Teeth whitening Archives | Williams Family Dentistry

Is a Cracked Porcelain Crown a Dental Emergency?

Posted on September 24, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve had four porcelain crowns for 15 years. One of them has always had a minor defect, but I could only feel a small divot with my tongue. The crown itself was fine. However, recently, it has changed. I can now see a line on it and it feels different as well. Is this in danger of breaking? Should I treat it as a dental emergency? Is there a way to repair it or do I need to replace it?

Catherine

Dear Catherine,

It sounds like this crown is about to be a problem. I would not consider it a dental emergency, but you will need to replace it sometime soon. One thing to be wary of is a dentist who tells you that you have to replace all of them in order to get them to match. That is not accurate. What it really means is he or she does not have the skill requisite to match a single crown. That is, admittedly, difficult. It is not impossible, though. It just takes some work.

If you actually prefer to replace all the porcelain crowns at once, that is completely fine and up to you. While it may cost you a little more initially, you will save yourself time with repeated appointments as they go out one by one. Just don’t let a dentist pressure you into it. There is nothing wrong with you replacing them just as you need to.

One thing I want you to consider if you decide to get them replaced all at once is the color of your teeth. If you are content with your teeth’ color, no further action is necessary. However, if you are considering brightening the color anytime soon, it will save you a significant amount of money to have your teeth whitening done before you replace your crowns. This way, the new crowns will match the updated color.

Once your crowns are completed, there is no way to change the color. If you whiten your teeth later, you will have the additional expense of replacing the crowns yet one more time in order for them to match.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Dental Implant Versus Dental Bridge

Posted on May 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

I need to replace a tooth. My dentist has given me two choices. I can either get a dental implant or a dental bridge. I’m having a hard time deciding. He said the dental implant is better but it does mean surgery. Can you help me understand the benefit to surgery?

Malcolm

Dear Malcolm,

It’s always important to understand the pros and cons of every option. I don’t know how much your dentist explained to you so I’m going to go over the procedures.

With a dental bridge, The two adjacent teeth will be crowned and a false tooth suspended between the two of them. They are bonded on. The downsides are twofold. One, you have to grind down the structure of healthy teeth. Two, if one part of the bridge fails, the whole thing has to be replaced. The upside is no surgery.

With a dental implant, a prosthetic tooth root is surgically placed into your jawbone. You are given some time to heal and for the bone to integrate with the implant. Then, a dental crown is placed on top. Its upsides are numerous but can be summarized by the fact that it is like having a healthy natural tooth in your mouth again. Its downside is you need some minor surgery.

Cosmetic Considerations with Tooth Replacement Options

The color of tooth replacement options can be made any color you want. However, whatever color you end up with is permanent. If you’ve ever considered whitening your teeth, the time to do that is before you have the replacement tooth made.

If you decide to have teeth whitening done later, your natural teeth will whiten, but the cosmetic work will not. In order to get them to match, the crown or bridge will have to be re-made to the new color.

Doing everything ahead of time saves you a significant amount of money.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Can I Get All My Work Done at Once?

Posted on April 13, 2019 by writeradmin.

I need a lot of dental work done. I need three root canal treatments with dental crowns and four other cavities to fill. I’d like to get it done all in one appointment to avoid multiple trips to the dentist. Sort of take a personal day at work and be done with it. Is that possible.

Elliot

Dear Elliot,

Woman asleep from dental sedation — Sedation dentistry is sometimes called sleep dentistry…for a reason.

You are a brave person. Most people try to avoid dental work and you’re ready to jump right in there all at once. Every dentist has different policies when it comes to how much work they are willing to do at once.

You will find that the dentists who are willing to do the most in one sitting are sedation detnists.

For the level of work you are looking at you’ll want a dentist who does oral conscious sedation. This will make you very sleepy. Most patients sleep through the appointment, which is in part why you can have so much done in one appointment.

However, the sedation is so strong you’ll need someone to drive you to and from your appointment. You’ll also need them to stay with you while you recoorperate throughout the day. You’ll want them there until you are lucid and able to easily get around.

Cosmetic Considerations

You’re having a lot of work done, including dental crowns. You didn’t say where the crowns were. In case they will be visible when you smile, I want you to be aware about coloring.

The color of the crowns created for your teeth undergoing the root canal treatment is permanent. If you are pleased with the current color of your teeth than there is nothing further to think about.

However, if you’ve ever toyed with the idea of whitening them, the time to do it is before your have your dental crowns made. This saves you the money of having to re-do them after you whiten them later.

I know you like doing things quickly, so ask your dentist about in-office teeth whitening. This whitens your teeth completely in just one appointment.

Best of luck to you.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Getting a Lot of Work Done at Once with a Dentist

Posted on January 23, 2019 by writeradmin.

My mouth is in bad shape. I need to get a lot of work done. I need about 4 root canal treatments, two crowns, and a filling. However, I’d also like to improve the appearance of my teeth by whitening them. How much of this can be done in one appointment?

Ben

Dear Ben,

Sedation dentistry is sometimes called sleep dentistry…for a reason.

Each dentist has a different threshold for how much they’ll do in one appointment. However, you will find that sedation dentists are more likely to agree to longer appointments. That is because it is easier for the patient to have extensive work done while under sedation.

If you use a strong sedation, such as oral conscious sedation, it allows you to sleep through the appointment. You’ll be completely relaxed while the dentist goes about the business of doing your procedures.

The one thing you will want to split up is the teeth whitening. So, this is the tricky bit. It’s a matter of convenience over cost. While natural teeth whiten, dental work does not. That boils down to whatever color your dental crowns are when they’re made is permanent.

That means you can whiten your teeth before getting your crowns so they can be made to match the new color. Or, you can get the work done, then whiten your teeth. However, that means you’ll have to replace the crowns if you want them to match. Of course, that’s only necessary with crowns which are visible when you smile.

My suggestion, in that case, is to have your root canals and any fillings done. Then, whiten your teeth. After the tooth bleaching is completed, your dental crowns can be made to match the new color.

Your Best Bet is In-Office Whitening

Because you are in a hurry to get all this work done, I’m going to recommend you use an in-office teeth whitening, such as Zoom Whitening.

With Zoom Whitening, your teeth will get as white as possible in just one appointment. You will want to wait about a week afterward to allow the color to settle a bit, but that is still faster than take home whitening which can take several weeks to get to the level of brightness you want.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Whitening a Discolored Crown

Posted on September 1, 2018 by writeradmin.

I have a dental crown which can be seen when I smile. It’s started getting darker than usual. I don’t know what happened. I’ve had it for a bit so maybe it’s just wearing out?? I need to get it whitened, but don’t know what procedure to ask for. I thought while I was at it, I’d whiten my teeth too and start with a brand new smile. What do I do for the crown?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

If this staining started suddenly, it sounds like something recently happened to your crown which removed the glazing from it. Unfortunately, the only solution for a stained crown is to replace it. If you’ve had it for a while, it was probably getting close to the end of its lifespan anyway, so that won’t be as tragic as if it was a fairly new crown.

Teeth whitening only works on natural tooth structure. While we can make a dental crown or bridge any color the patient requests, We don’t yet have a way to whiten dental work which is already completed.

However, this doesn’t have to interfere with your plans to renew your smile through whitening.

Do You Need a Cosmetic or General Dentist for Teeth Whitening?

While there are certain procedures which really require some artistic expertise in cosmetic dentistry, such as porcelain veneers, that’s not the case with teeth whitening. Any general dentist should be able to provide it.

There are generally two main professional teeth whitening options: in-office and at-home. Most dentists offer at-home whitening. But, if you’re wanting to whiten your teeth fast, you’ll want a dentist who offers an in-office option, such as Zoom! Whitening. This allows you to get your teeth whitened in just one appointment.

When it comes to which came first the chicken or the egg, there’s still debate. However, the question of the crown or the whitening is much easier. Do the teeth whitening first. That way, you’ll have all your teeth the color you want and your new porcelain crown can be made to match.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.