Archive for December, 2010

Are porcelain crowns often used for smile makeovers?

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Recently, I had a complete smile makeover done. The results are just amazing, but one small thing has puzzled me. When I got home and was checking out my new smile from every angle, it looks to me like my dentist used porcelain crowns rather than porcelain veneers, like we discussed. The porcelain seems to go all the way around my tooth, instead of just covering the front.

Is there a reason for this, customarily? And was I charged more for the porcelain crowns as opposed to the veneers? Don’t get me wrong - I am crazy about my new smile, and have received tons of compliments on it. I am just a little worried that there was something wrong with my teeth that made the dentist chose crowns over veneers. Is there something I should maybe be watching for down the road?

Kelly in Seattle

Dear Kelly,

There is not a percentage or measurement that really pinpoints when a porcelain veneer becomes a porcelain crown. Most cosmetic dentists charge the same or nearly the same amount for the two procedures, as they require about the same amount of time and work to complete.

It is indeed quite common to see smile makeovers done with porcelain crowns for cosmetic reasons, so you should not be concerned about any unknown conditions. Your dentist might have used crowns to support teeth weakend by fillings, or to make a change in your bite. Certainly, a responsible dentist would have told you about any issues that would require special attention from you or your regular dentist.

Crowns are a more aggressive treatment than veneers with more of the natural tooth structure removed, so it would be worth your time to ask your cosmetic dentist why he or she chose to go with crowns. Most dentists try to do the most conservative treatment possible, so there should be a good reason for choosing crowns over veneers.

York PA dentist Dr. Currie sponsors this blog as a courtesy to people seeking dependable dental advice.

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What can be done about stains from fluorosis?

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

I am writing to get some ideas about how to plan for my daughter’s dental care. She currently wears braces, even though she is only 9. Her teeth have been a source of embarrassment for her for quite some time, and we are trying to get that taken care of. The braces will come off in a few years, but I am starting to be really concerned about what her teeth will look like when they do. She has moderate to severe fluorosis stains on her upper and lower teeth, and some of her teeth are jagged along the edges.

What can be done about this? Her bottom teeth are really yellow, and the top ones are discolored in patches. Will teeth whitening help at all? Seems like I read somewhere that not all tooth discolorations can be treated with whitening procedures. I’ve also wondered if we should be thinking about porcelain veneers when she gets a little older.

Thanks for your help with this. It might sound frivolous, but my little girl doesn’t like to smile, and that makes me so sad. Any advice you can offer would help.

Kylie in Minnesota

Dear Kylie,

It is not frivolous at all to want your child to be able to smile and laugh without self-consciousness. You seem to be taking a balanced approach, for the right reasons.

Fluorosis is causes by too much fluoride when the teeth are forming, either in the drinking water or over consumption of fluoridated toothpaste or fluoride supplements. Mild fluorosis results in white or brown spots on the teeth, depending on the level of severity.

If the spotting on your daughter’s teeth is not too bad, it is possible that dental bonding could be used to cover the spots. If the staining is severe, she will probably need porcelain veneers.

Whichever route you decide to go, make sure you are working with a skilled, experienced cosmetic dentist. This type of work is probably beyond your family dentist, both technically and psychologically. This is not to imply that your dentist is cold or insensitive, but most traditionally trained dentists do not have the training or skills to finesse patients who are very sensitive about their smiles.

Taking your daughter’s young age into consideration will be the first challenge, and will mean that there will be several different options to tackle this issue. The cosmetic dentist you work with may suggest dental bonding as a temporary solution, and recommend porcelain veneers when she is a little older. There is no minimum age for porcelain veneers, so if the dentist you work with is skilled and takes into account the degree of present and future tooth eruption, he or she may decide to go ahead with that sooner rather than later.

This blog is present courtesy of York PA dentist Dr. Currie

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