tooth shape, spacing, and color.

I hate my porcelain veneers and want to go back to my natural teeth

Posted on April 17, 2017 by AllSmiles.

I hate my porcelain veneers. I want them removed and I want to go back to my natural teeth. I’ve been seeing this dentist for about 7 years. He is quite confident in his skills. If you ask him, he can do any and everything that has to do with dentistry. He does implants, cosmetic dentistry. You name it. He received extra training to learn how to do porcelain veneers. He showed me some pictures of patients he did veneers on. Although he says he has done hundreds of veneers, I probably saw about 20 to 30 sets of photos for different patients. The pics looked good to me but my veneers don’t look good. And something about them is not right. When I floss my teeth, the floss gets hung up on on the side of 3 of my 8 veneers. There is another issue that is difficult to explain to my dentist but the veneers seem to create a lisp in my speech. The lisp is inconsistent so of course when I complained about it to my dentist, he had me read a few paragraphs and never once could we hear the lisp. So far nothing has been done. Just a series of appointments and exams where my dentist can’t find anything wrong. I’m exhausted. Can I just ask him to take off the veneers so I can go back to my natural teeth? What do patients usually do when their veneers are a hassle? Thanks. Janet

Janet – When your porcelain veneers are causing more stress than enjoyment, and your dentist doesn’t know what to do about it, the best thing to do is to get a second opinion.

Usually, your natural teeth are prepared before porcelain veneers are placed. If that’s true in your case, a small amount of your outer tooth structure was removed to ensure the veneers fit well and don’t look bulky. Some of the reasons you can’t go back to your natural teeth are listed below.

Removing the outer layer leaves unprotected teeth vulnerable to decay.
Your tooth structure is altered, so your natural teeth won’t look normal.
Your teeth will be very sensitive to heat and cold.

Although your dentist has received training in cosmetic dentistry, it wasn’t enough to give him insight on how to properly place veneers. Both your speech and the structure of the veneers are affected, so it’s time to get a second opinion.

You could ask your dentist to remove and replace the veneers, but you might get the same results. Schedule a consultation with at least two cosmetic dentists to help you select a provider to restore your teeth. If you can find an accredited cosmetic dentist in your area, his or her expertise will help you get the best results.

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