Archives for October 2019

Snap-on Smile is Not Going to Be What She Wants

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I have been looking into Snap-on Smile to improve the look of my smile. I decided to do some research and some patients have said it looks fake. I’m thinking that is because it looks too white. If I have the dentist make the color the exact same as my natural teeth, that should take care of the problem, right? Plus, I was thinking if I went to a more expert cosmetic dentist than most that would give it a greater chance of looking better as well. Is there anything else you’d recommend?

Caroline

Dear Caroline,

image of a snap on smile

My suggestion, in all honesty, is that you don’t get Snap-on Smile. It’s not going to turn out the way you want. I see your thought process about the color. However, you can have really white teeth that look completely natural. The problem with it looking fake is when the color is uniform. Our teeth are not uniform. Parts of our teeth are more translucent than others. The color depth varies throughout the tooth.

As for whether or not an expert cosmetic dentist will make a difference, they are limited by the material as well as the lab which Snap-on Smile requires the dentist to use.

Even the most beautifully done Snap-on Smile will result in mediocre smile results. It’s best used for something like a photoshoot where people won’t get too close up a look at your smile.

Instead, a skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist will steer you toward a different procedure to remake your smile. If you’re looking for a gorgeous smile makeover, your best material is to get porcelain veneers.

Getting a Truly Beautiful Smile

Porcelain veneers are the go-to procedure for a smile makeover. In fact, it is what celebrities use to obtain their Hollywood smiles. While Snap-on Smile is made from an acrylic resin, porcelain veneers are (as their name implies) made from porcelain. This more completely mimics your natural tooth structure, reflecting light to give it that beautiful shine.

The other benefit to porcelain veneers is the dentist can choose their own ceramist and lab. With Snap-on Smile, which is produced by the DenMat Company, they require dentists to use their lab. It is not known for its beautiful results.

One tip is to make sure the dentist you use is an artist. One way to do this is to take a peek at their smile gallery. This is a brag book of sorts that shows some of their cases. It gives you an idea of what the smile looked like before and after the dentist did the work.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Crowns or Veneers for Tetracycline Stains?

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I have tetracycline stains that I am ready to get fixed. I’ve seen two dentists— my regular general dentist and a local cosmetic dentist. My dentist suggested porcelain crowns. He’s done a crown for me before and it looked very nice and natural. The cosmetic dentist suggested porcelain veneers. The cost for the dental crowns is half the price of the porcelain veneers. I want to do this right. These teeth have bothered me for years. But, is there a significant reason to spend the extra money for the porcelain veneers?

Ellie

Dear Ellie,

single porcelain veneer being held up by a dental tool

A Porcelain Veneer

I’m glad you are asking questions. The first thing you need to know is there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. Just because a dentist calls themselves a cosmetic dentist doesn’t mean they are better. Nor does the fact that they charge more. That being said, I wouldn’t have the crowns done.

Tetracycline stains are one of the most difficult types of cosmetic cases a dentist can work with. They have to make the porcelain opaque enough to cover the stains while translucent enough to still look natural. When it comes to tetracycline stains, the porcelain crowns are an overly aggressive treatment.

The teeth have to be ground down quite a bit in order for there to be room for the dental crowns. This weakens the teeth and puts them at risk of breaking. Often dentists inexperienced in treating these type of stains recommend the crowns because they aren’t confident in their skills doing porcelain veneers. So the fact that your dentist wants to do the much more aggressive crowns is a red flag.

Additionally, there is no guarantee after you unnecessarily grind these teeth down that the crowns will be good enough. I know you said he’s done a crown for you before and you were happy with it. However, doing one crown is very different than dealing with a smile makeover, especially when tetracycline is involved.

Recommended Treatment for Tetracycline Stains

Most cosmetic dentists will suggest porcelain veneers. This can change anything and everything about your teeth— the shape, the size, the color. This is the go-to procedure for celebrities who want a smile makeover. It can do more than cover your tetracycline stains. It can give you the smile you’d always dreamed of having, not only covering the stains you are embarrassed by, but giving you a superstar smile.

Check the Dentist’s Results

I highly recommend you don’t just choose between these two dentists. You have a world of dentists available to you. But be careful in your choice. This is a very difficult cosmetic dentistry procedure, and it may be hard to tell if the dentist has enough skill to do this right. What I would suggest is to ask to see before and after smile gallery photographs of tetracycline cases they’ve personally done. If they can’t show you that, keep looking for another cosmetic dentist.

You also need to insist they do a temporary try-in of your porcelain veneers when they’re done. There is a try-in paste which will allow you to see the veneers on your teeth without bonding them. This enables you to look at them in various lighting and determine if they are what you wanted. If you’re at the right dental office, the dentist will be willing to send the case back to the laboratory and not bond them on if you are at all hesitant about how they look.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Titanium Versus Zirconia Dental Implants

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I have a few dental implants in my mouth already and may soon need another if I can’t save this latest tooth. I’m writing because I recently read that titanium can cause neurological problems. Do you think I should switch mine out for the zirconia dental implants?

Ethan

Dear Ethan,

dental implant being placed in three stages

I’m not sure where you read this. Is it possible it was an article on the internet? While a wonderful tool which allows for the free flow of information, we have to remember not everything we read is accurate. There is no current scientific literature that I am aware of which backs up that claim. Instead, I see the opposite. Titanium has been used safely for decades. It’s very biocompatible.

You may be aware its uses go far beyond just dental implants. It’s also used in hip and other joint replacements as well as a host of other purposes. It’s been proved to be very safe. I wouldn’t switch out your implants unless you had a medical reason. Even patients with metal sensitivities, rarely have an issue with titanium.

I don’t want you to think I am opposed to zirconia dental implants, I just don’t want you to unnecessarily switch perfectly good implants. Additionally, if you do remove the first implants, it will require another procedure in addition to the replacement surgery. Removing the dental implants means some bone will be removed as well. Because bone is so necessary for retaining your dental implants, you’ll need to have bone grafting done in order to have enough retention.

Zirconia Dental Implants

Zirconia is very strong and has been dubbed ceramic steel. It can uphold the pressures of biting forces. The only downside to them, at this point, it doesn’t have the same long-term tracking record as the titanium counterpart. This is simply because they haven’t been in use long enough for us to know enough about their longevity. It’s possible they’ll hold up equally well. We just don’t yet know.

Getting a Beautiful Smile with Dental Implants

It’s always important to think long-term. If you do decide you want to switch. First, you’ll want to make sure you use a dentist who is both experienced in placing dental implants, but also skilled in cosmetic dentistry. This way you can know the implant crowns will blend and match your teeth in such a way that it looks completely natural. This is also an opportunity to upgrade the appearance of your smile.

Whatever color the crowns are made initially is permanent. If you’ve considered whitening your smile, the time to do that is before the crowns are fashioned. This way, they can be made to match your brighter, white smile. Once they’re completed, teeth whitening won’t work on them. Only your natural teeth will whiten and your crowns will stay the same. It saves you money in the long term to have the whitening done ahead of time.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.