Fast Fix to My Smile

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I feel like I need a complete top to bottom makeover after all of this Coronavirus Quarantine. I feel frumpy.  I’m going to get my hair colored and get a new wardrobe. What’s a quick fix for my teeth that won’t cost a fortune?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Everyone has a different definition of a fortune. I don’t want to limit your options by making assumptions, so I’ll give you both fast options. You can consult with your dentist and budget to decide which one works best for you.

Option One: The Complete Smile Makeover

a porcelain veneer being placed

If you want to change everything about your smile, porcelain veneers are the way to go. This is the go-to for celebrities because it can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth simultaneously. However, not every dentist can do a great job with this. You’ll want one with an artistic eye. I highly suggest you check the dentist’s smile gallery to see what type of results they get. If they don’t have a smile gallery, they aren’t serious about cosmetic dentistry and you should move on. If they do have a smile gallery, just verify that it is the dentist’s actual work and not stock photos.

This procedure uses tiny wafers of porcelain your dentist will design to give you the smile of your dreams. Of the two procedures I’m listing, this is the most expensive.

Option Two: Teeth Whitening

teeth whitening trays

The least expensive way to quickly remake your smile would be teeth whitening. This simple procedure can take years off your smile and can be done by just about any dentist. There are two types of professional teeth whitening available. The first is at-home whitening with trays (pictured above). This allows you to control the level of whitening you want. Once you reach your brightness goal, you simply stop whitening. Though, I always recommend keeping the trays in case a few years from then you want a touch-up.

Another type of teeth whitening is done in one appointment, called Zoom Whitening. Not every dentist offers this because it requires special equipment. This will get your teeth their whitest.

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

Inexpensive Way to Cover Tetracycline Stains

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I’m 65 years old and retiring. I have some savings but not a ton. All my life, I’ve been embarrassed by my smile, which is marred by tetracycline stains. I know people say to get porcelain veneers for these, which are a bit out of my budget. Do you think if I had them done at a dental school, they would be more affordable?

Elaine

Dear Elaine,

woman covering her mouth with her hand

I don’t recommend you have a dental school do your porcelain veneers. The art of smile makeovers isn’t really taught at dental school. General dentistry is more of an engineering mindset and doesn’t bother with what they consider mere cosmetic electives. Any student who did your veneers would likely be doing their first case. Not only that, but it could very well be the instructor’s first case as well. Whatever they did would not give you the results you want. Plus, tetracycline stains are some of the toughest stains to do. The type of dentist you need would charge $1000-%1200 minimum per tooth. That’s not the inexpensive solution you’re looking for.

In most cases, teeth whitening doesn’t work on tetracycline stains because they’re so dark and deep. However, there is one brand that has had more success than other’s because it has a unique way of delivering the gel that gives it some more potency. Ask your dentist to use Kör whitening. It may not get rid of the stains completely, but it will certainly lighten them. Worst case scenario this gives you some time to save up to have any porcelain veneers done by the right dentist.

When selecting one, don’t just go by their price, even though I quoted one as a guide. Ask them how many tetracycline cases they’ve done. You don’t want someone new at it. Then ask to see the before and after pictures that show their results. It won’t matter if they’ve done 100 cases if they did them all badly.

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

Teeth Whitening with Peroxide

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I’ve done some reading and learned that the main whitening ingredient in teeth whitening is peroxide. If that is the case, can I just rinse with peroxide to whiten my teeth?

Kurt

Dear Kurt,

teeth whitening trays

You ask a good question. It seems like it would make sense, right? Rinsing with peroxide may have some extremely mild whitening benefits, but I don’t think it will be anything near what you are hoping for. One of the biggest obstacles you’ll face is the fact that the whitening agent has to soak into your teeth. That will need to happen for a minimum of 15 minutes to have any decent use. I don’t know if you’re willing to rinse with peroxide for that long.

With the teeth whitening you get at a dentist’s office, your dentist will make custom-fitted trays that fit your bite exactly. You’ll wear them, for a minimum of 20 minutes, at a time convenient to you with the whitening gel inside. Many patients prefer to sleep with the trays on.

A second issue is its strength. The peroxide you get for home use is 3% peroxide. Crest Whitestrips has a strength of between 5-6%. These are significantly less strong than the whitening you get with your dentist. Professional strength teeth whitening will be between 15-43% peroxide.

It would take many years for you to get the same effect you would from a visit to your dentist. By the time you purchased all that peroxide, you will have spent almost as much. You just dragged it out over years.

In all honesty, you’re better off seeing your dentist for teeth whitening. You can do at-home whitening with the trays or in-office whitening with Zoom Whitening which allows you to whiten your teeth completely in just one appointment.

Plus, you have the added benefit, because you will be under the care of a dentist, of having someone there in case complications develop, such as gum sensitivity.

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

Cosmetic Dental Work and Teeth Whitening

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When it comes to cosmetic dental work, you really need to go to a dentist who has invested time in the requisite training to create beautiful smiles. There isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry where you are officially now a cosmetic dentist. Any general dentist can do cosmetic work. This is where most of those smile makeover horror stories come in.

Let me illustrate with a proper understanding of teeth whitening. Most people understand that bleaching your teeth can get rid of years of stains, such as the pigments picked up from staining foods and beverages. However, it will also whiten the natural pigment of your teeth.

Unfortunately, many family dentists who dabble in cosmetic work don’t understand this either. Dentists traditionally used the shade guide seen directly below.

Classic shade guide

This matches the natural pigment of teeth and darker with various levels of staining. However, when people started whitening their teeth, that changed the rules. The lightest shade was now too dark to match to the new colors now being seen on teeth. The problem comes when a dentist inexperienced in cosmetic work doesn’t understand this.

A patient comes in for a smile makeover and decides on porcelain veneers. They tell their dentist they want a very white smile. The dentist picks the lightest shade on the guide thinking he’s safe. When the veneers are placed, they are much darker than the patient’s natural teeth. Why? Because he or she has done teeth whitening.

Getting Your Smile Done Right

So how does a dentist get the right color? A true cosmetic dentist will invest in the updated shade guide, seen directly below.

updated shade guide

This allows the cosmetic dentist to get a better match. This, of course, isn’t enough to give you a beautiful smile, but it’s the bare minimum for a match. Before seeing any cosmetic dentist, make sure you look at their smile gallery first. Just make sure they posted actual cases the dentist has done and not just stock photos. If the before and after pictures don’t blow you away, don’t waste your time.

If you do like the photos, then its time to check their reviews. This one way to find out what type of chairside manner the dentist has and how good they are at listening to their patient’s desires for their new smile.

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

Teeth Whitening and Tea

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I just got my teeth whitened today and absolutely love how they look. I want them to stay this way forever. My dentist warned me that drinks such as coffee and tea will stain my teeth again so I want to make sure I brush carefully to keep them nice and white. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I do love a good cup of tea. I read that you shouldn’t brush before you drink tea because it opens the tubules in your teeth and will then cause the staining to absorb faster. However, I’ve also read not to brush after drinking tea because of its acidic nature. So, if you can’t brush before or after, when should you brush when it comes to tea?

Mindy

Dear Mindy,

tea in a white cup and saucer

How does tea affect your teeth whitening?

I’m glad you are loving your new whiter teeth. It is one of the most affordable ways to give your smile a dramatic makeover and look years younger at the same time. Taking care of it will help the results last longer. It sounds like that’s exactly what you plan to do.

Brushing Your Teeth Before Drinking Tea

Your dentist is correct that beverages like tea and coffee will add stains to teeth. Brushing your teeth before drinking will not cause your teeth to absorb the tea more. The exception to that is after having dental work done. While your toothpaste won’t open the tubules on your teeth, the teeth whitening procedure will. They will stay open for a few days and then the plugs will redevelop and close them. This is also why some people find their teeth a little more sensitive after having their teeth professional whitened.

Since you’ve just had your procedure done, I’d ease up on the tea for a couple of days.

Brushing your Teeth After Drinking Tea

There are some places on the internet where blogs have warned about brushing your teeth immediately after drinking coffee or tea. They reason that tea is acidic, which softens the enamel and so if you brush while your enamel is softer you will wear away enamel. However, tea isn’t really that acidic and if you are brushing with a soft brush, I can’t see this being a problem. Enamel is extremely hard and the small amount of softening that occurs from drinking a mild acid like tea is not going to make it wear away with simple toothbrushing. Besides, your saliva has buffering agents.

The Colgate website, while it recommends waiting 30 minutes after drinking orange juice before you brush to avoid damaging your enamel, actually recommends brushing right after drinking tea to reduce the staining effects of tea. The reason is that the pH of citrus juices can be around 2.0 while the pH of tea is around 4.9 to 5.5, much closer to a neutral 7.0. That would be what I would recommend also. If you can’t do that, rinsing with water right after could help. You can also minimize the staining of the tea by just drinking it rather than slowly sipping or worse, holding or swishing it around in your mouth.

Keeping that Bright White Smile

Because you said you had your whitening done today, I’m guessing you had Zoom Whitening done, which allows you to get your teeth whitened in just one appointment. Your dentist should have supplied you with some at-home trays for follow up treatment. Keep those. Then, in a couple of years, you can ask your dentist for some teeth whitening gel and use that in your tray for a quick touch up. This will allow you to keep that stunning smile for a fraction of the cost.

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

Whitening Your Teeth with Clorox Bleach

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I have a friend who bleaches her teeth with Clorox. I was worried when I heard about this. Is she going to damage her health from this, or is it okay?

A worried friend

Dear Worried,

teeth whitening trays

You sound like a good friend who is trying to do everything you can to keep your friend safe. The good news is, unless she’s swallowing it, she’s not likely to die. I have a cosmetic dentist friend who had a patient who did this too. He joked that, although he couldn’t recommend it, for reasons I’ll elucidate in a moment, he wasn’t that concerned.

Here are some of the issues to consider when it comes to using something like Clorox bleach. This chemical is a base, which makes it very corrosive and can burn living tissue. Additionally, if it mixes with certain other types of chemicals it can react and turn into toxic chlorine gas. But if she is swishing with it quickly, she may be avoiding any tissue damage.

When is it Safe?

Almost all dentists were taught in dental school to use bleach to dissolve the dead organic debris and disinfect the canals in a root canal treatment.

According to PubMed, it is also safe to do periodically as an oral rinse, but only diluted. They recommend a 1:20 ratio in the dilution.

Get Teeth Whitened in One Appointment

The Clorox is a slow process that has to be repeated over and over. While it may get her teeth a bit whiter, it is also likely causing tissue damage. Instead, she can get her teeth as white as they can get in just one appointment with Zoom Whitening. It’s fast and safe. That may appeal to her.

Avoid the Bleaching Police with Professional Teeth Whitening

According to a label on Clorox Bleach, “It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” If she doesn’t listen to the fact that it can burn the tissue in her mouth, maybe you can tell her about the bleaching police.

Suggesting she get her teeth whitened safely with a dentist is a good thing. Maybe she’ll listen. Then again, she may live on the wild side and already be a federal fugitive by ripping off the tag on her mattress.

I’m sure she’ll appreciate how much you care about her.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Can You Whiten Dental Bonding?

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I have dental bonding on my two front teeth because of chips. I liked how they looked at first, but it’s been a few years and they’re starting to pick up stains. Can I whiten them or do they require something else to get them back in shape?

Penny

Dear Penny,

before and after images of dental bonding for chipped teeth

Unfortunately, you won’t like the results if you use teeth whitening in this situation. What will happen is your natural tooth structure will whiten, but the dental bonding will remain the same. This will make them look even worse. You have a couple of options in order to get these back in shape.

The first thing you can do is have the dental bonding re-done. This is the most affordable option. It’s okay to whiten your teeth in that case, if you’re looking to make them brighter because your dentist can match the new bonding to your whiter teeth. As you know, based on your current experience, these last for several years.

You have a second option if you are looking for something which lasts longer than bonding. Porcelain veneers can last for at least a decade. However, they are much more expensive than bonding.

Who Should Do Your Cosmetic Dental Work?

When it comes to having any type of cosmetic dental work done, you don’t just want any dentist to do it. Instead, you need someone who has some expertise both in a technical understanding as well as some artistry. Dental bonding is done free hand, so an artistic eye is imperative.

So how do you know if your dentist has what it takes?

The first thing I would do is ask to see some before and after images of actual cases they’ve done. If you’ve decided to do dental bonding to repair your chips, ask specifically to see those type of cases. if you’ve decided to get porcelain veneers done, then I would ask to see his veneer cases.

If you don’t think they are stunning, don’t use that dentist. Be picky. These are your teeth. You want a perfectionist creating your smile.

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

COVID-19 Notice

Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. For several weeks our office has been accommodating patients for emergencies only but is finally resuming regular patient care on May 18. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.


Infection control has always been a top priority for us at Cheek Dental, and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable. Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. Click here to read more about some of the COVID-19 new infection control procedures we have added in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.


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