The Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

October 21, 2009

My Opinion of DURAthin Veneers

Filed under: DURAthin Veneers — iowasmiles @ 5:46 pm

Today I have been looking at photographs of smile makeover cases done with DURAthin veneers. I must say that I’m impressed.

I’ve been critical on mynewsmile.com and in this blog of Lumineers. They are a brand of ultra-thin porcelain veneers, and I have yet to see a photograph of a Lumineers case that I felt showed beautiful cosmetic dentistry.

But all the photographs of DURAthin veneers that I examined today looked beautiful, and it caused me to wonder about the difference. DURAthin is also an ultra-thin porcelain, and is sometimes used in a no-prep situation.

I think the difference is in the dentists they attract and the way the products are promoted. Lumineers are promoted to general dentists as being very easy to place and very lucrative. Consequently, they attract many dentists who really don’t know what they’re doing when they get into esthetics. Thus, I get many e-mails from their upset clients. DURAthin is taught almost as an elite technique, and the dentists that place them seem to be fairly sophisticated as far as esthetics. For example, Dr. Nils Olson, a mynewsmile.com recommended dentist who has been chosen as the new chairperson of accreditation in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and thus could be considered at the pinnacle of excellence (see his Maryland cosmetic dentist website), uses DURAthin in his practice. Dentists like this will use a no-prep technique only when it can produce superior results. Otherwise, they will take advantage of the thinness of DURAthin by doing an ultra-conservative preparation, very possibly in enamel only, which may require no novocain and which could be likened to a mere dusting of the enamel surface.

Anyway, I’m soliciting more DURAthin photographs from our expert cosmetic dentists, and keeping an eye out, and will keep visitors to this blog and website posted.

September 15, 2009

Thanks for your comments about Lumineers

Filed under: Lumineers, Thank yous — iowasmiles @ 8:07 pm

Dear Dr. Hall,

I just read your “Lumineers cost“article at  and also the “example” question and answer which pertains to this topic and I was so pleased to read it. I write dental websites, and because of my familiarity with the dental world I have long been aware that Lumineers are not the best option available. I prefer not to write about them in favorable terms, but it is sometimes required as part of my job. I was pleased to read this direct and honest representation of Lumineers. In writing for dental websites, I have seen innumerable before and after images of Lumineers and of truly custom porcelain veneers, and the difference is almost always highly noticeable. While I cannot write website articles that warn individuals against Lumineers in a professional sense, I was very pleased to see that someone else has. Your article came up 3rd when I Googled “Lumineers.”

Because of the nature of my work, I prefer not to make my name available and would appreciate your discretion regarding my email address. However, I wanted to thank you for representing Lumineers as an option, but one which may have more negative than positive aspects.

I am amused to read your “hate mail section” - to find that dentists who are not willing to undergo the training which will allow them to do really great dental work are disparaging toward your article and email, and see it only as confirmation of their lack of interest in their patients’ welfare. Sincerely, &tc.

“L”

Dear “L”,
Thanks for your kind comments.

September 11, 2009

da Vinci Porcelain Veneers

Filed under: Porcelain veneers — iowasmiles @ 4:11 pm

I had an interesting exchange with da Vinci Studios, a dental laboratory in West Hills, California. I have posted on my main website a page about da Vinci veneers where I was mildly critical in some respects. I had a time when I was practicing that they gave me beautiful results, but then the level of quality dropped off. It bothered them that I mentioned that they have some mediocre technicians, especially since my comments show up #3 in Bing when you search on “da Vinci veneers”. They offered me the opportunity to discuss any questions I may have about their business.

I felt like that type of response demonstrated class, and I wanted to give them kudos for responding in that way. I do believe that they are a very quality conscious dental laboratory and I think they may very well have ironed out the quality-control issues that I thought were fairly serious at the time I switched from them.

I still firmly believe, though, that a patient should not select a dentist merely because he or she uses da Vinci veneers. There are many excellent dental technicians who are very artistic and no one establishment has a monopoly on them. Besides, a dental laboratory cannot make up the difference for a dentist with no artistic ability who can’t communicate what he or she wants. A poor dentist plus a great dental lab equals a poor restoration. A great dentist with a poor dental lab also equals a poor restoration, but that great dentist will end up dumping the poor lab. As a dentist, I had a relationship with a local dental technician who was giving me excellent results, but then we took on a very challenging case that was beyond her ability, and she never could get it looking beautiful. So I cut my losses, and paid the extra lab fee to have it re-done. That is when I started using da Vinci. That is what excellent cosmetic dentists will do. They take responsibility for the final restoration and will stick with labs that give them beautiful results.

Something that Chester Garcia, CEO of da Vinci, said in his letter reinforces this point: “Part of our work is artistic in nature. For this reason, some dentists may feel that a particular restoration does not have the exact appearance they are looking for…. When this occurs, da Vinci works with the dentist to repair or remake the restoration until it has the perfect color, shape and feel that the dentist envisions.”

That is how it works. The dental lab works for the dentist. If the dentist can’t envision the beautiful result, the laboratory can’t make up for that difference.

August 17, 2009

Salty taste from porcelain veneers

Filed under: Porcelain veneers — iowasmiles @ 8:00 pm

I am quietly going insane about a problem I perceive due to porcelain veneers.After paying a lot of money for veneers I have noticed a very salty taste in my mouth. Is this possible?
- Lee from Florida

Lee,
There is nothing used in the normal porcelain veneer placement process that would taste salty or that would leave a salty taste behind. Did your dentist use something really weird on you? I’d ask him or her about the taste.

- Dr. Hall

Click here for referral to a cosmetic dentist

August 15, 2009

Treatment for a single dark tooth

Filed under: Porcelain veneers, Tooth bonding — iowasmiles @ 8:00 pm

My smile is good except my right front tooth is turning brown. It may have gotten bumped when I was a child but I do not recall. It is not painful. It is solid and fine…just slowly dying. What would be the best procedure to take care of this problem do you think? I don’t smile as much due to the fact it has gotten darker. Dentists here want to do a root canal and cap but that seems a bit extreme. It’s not infected and does not hurt.

Thank you for your time,
- Vicki from California

Vicki,
If your tooth is fine and not infected, then there is no reason to have a root canal treatment. When a tooth is bumped hard enough, it can sever its blood supply, and it will die, develop an abscess, and turn dark. It will need a root canal. But if it’s bumped lightly, often it will later develop thicker dentin and will look dark but will be perfectly healthy.

If the tooth is healthy, it just needs some type of veneer to change the color. But the degree of color manipulation required for a single tooth is difficult for about 98% of dentists. If the dentist is artistic enough, often he or she will prefer to use direct dental bonding, because that way you can see the color as you go. Or, a single porcelain veneer works excellently for this situation also, with the porcelain veneer made by a dental laboratory.

But don’t go to the dentist on the corner for this – the color matching required is too difficult. I’d recommend one of the cosmetic dentists on our list, because they are screened for artistic ability.

I’d expect to pay $1300 to $2000 to get this done right.
- Dr. Hall

August 3, 2009

Porcelain veneers not smooth

Filed under: Porcelain veneers — iowasmiles @ 2:49 pm

I have porcelain veneers on my upper front 5 teeth. They are pasty-looking and not smooth (don’t feel slick like my regular teeth). I got them in  April 2007, and the dentist has polished them “twice” now to date.

Thanks,
Inge from California

Dear Inge,
You’re telling me that your dentist doesn’t seem to know how to polish your porcelain veneers, and that the dental laboratory he used to make them doesn’t seem to know how to make lifelike porcelain veneers.

I’m not surprised. Most dentists don’t know how to do these things well. That’s why I run this website – to help people find good cosmetic dentists. I’m very familiar with the pasty look you talk about, and we examine closely the work of every cosmetic dentist we list on this website to make sure they know how to create lifelike porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers shouldn’t need to be polished. When they are fired in the porcelain oven they are given a shiny glaze that is extremely durable and stain resistant. But, if the occasion arises, usually through improper maintenance, where they need to be polished, expert cosmetic dentists such as we list on this website know how to do that. Check our list of northern California cosmetic dentists to find someone who could do this for you.
- Dr. Hall

Other links:
Click here to find a cosmetic dentist
Click here for information about dental implants

July 12, 2009

How do I find a Lumineers expert?

Filed under: Finding a cosmetic dentist, Lumineers — iowasmiles @ 8:12 pm

Hello Dr. Hall! How do I make sure my dentist is a trusted and/or certified “Lumineer expert” I can trust? $10,000 is a lot of money to spend and be unhappy with the result…
Thank you,
Roni from San Diego

Roni,
First, on how NOT to make sure your dentist is a Lumineers expert – don’t use the Lumineers website. Dentists get listed as certified for Lumineers by paying money to the company. That’s all there is to it. It’s all a branding and marketing thing.

Here’s what the Lumineers advertisements don’t tell you – the big secret. There is nothing really unique about Lumineers. It’s just a brand of porcelain veneers. Even though their company has a training program and “certifies” dentists, all they have to do is pay them money and attend their course. There is no test, and many of the dentists who get certified do lousy work. If you find an expert and artistic cosmetic dentist, they can do Lumineers or any other brand of porcelain veneers. And there are other brands of porcelain that are as thin as Lumineers and look more beautiful.

As far as how to find an artistic and expert cosmetic dentist, that is the whole purpose of this website – why it exists. Because cosmetic dentistry isn’t a legally distinct specialty, any dentist can claim to be a cosmetic dentist without any special training. The few who take the trouble to really learn the field well, those are the ones I seek out to list on their site. We don’t list every expert cosmetic dentist, but all the ones we list are truly expert, because of our screening process. So check out our Southern California cosmetic dentists and pick one, and you can’t go wrong.

- Dr. Hall

March 10, 2009

What can I do about my discolored fillings in my front teeth?

Filed under: Lumineers, Tooth bonding — iowasmiles @ 8:32 pm

Dr. Hall,
Overall, I love my smile. The only issue I have is discolored fillings in my top front teeth.

They don’t respond to bleach. And when I brush them, they look worse, because you can see the difference in the color between the fillings and the teeth more clearly.

My dentist has talked to me about Lumineers, and I wonder if this would help or if the color of the fillings would show through. What is the best thing for me to do?

- Ana in New Jersey

Dear Ana,
The answer to your question is actually fairly simple. I think you’re making it too complicated. You have discolored fillings because the dentist that did them didn’t know how to make them match your teeth.

There are bonding materials that are used for fillings that have every tooth shade under the sun, and they can mimic your natural teeth in translucency, in gloss, and in texture. So you just need a dentist who knows how to do this. See our dental bonding page to see how beautiful these fillings can be.

Whatever you do, don’t do Lumineers. They will make your teeth longer, and they will be bulky. And if you’re happy with the shapes of your teeth, there is no point to doing Lumineers – that’s overtreatment that you don’t need. The problem is the fillings, so just get the fillings fixed.

Check our list of New Jersey cosmetic dentists. Any one of them that we list would be able to do your fillings so that your teeth will look beautiful. I screen these dentists carefully and am confident of their artistic abilities.

One caveat – if your fillings are so large that they cover maybe 1/3 or more of the surface of your teeth, it may be best to shave down the fillings a little and put regular porcelain veneers over them. But not Lumineers.

Good luck,
Dr. Hall

Related links:
Find a cosmetic dentist close to you.

February 18, 2009

What’s the best treatment for one dark tooth?

Filed under: Porcelain veneers — iowasmiles @ 5:20 pm

Dr. Hall,
My daughter plays basketball at the collegiate level. She fell at her game and fractured one of her front teeth. She underwent a root canal and now the tooth is grey. She is anxious to get veneers but I want to make sure we do the very best for her. Her current smile is gorgeous and I want to keep it that way. What is the best route for her and where should we have this done. We live in a small town, but she attends school near Chicago. Should she have multiple teeth done also? Please advise!
Thank you so much for your help!
- Renee
Renee,
Just going from what you’re saying, if your daughter’s smile is gorgeous, then for goodness sake, just treat the tooth that is the problem. And your first step is to find an expert cosmetic dentist. There is a real potential here, if this is done by a dentist who is simply a good dentist and not an artist, for her smile to go from gorgeous to mediocre.

This tooth wouldn’t be turning dark this soon had the dentist who did the root canal known how to prevent that. There are certain root canal filling materials that, if left inside the visible part of the tooth, will greatly accelerate the darkening process. But a good cosmetic dentist will know how to bleach this single tooth and then do a single porcelain veneer or an all-porcelain crown, depending on the situation, that will perfectly match the rest of her teeth and bring back this gorgeous smile you say she has.

Go to our list of Chicago cosmetic dentists. The work of each and every one of them has passed stringent tests of beauty and excellence, and she’ll be in good hands with any one of them.

Good luck,
Dr. Hall

Other links:
Find a cosmetic dentist who is really an artist, listed by state.
Ask Dr. Hall a question.

January 19, 2009

Are Lumineers reversible?

Filed under: Finding a cosmetic dentist, Lumineers — iowasmiles @ 3:10 pm

Hi Dr. Hall,

I am seriously thinking about getting Lumineers. I am thinking about using Dr. —- from Los Angeles. I understand that he is one of the premiere Lumineers dentists. I was wondering if you could do some research on him and provide me with any feedback on his training, cosmetic dentistry background, complaints, awards, etc.

Also, would Lumineers be a good option? Are there good reviews and feedback on Lumineers looking nice and also lasting a while? I’m afraid of having my teeth shaved down and wanted to go the route of Lumineers if they are worth it.

Thanks a lot,
Ken from Pennsylvania

Dear Kenneth,
I can find no evidence of any cosmetic dentistry training that Dr. —- has. Sorry. He isn’t even a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, which to me shows a low level of commitment to cosmetic dentistry. And I can’t find his name among graduates of some of the popular cosmetic dentistry training courses that I have access to. And the other question I ask – is he an artist? I don’t know the answer to that. Most expert cosmetic dentists who are artists do post their work on the Internet, and I don’t find any of his posted. So I’m skeptical about that.

And the fact that you are telling me you are afraid of getting your teeth shaved DOWN concerns me. I think you’ve been overly influenced by the commercials. Before you go and possibly ruin your smile, I think you owe it to yourself to get some accurate information. And here are the inaccuracies I believe you have bought into:

1) For porcelain veneers, generally your teeth are shaved a little, but I don’t think it’s accurate to say they’re shaved DOWN. In many cases, from a conversational distance, you can’t even tell that the teeth are changed after they have been prepared for porcelain veneers and before the veneers are put on. That’s how small the reduction is, in many cases, if you get the beautiful porcelain veneers.

2) On the other side, I’m not so sure that Lumineers can be removed without damaging the teeth. Yes, THEORETICALLY, since the teeth aren’t shaved at all before placing the Lumineers. But it is very easy to have an ”accident” when the Lumineers are removed and to have a tooth or teeth gouged or nicked.

My advice is not to go only to a dentist who promotes himself too heavily as a “Lumineers dentist” before getting a new smile. You may not get an honest opinion about whether or not they’re good for you. Go to an expert cosmetic dentist first. Any expert cosmetic dentist listed on our website is able to do Lumineers. Just go for an opinion. Then compare what the two dentists say. Armed with more information, you are in a better position to make a good decision about whether or not to do Lumineers.

And I have not seen a really nice Lumineers smile. I’ve seen some bad ones and some okay ones. I’m sure there are some really nice ones out there, but I haven’t seen any. They make your teeth look rounded, a little bulky, and a little longer.

As far as long-lasting, Lumineers are excellent in that department. They’re durable—probably better than average in that department.
- Dr. Hall

Related information:
Click here to find a cosmetic dentist, screened for artistic ability and training in cosmetic dentistry.
Read more about smile design and smile makeover.

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