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Teeth Whitening for White Spots

Posted on December 7, 2022 by writeradmin.

I have had white spots on the bottoms of my front teeth since I was a child. They have always bothered me and I am finally in a position to do something about them. However, my dentist insists because my teeth are healthy I should leave them alone. Her exact words were, “Why mess with something that is not broken?” But, the teeth make me embarrassed. I was thinking about teeth whitening as an option but I need an opinion as to whether that will work or not.

Christine

Dear Christine,

teeth whitening trays

Teeth Whitening Trays

 

I am glad you wrote. While your dentist meant well, the don’t fix what isn’t broke attitude is more the engineering mindset of a general dentist than what you would get from a cosmetic dentist. If it bothers you, then it is worth fixing. However, teeth whitening is not the solution.

Whitening is a great way to give yourself an inexpensive smile makeover. It can make you look years younger. However, it is not the solution for the white spots you are dealing with. Because teeth whitening whitens your teeth evenly, it will only serve to make the white spots even more noticeable.

Before and after dental bonding

What you will need is to have some dental bonding done. This procedure is remarkable at fixing chipped teeth, gaps in teeth, as well as evening out color, such what you are dealing with. The dentist will gently remove the surface where the white spots are and then fill in the area with composite bonding material that can blend in naturally with the remainder of the tooth surface.

The one catch here is that you need a skilled cosmetic dentist to do the work, which is done freehand. Your dentist will not be qualified to do this. I would go to another dentist for that procedure. Once your dental bonding is done, you can return to her for all your general dental work.

To make sure you get a dentist that can do this well, I recommend you look at their smile gallery. This is an online brag book of sorts with before and after pictures of cases they’ve actually done. If they don’t have a smile gallery, they do not do quality cosmetic work.

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

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: dental bonding, tooth bleaching, white spots on teeth

Tooth Mousse and Teeth Whitening for White Spots

Posted on March 1, 2022 by writeradmin.

I’ve developed some white spots on my teeth. I went to see my dentist and he prescribed me to use some tooth mousse. After that, he says I will need to do some teeth whitening. Will I need anything else after this or will this take care of the white spots?

Emily

Dear Emily,

tooth bleaching trays

Teeth whitening trays

 

If I were grading your dentist, I would give him about a 45%. The white spots you are dealing with are precursors to decay. They show spots where your teeth are demineralized. If not dealt with, these will become cavities. Tooth Mousse will help with the remineralization and should prevent the decay. However, the company doesn’t make any claims about the appearance of the tooth.

As for the teeth whitening, that is way off base. One basic fact about teeth whitening is that it whitens your teeth evenly. That means the white spots will get whiter along with the remainder of your teeth. There will be no evenness of color.

The only way to get the color the same would be with microabrasion and dental bonding. I would not have your dentist do this. Teeth whitening is the most basic of the cosmetic dentistry procedures. He has a profound lack of understanding with how this works. Microabrasion and dental bonding are much more advanced. I would look for a skilled cosmetic dentist to do this for you.

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

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: dental bonding, microabrasion, tooth bleaching, tooth mousse, white spots

White Spots on Teeth

Posted on October 8, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve had white spots on my two front teeth my whole life. I like how they look, but my other teeth are dingy in comparison. My dentist is suggesting Lumineers, but I think that is more than I am wanting to pay. Can I not just whiten my teeth without whitening the two front teeth?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

tooth bleaching trays

Teeth whitening trays

 

I am glad you decided not to go with Lumineers. If all you want to do is whiten your teeth, that would be a massive, not to mention expensive, overtreatment. Additionally, Lumineers in particular are highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists. That is the last person you would want to have do a smile makeover for you. It takes significant post-doctoral training, not to mention an artistic eye, to do it well.

In your case, I would go with teeth whitening. However, teeth whitening works on teeth evenly. Ask your dentist to provide you with at-home bleaching trays. These should be custom fit to your bite. However, because of your two front teeth, you’ll want him or her to cut out the front teeth from the trays. This way the only thing being whitened are the teeth without the white spots.

For the benefit of others, I want to mention there is another type of white spots that takes a completely different treatment. If someone has white spots, they could have been there from childhood, as Laurie; but, often white spots appear after braces. These spots are different. They are decalcification spots, which are a precursor to tooth decay. Those who are wearing braces, often don’t realize how difficult it is to adequately brush around all those wires and brackets. This is why we recommend Invisalign whenever someone is a candidate. These are removable and make it super easy to upkeep your dental hygiene.

The solution for the type of white spots from braces, requires a skilled cosmetic dentist. The white spots have to be gently removed and then they can be recovered with composite bonding.

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

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: braces, dental bonding, Invisalign, Lumineers, tooth bleaching, white spots

Fixing a Tooth Gap

Posted on June 2, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have a medium-sized tooth gap. My dentist is suggesting we do Lumineers, but I am on kind of a tight budget at the moment. Would I better off getting braces? I’m not too keen on that idea because I’m in my early 30s, but I am ready to get rid of this gap.

Leslie

Dear Leslie,

I’m glad you wrote. I am not going to recommend you go with Lumineers. It is a rather large overtreatment for your situation. The good news is, you can fix this without ugly metal braces. You have two good choices here.

Option One: Dental Bonding

before and after dental bonding

In most cases, dental bonding is the solution. It uses a composite bonding to close up the space. In the picture above, you see it used to repair a chipped tooth. This is not something any dentist can do. You will need to go to an experienced cosmetic dentist, especially since it has to be done freehand. I am not going to recommend you use your dentist for this. My guess is he suggested Lumineers because he doesn’t know how to do dental bonding. The Lumineers brand is often marketed to dentists who are inexperienced with cosmetic dentistry as being easy to place. That is likely why he suggested it. If he does this, you won’t like the results.

One thing to note. While the color can be made to match your teeth perfectly, the color is permanent. If you decide to whiten your teeth in a year, your natural teeth will whiten but your bonding will not. Because of that, I often suggest if you plan on whitening your teeth to do so before you have the bonding done. This will save you money in the long run.

Option Two: Invisalign

Invisalign Aligners

If the only thing you want to fix about your tooth alignment is the gap, then dental bonding is the way to go. It is faster and cheaper than the option I’m giving you now. However, if there are other things about your bite that need to be realigned, it will be worth it to get Invisalign. These are sometimes called invisible braces. That is because they use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. There are no wires or brackets either. No one will even know you have orthodontics on.

Either one of these will work for you and will be a better and less expensive option than your dentist is suggesting.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Filed Under: Invisalign Tagged With: dental bonding, invisible braces, Lumineers, orthodontics for adults, teethwhitening, tooth bleaching, tooth gap

Bonding instead of Lumineers?

Posted on April 7, 2021 by AllSmiles.

I had bonding placed on my teeth about 7 years ago while I was a minor. These are starting to wear down and I was thinking of getting Lumineers to replace them. Then, I started doing some research and learned that most of the really good cosmetic dentists don’t like Lumineers. This scared me off so now I am thinking about just getting bonding done again. I want to make a beautiful smile but am worried people will know they are fake if my smile is too beautiful. What is your experience with these two issues?

Candy

Dear Candy,

blonde woman smiling

These are great questions. You are right that many dentists with true artistry and expertise in cosmetic dentistry do not like Lumineers. This is mostly because their company requires dentists to use their dental lab. This particular lab is not known for its beautiful results. Dentists usually prefer to use their own ceramist whom they trust will produce the results they expect from the instructions they provide.

While your dental bonding can be redone, because these have to be done freehand, doing it well takes a very long time, which drives up the price. Additionally, they will not last as long as you’d like, so I honestly don’t recommend that route. The good news for you, however, is that Lumineers are simply one brand of porcelain veneers.

My suggestion is you find a great cosmetic dentist and let them choose the brand of porcelain veneers that will give you the beautiful result you truly want. Veneers will last many more years.

As to your other question, I would not hold back. While you are intimately acquainted with your smile, others are not. Cosmetic dentists have seen this over and over. A patient gets a stunning smile makeover. When people see them, their comments go something like this…

“Have you lost weight? You look gorgeous. Something is different but I can pin it down. Whatever it is, it’s working.”

My advise? Get your dream smile.

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

Filed Under: Porcelain Veneers Tagged With: dental bonding, Lumineers, smile makeovers

Zoom Whitening for Uneven Color?

Posted on December 15, 2020 by writeradmin.

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.

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: decalcification, dental bonding, Invisalign, tooth bleaching, white spots after braces, zoom whitening

Whitening Brown Spots

Posted on August 24, 2020 by writeradmin.

My dentist has been trying to help me whiten the brown spots on my teeth because she knows they are a source of embarrassment for me. They’ve been there since my adult teeth came in when I was much younger. We started with over the counter whitening and that didn’t work. It actually made the spots worse. Now she is offering to grind off the brown spots, but she isn’t sure how much surface will have to come off. If that does work, would the next step be dental crowns or would professional teeth whitening be more effective than what I used over the counter, which honestly was about every brand out there. I’m not sure what to do.

Malorie

Dear Malorie,

A woman placing teeth whitening trays on her teeth

Your dentist certainly seems well-intentioned, but she has no idea what she is doing with this. In fact, she’s experimenting on you without the knowledge she needs in cosmetic work, including teeth whitening which is one of the most basic procedures in that aspect of dental care.

Any teeth whitening, including professional teeth whitening, will not work for your situation. Instead, because it whitens your teeth evenly, it will make the brown spots more obvious.

The type of treatment you need for the situation you are in will be either dental bonding or porcelain veneers. Both of these are advanced cosmetic procedures that will require a dentist with advanced training. Porcelain veneers and more expensive than dental bonding but will last significantly longer and can do more. They are the go-to procedure for complete smile makeovers.

Where do You Find a Dentist who is Qualified to do Advanced Cosmetic Work?

Because there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, it is difficult for patients to know who is qualified. Sadly, they do not teach how to do smile makeovers in dental school. For a dentist to learn how to do these procedures they have to invest in post-doctoral training. You want a dentist who has made this investment. But how do you find one?

My suggestion is to look for a dentist who has attained accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). AACD accredited dentists have passed stringent exams as well as had to prove their artistry with before and after photos of a large and specific number of cases they have performed.

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

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: AACD accredited dentist, brown spots on teeth, dental bonding, finding an expert cosmetic dentist, porcelain veneers, smile makeovers

Lumineers to Whiten Teeth?

Posted on June 30, 2020 by writeradmin.

I wanted to get my teeth whitened and talked to my dentist about it. He told me he was just certified in Lumineers and that could whiten my teeth while fixing a tiny chip I have on one of my teeth. The chip has never really bothered me until he brought it up. For some reason, it never occurred to me people will notice the chip. Now suddenly it worries me. However, the price of Lumineers is pretty high. Is there another option?

Beth

Dear Beth,

Teeth Whitening Trays

You definitely don’t want to move forward with your dentist’s plans. Not only is it a massive overtreatment, but you are likely to end up with a smile that is worse than what you started with. Lumineers is a brand of porcelain veneers that is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. While they don’t necessarily require tooth preparation the way other brands do, that doesn’t mean the dentist will know how to create a beautiful smile. While he is Lumineers certified, all that means is he attended a seminar. That doesn’t actually provide any training in doing smile makeovers.

Fortunately, I don’t think that is at all necessary for you. If your teeth need whitening, the logical procedure would be teeth whitening. Duh. This is significantly less expensive. As for the chipped tooth. It may not be as noticeable as you think. Your dentist is in your mouth up close. He is supposed to notice every little detail. If it didn’t bother you before I wouldn’t let the dentist’s comment change that.

before and after dental bonding

That being said, I realize sometimes once something gets our attention, it is hard to let go. The simplest and most affordable solution if you decide something has to be done is to have tooth bonding done to it. This is where a cosmetic dentist will hand sculpt composite resin onto the tooth to fill in the missing part. The image directly above shows what this can look like. However, you should be aware this procedure requires a skilled cosmetic dentist. Before I let anyone try it, I’d ask them to show you some before and after pictures of cases they’ve done to make sure they are up to the task.

If a dentist offers an option for a virtual smile consult, that can help you find out what they can do for you.

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

Filed Under: Teeth Whitening Tagged With: chipped teeth, dental bonding, Lumineers, repairing a chipped tooth, smile makeovers, tooth bleaching

Crooked Front Tooth

Posted on March 31, 2020 by writeradmin.

I have a crooked front tooth. It’s sort of back behind my other tooth. My dentist is suggesting I pull the tooth, but I was wondering if I can just use Invisalign. If not, is there another option to pulling the tooth?

Humphrey

Dear Humphrey,

Whatever you do, don’t pull the tooth, especially if it is healthy! Your smile will never look quite right with an uneven number of teeth. I’m kind of flabbergasted your dentist is suggesting that. Some good news is you have three great options for fixing this crooked front tooth.

Straightening Your Smile with Invisalign

Invisalign aligner

These use clear aligners to straighten your teeth instead of the metal wires and brackets you are stuck with using traditional braces. It used to be that Invisalign could only work on the most ideal of cases. Now, the procedure can handle the more tough, advanced orthodontic procedures.

It has an additional benefit of the aligners being able to double as teeth whitening trays. This will allow you to straighten and whiten your teeth at the same time. It’s like getting a mini smile makeover.

Straightening Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers

A single porcelain Veneer being placed on a tooth

If you are happy with your smile other than the crooked tooth, you may not be interested in this option. It is more designed for a total smile makeover.

Porcelain veneers are the procedure celebrities turn to in order to get their Hollywood smiles. Using a skilled cosmetic dentist you can change the shape, size, and color of your smile simultaneously.

If you’re wondering if porcelain veneers would be a good option for you, ask for a complimentary remote smile consult. Send us a couple of selfies, and we’ll tell you.

Straightening Your Smile with Dental Bonding

If you want to straighten your smile quickly, but don’t want to invest in porcelain veneers, you could look for a dentist who does dental bonding. Like porcelain veneers, it will require an expert cosmetic dentist. This will only work on the crooked tooth and won’t last as long as porcelain veneers, but a skilled dentist can make your tooth look straight.

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

Filed Under: Invisalign Tagged With: dental bonding, fixing a crooked front tooth, invisible braces, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening

Gums Inflamed After Porcelain Veneers

Posted on December 14, 2019 by writeradmin.

I had two porcelain veneers done. They were placed on my two front teeth because one of the teeth had a chip and he needed to do both teeth to match them. Here’s the thing. Ever since I had the veneers placed, my gums have been inflamed and painful. I went back to the dentist and they insist they’ve never seen this before and accused me of not brushing them properly. That really annoyed me because I’m a grown woman and know how to brush my teeth. I’m especially careful to be diligent because these two porcelain veneers were quite expensive. I went back again and asked them to take a more careful look. At that point, he removed some cement that had been left. While that helped some, they still hurt. Do you know where I go from here?

Corin

Dear Corin,

A single porcelain Veneer being placed on a tooth

I’m pretty sure YOU are not the problem. In general, when someone gets work done on their teeth they are actually more careful about their oral hygiene, not less. It is more likely your dentist is the real problem here. I haven’t examined your porcelain veneers, so it would be difficult for me to diagnose the exact problem, however, I can give you some possibilities.

The first thing that springs to mind you’ve already have some evidence for— not cleaning off all the excess cement. At one of your checkups, you mentioned he removed some cement, so obviously this was at least part of the problem. All the cement he removed in your follow up visit should have already been gone when your veneers were originally placed. This is a common issue with inexperienced cosmetic dentists. Smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school, so a dentist has to invest the time and training to develop the right skill.

The next two possibilities have to do with the margins. If the margins are uneven where the veneer meets the tooth it can cause issues. Sometimes the margin by the bottom of the gingival sulcus, can actually end up too far under the gumline. That would also lead to irritation.

An unlikely possibility, but still in the realm of possibility, is an allergic reaction to either the porcelain or ceramic used. These are rare but have been known to happen.

Where Do You Go From Here?

What you need is a second opinion from another cosmetic dentist. Don’t ask your dentist for a recommendation. Whoever he picks will be unlikely to want to say something against his peer. When you go, make sure it is a blind second opinion. Don’t tell them who did the work. Just tell them your problem with the gums and ask if they can see what is causing it. If they ask who did the work, tell them you want to know his diagnosis before you give that information.

The Correct Replacement for a Chipped Tooth

Before and after dental bonding

I want to mention one other thing. You said your dentist did this to repair a chip. Typically a chipped tooth would be repaired by dental bonding. This is what was done in the image directly above. My guess is your dentist recommended veneers because he doesn’t yet know the bonding procedure. It’s too late now, of course, but if this were to happen to you again, I’d want you to be armed with the right knowledge.

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

Filed Under: Porcelain Veneers Tagged With: dental bonding, fixing a chipped tooth, getting a second opinion, inflammed gums after porcelain veneers, smile makeover

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