Archives for November 2019

Are there Soft Dentures?

November 26, 2019 by writeradmin

I’m having a very hard time with my dentures. It’s the hard plate that is driving me crazy. I need something soft. What options do I have?

Rainey

Dear Rainey,

You’re not the only one to have a hard time with dentures. At the moment, there aren’t any pliable dentures which will actually have the support you need. What some dentists will sell is a soft liner. This helps patients that have a bony ridge. While they are more comfortable, they are more expensive, hard to clean, and need to be replaced often.

If you’re really struggling with your dentures, I’m going to suggest an upgrade. Not only will it help with the uncomfortable feel, but you’ll find your chewing capacity greatly increases. More importantly than all that is it will prevent you from developing facial collapse.

Dentures Lead to Facial Collapse

I don’t know how long you’ve already had your dentures, but once your teeth were removed, your body began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone in an effort to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources. After about ten or so years, you won’t have enough jawbone left to even support your dentures. This is what is known as facial collapse.

A Good Alternative to Dentures

Instead of dentures alone, you can have what is known as implant-supported dentures. With this procedure, you’ll have between four to six dental implants then your dentures will be anchored to them. You won’t even have to deal with the hard plate because it is the dental implants which support your dentures.

This blog is brought to you by Huntsville Dentist Dr. Steve Murphree.

Multiple Metal Sensitivities

November 19, 2019 by writeradmin

I have patch tested as allergic to quite a few materials. So far, they know I’m allergic to dental cement, formaldehyde, cobalt, chromium, titanium, as well as a handful of chemicals. I sought out this information because I was having medical problems they couldn’t explain. It was a desperation move, but now I’m glad I did it. I need a dentist who is knowledgeable in Type IV metal allergies who can help me navigate the massive amount of dental work I have and exchange it with material I’m not allergic to. Do you have any advice as to where I can find one?

Amanda G.

Dear Amanda,

It sounds like you have had a very rough go of things. I’m encouraged to hear you kept trying to get to the bottom of things. Many patients give up out of discouragement. You show real tenacity. I also like that you are trying to be proactive about your dental health. I don’t think looking for a dentist knowledgeable in Type IV allergies is going to be possible without you wanting to pull your hair out of your head.

Instead, what you want is a dentist who is willing to work around all your allergies. Your best option is going to be in finding a holistic dentist in your area. They are open to Clifford’s testing, which I’m guessing is the type of testing you had done and they have a philosophy of treating the whole body, not just the teeth. Because of that, they will work to find solutions.

Additionally, you’ll find that they already know the procedures to safely remove potentially hazardous materials, such as amalgam fillings. They’ll do a sanitary amalgam removal and replace your fillings with composites.

They are also willing to do metal-free dental work such as zirconia crowns and zirconia dental implants. Bear in mind, if you do need to replace any dental implants, you’ll have to do some bone grafting after the titanium is removed. This is because the removal will take with it necessary bone that holds the implants in place. Fortunately, this is an outpatient procedure.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by Huntsville Dentist Dr. Steve Murphree.

Hate Daughter’s Lumineers

November 11, 2019 by writeradmin

I took my daughter to get Lumineers. The dentist made four Lumineers for her front teeth. They said we’d get to see them and approve them before they put them in. In fact, they told use she’d get to walk around and look at them in different lights. None of that happened. She barely got to see them. She certainly didn’t get to see them normally or with different lights. Her mouth was pulled back in such a way that everything looked unnatural. However, even in that wretched position, we could tell they looked square and bulky. We told them they look fake and nothing like real teeth. They assured us they would look perfect when they were bonded on. I wasn’t sure what to do. They were the “experts”. Even after they were bonded on they still looked fake. They told us to leave them on for a week and we’d love them. We’re “Just not used to them yet”. I didn’t seem to have much choice so we left. The next day at school, the students were merciless. They called her beaver teeth. What do I do? I can’t leave her like this. Is there a way to get a refund? Who should re-do them? This guy was a cosmetic dentist. I thought that was what we needed.

Laura

Dear Laura,

Let’s start with the fact that he was a cosmetic dentist. That isn’t a recognized specialty so him saying he’s a cosmetic dentist doesn’t hold much weight. Any general dentist can say they’re a cosmetic dentist regardless of the amount of training they’ve invested in learning how to do it well.

Doing smile makeovers isn’t taught in dental school. It actually takes a significant amount of post-graduate training in order to do it well. Not all dentists are willing to put in the amount of training necessary to become true artists. That’s what cosmetic work is—art.

The Lumineers brand, in particular, is highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place. They tell dentists that because they’re considered ultra-thin porcelain veneers and technically do not require tooth preparation. Unfortunately, most teeth still require some preparation or the results look bulky. This seems to be what happened to your daughter.

Getting this Lumineers Case Fixed

You have a pretty good case for getting a refund. First, they didn’t follow their verbal agreement to let you approve them first. Be very clear to them about how unhappy both you and your daughter are about the Lumineers. Then, make sure they understand what your daughter is going through as a result of their shoddy work.

If they don’t respond by offering you a refund, then you’ll need to talk to an expert cosmetic dentist and get them on your side. That shouldn’t be too hard to do if the veneers look as bad as it sounds. Sometimes dentists are more willing to listen to peers than their patients. It’s helpful if you see a cosmetic dentist out of town. This makes it less likely they’d be friends. One dentist might have a hard time talking badly about a friend.

When you get the case re-done, make sure you also use an expert cosmetic dentist. This way your daughter will have beautiful results. I would choose someone on the list of dentists recommended by the mynewsmile.com website. Every one of them are screened for both their technical training and their artistry. They can give her a gorgeous smile. Don’t be surprised if they recommend a different brand of porcelain veneers than the Lumineers brand.

This blog is brought to you by Huntsville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Steve Murphree.

Porcelain Veneers Too Shiny

November 9, 2019 by writeradmin

One of the reasons I wanted to get porcelain veneers is because they look natural. I’ve seen pictures and they tend to have a nice shine, but it looks natural. At least, it looks natural in the pictures. Mine don’t. The shine is so bright it looks fake. Is there a way to take the shine off my teeth?

Carol

Dear Carol,

I’m glad to get this question. There is a correlation between the shine on teeth and their texture. I want you to look at the image above. If you notice the teeth have varying texture as you go down the tooth. The glaze on your porcelain veneers is extraordinarily important. They are what protect your veneers from staining.

However, if your dentist doesn’t add natural texture, the veneers end up flat. This causes the unnatural shine you’re experiencing right now. In the picture above I bet you didn’t notice that one of those teeth was fake. That’s because the dentist who did this case, did such a great job, everything matches perfectly.

Fixing Flat Porcelain Veneers

You asked if there was a way to reduce the shine on your veneers. You could take off the glazing by having your dental hygienist use something such as a power prophy jet. Unfortunately, doing that will essentially ruin your porcelain veneers. Your best chance is to talk to your dentist and ask him to re-do them.

You paid for a beautiful smile. You should get one. My suggestion is you ask him to re-do your porcelain veneers. If he’s a decent cosmetic dentist, he will care how you feel about the result.

Expert cosmetic dentists place your cosmetic work on with a temporary try-in paste. This allows the patient to get a good look at the veneers on their teeth and approve them before they are permanently bonded on. If the patient isn’t absolutely thrilled, the veneers go back to the lab to make any changes necessary to give the patient the stunning smile they paid for. This is how they can offer a beautiful smile guarantee.

If you need help with your dentist, feel free to show him this post.
This blog is brought to you by Huntsville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Steve Murphree

Antibiotics for a Tooth Infection

November 3, 2019 by writeradmin

I’ve had a massive tooth infection and have been on antibiotics for about ten days. It had almost cleared up, but now it has blown back up and is even worse than before. Is it possible I was on the wrong antibiotics and that’s what’s going on or do I need to take them longer? Do I just call the dentist or the pharmacy?

Sunny

Dear Sunny,

I truly hope you have not told me everything because if all your dentist did was provide you with antibiotics, then he is being negligent in your care. A tooth infection, which is considered a dental emergency, is not treated with antibiotics. The reason for that is when a tooth infection sets in the tissue inside the tooth dies. Without blood flow, there is no way for the antibiotic to reach the infected pulp.

The use for antibiotics with dental infections is two-fold: First, it can be used if the dentist can’t get to you right away and wants to keep the infection from spreading until your appointment. A second reason to use them would be if the infection is so bad it is causing swelling and will keep the local anesthetic from working. In that case, you would use the antibiotic just to get things under control, the way yours did, and then you’d go in for the permanent treatment.

The Real Treatment for an Infected Tooth

There are only two effective ways to get rid of a tooth infection. The first is to remove the tooth. I am not advocating this as a treatment. Just saying it is more effective than antibiotics. I’d only recommend pulling a tooth as an absolute last resort. If for some reason you did have to pull the tooth, it is very important to replace it as soon as possible. If you don’t, the other teeth will drift or tip into the space, leading to a host of other problems. A dental implant is a great tooth replacement, if it comes to that.

Your second option is to get a root canal treatment. This will open the tooth allowing the dentist to clean out all the infected and dead tissue. Then the tooth is sealed so bacteria cannot get back in. Without one of these two options, your infection will return (as yours has).

Get in right away and have this infection dealt with.
This blog is brought to you by Huntsville Dentist Dr. Steve Murphree.