Archives for December 2020

Mouthwash and Porcelain Veneers

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If 2020 has taught me anything it is to be more independent. I did get a great smile makeover this year, which was the one highlight. I want to take good care of it. I’ve made my own homemade mouthwash and I just want to run it by you and make sure it is safe for my porcelain veneers. Here is my recipe:

6 oz. water (boiled and filtered)
6 oz. hydrogen peroxide (3%)
1 tsp. sea salt

Avery

Dear Avery,

porcelain veneers

I love that you had a 2020 smile makeover. Way to brighten a horrible year! I also love your independent spirit. While none of the ingredients you listed will do any harm to your porcelain veneers, the hydrogen peroxide will end up being a problem in the long run. Peroxide is great for killing off bacteria. You would think this would be a plus, however, it kills both the bad and the good bacteria. This will lead to an oral yeast infection, which will be quite unpleasant for you. I would suggest you use this mouthwash about once a week, but not on a daily basis.

As for other types of mouthwashes, the main thing you want to do is avoid any that have alcohol as an ingredient. This will disintegrate the bonding on your porcelain veneers. There are a few brands out there that do not have alcohol.

However, the best thing you can do for your smile makeover is to use SuperSmile Toothpaste. This is specifically designed for cosmetic dental work. It will keep them sparkling while safely removing any surface stains. I highly recommend it to any patient with cosmetic work.

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

Is a Maryland Bridge a Good Temporary Restoration?

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My teen daughter has a genetically missing tooth. We’ve had orthodontics done. Our plan when she is old enough is to place a dental implant. In the meantime, we need a temporary replacement. Our dentist suggested a Maryland Bridge. He prepared the teeth and placed the Maryland Bridge. We decided on ceramic wings so they would blend more naturally with her teeth. But, two days later it fell out. Now they are talking about using metal wings. Will this be any better? Will the metal show through? Also, does it damage her teeth to put it on and off later when she gets her dental implant?

Flo

Dear Flo,

Maryland Bridge

Maryland Bridge

First, let me say that choosing a dental implant for your daughter’s permanent replacement is a great idea. It will give her a stable replacement for the remainder of her life. I am less enthusiastic about the “temporary” replacement they chose. My first issue is anything that requires preparation for a tooth or changes the structure of the tooth should not be considered a temporary replacement.

Tooth prepped for a Maryland BridgeHere are the problems your dentist is facing with the Maryland Bridge. The reason the one with ceramic wings fell out is because of inadequate preparation. If you look at the image on the left, you can see a grove in the tooth. In addition to the light preparation your dentist did, this groove would be necessary in order to keep the bridge more secure. That is a permanent structural change to her tooth.

As for whether the metal will be any better, it is actually a worse solution. Metal doesn’t bond to teeth as well as the ceramics. Plus, as you suspected, it will show through the color a bit. The bigger problem here is your dentist probably didn’t do adequate preparation. This is actually going to work in your favor because there hasn’t been too much damage done to her tooth yet.

My suggestion would be to forgo the Maryland Bridge and get a dental flipper. This should have been what they recommended to begin with. It’s much less expensive and will do no damage to your daughter’s tooth.

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

Zoom Whitening for Uneven Color?

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My daughter recently had her braces removed and there were white spots on her teeth. Our dentist suggested we do Zoom Whitening, which is supposed to be very strong but it didn’t really work for us. Is there another option?

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Braces side by side with Invisalign

The one thing your dentist was right about is that Zoom Whitening is very strong. It will get your teeth very white in a short period of time. However, it is not the right treatment for uneven colored teeth. Your daughter’s dentist may be a fine general dentist, but she has a profound misunderstanding of cosmetic procedures. No matter what type of teeth whitening you do, it will whiten your teeth evenly. This means the uneven color, in your daughter’s case the white spots, will still be there.

White Spots After Braces

The white spots your daughter has are likely decalcification spots, which are a precursor to tooth decay. These are common after braces because it is so hard to brush adequately to get around all those metal wires and brackets. It takes tenacity and dedication to brushing to keep your teeth healthy while wearing traditional braces.

This is one of the reasons we often recommend Invisalign to adults and teenagers responsible enough to keep up with them and keep them in. Because these are removable, it makes it so much easier to brush and floss your teeth adequately while straightening your teeth.

The Solution to White Spots

My recommendation for your daughter would be to have dental bonding done on the teeth with the spots. The decalcified enamel can be gently removed and then dental bonding can be placed over it, seamlessly blending with your natural tooth structure. That being said, I do not recommend you use your family dentist for this. It is an advanced cosmetic dentistry procedure that requires post-doctoral training. Your dentist didn’t even understand teeth whitening, which is the simplest procedure.

Look for a dentist with experience in dental bonding and then ask to see before and after images of cases they have done. This will tell you whether or not you’ll be pleased with the results.

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