Olivia – The most effective option for replacing missing teeth is dental implants. A dental implant has a structure that mimics your natural tooth. An implant looks, feels and functions like your natural tooth.

Most partial dentures are a little uncomfortable to wear in the beginning. Depending on how long you have had it, you still might be adjusting to how it feels. Let your dentist know your concern. He or she will be able to adjust it for you again for a more comfortable fit.

If you’ve had the partial denture for some time, and you still want another option, consider dental implants. The cost is per implant, but in addition to looking and feeling natural, an implant permanently restores your smile.

If dental implants are not within your budget, you can consider a dental bridge.

This blog is sponsored by the Chicago dentists of Landman Dental Associates.

Dan – Teeth whitening from a dentist is the most effective treatment. You can receive in-office or take-home treatment. With the take-home whitening, the dentist will make impressions of your teeth for custom-made whitening trays. You’ll receive bleaching gel to place in the trays. You’ll wear the trays each day for the time that the dentist specifies, and within two to three weeks, you’ll have a sparkling smile. The price range for the take-home treatment is approximately $200 to $350.

In-office treatment can dramatically brighten your smile within an hour. Gel will be applied to your teeth by the dentist for a fast, brilliant smile. The cost is approximately $500 to $600.

In either case, you case you can do touch-ups at home with custom whitening trays and bleaching gel that you’ll receive from your dentist.

Although there are many do-it-yourself whitening treatments, you’ll get the best results from a cosmetic dentist. Keep in mind that depending on the cause of the discoloration or stains on your teeth, teeth whitening may make the problem more noticeable. A cosmetic dentist will be able to determine the cause of the discoloration of your teeth and whether or not teeth whitening is right for you.

This blog post is brought to you by the Chicago dentists of Landman Dental Associates.

Darryl,

If a tooth gap is small, the best way to repair it is with composite bonding. The surface of the tooth on either side of the gap will be roughened. Dental composite will be applied, sculpted and hardened. Then the bonding will be further shaped and polished.

If you decide to get dental bonding to fix the gap, find an experienced, artistic cosmetic dentist to do the work. He or she has received training in the techniques required to give the bonding the same color and translucency of your natural teeth. The bonding will blend in with your teeth, and people won’t be able to tell that you had a gap in your teeth.

If the gap is large, an option other than braces is porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are thin wafers of porcelain that are bonded to the front of your teeth. A cosmetic dentist will give you veneers that look like your natural teeth.

If it’s the look and feel of traditional braces that you don’t like, Invisalign invisible braces are an alternative to fix the gap between your teeth. Invisalign uses a series of clear, custom-made plastic aligners to straighten your teeth in half the time of traditional braces.

This blog is sponsored by the Chicago cosmetic dentists at Landman Dental Associates.

Ted,

The dental implant should be placed first. After it heals, a porcelain crown will be placed on it. The porcelain veneers and the crown for the implant should be done at the same time.

If you find an artistic cosmetic dentist to do the work, the crown on the dental implant will perfectly match your porcelain veneers. People won’t be able to tell that you’ve had dental work done. They will only see beautiful, natural-looking teeth.

This posting is sponsored by the Chicago cosmetic dentists of Landman Dental Associates.

Brandi – A Snap-On Smile is less expensive than porcelain veneers. If you plan on wearing it every day, it will last approximately three to five years.

You can receive the Snap-On Smile from a dentist who is not a cosmetic dentist. Impressions will be taken of your teeth, you’ll choose the shade and design of the smile and the information will be sent to a laboratory to make your new smile. After your case is sent to the laboratory, your new smile is usually received within two to three weeks.

This temporary smile makeover costs approximately $1000-$1500, which is similar to the cost of a single porcelain veneer.

A second option is direct dental bonding, which can be used to close small spaces between teeth. This treatment requires the skill of a cosmetic dentist to make the tooth-colored composite blend in with your natural teeth. Dental bonding will last longer than the Snap-On Smile.

This post is sponsored by the Chicago dentists at Landman Dental Associates.

Janice – Recent studies show that biting stress or bruxism is the most likely cause of the notches on your teeth near the gumline, as opposed to aggressive brushing. When you clench and grind your teeth, they flex at the gumline, which makes them weaken and develop notches. This is actually a TMJ problem, which a dentist with specific TMJ training can treat. If bruxism is the problem, it should be addressed first, so that the porcelain veneers will last.

The porcelain veneers should cover the notches. They are also very stain resistant. Help your veneers last longer by limiting snacks throughout the day, and by daily practicing good oral hygiene. Use Supersmile toothpaste whenever you brush your teeth, to help prevent staining.

This blog is sponsored by Chicago cosmetic dentists Drs. Paul and Carole Landman.

Can silver fillings stain teeth? If so, can the stains be removed? Are the white fillings strong enough for back teeth? Carlotta – Chicago

Carlotta – When amalgam (sometimes called “silver”) fillings are replaced with white composite fillings, they look better. Amalgam can discolor your teeth a bit, but the discoloration is not significant—particularly on back teeth.

Placing composite fillings on back teeth is very different than using amalgam. The process takes more time and more skill. If your dentist is uncomfortable placing the composite fillings, and if you truly want them, it might be best to find a cosmetic dentist who regularly places them. Insisting on a treatment that your dentist is uncomfortable with may produce an unfavorable result.

The white fillings strengthen teeth, and if properly placed, they will last on back teeth.

This blog is sponsored by Chicago cosmetic dentist Landman Dental Associates.

- Kristine from Nevada

Kristine,

When seeking any kind of cosmetic work, it is important to find a dentist that is an artist and truly passionate about creating a beautiful smile. Cosmetic dentistry takes extensive training beyond dental school and not just any dentist does a good job.

As far as your hesitancy about having your tooth shaved down, it is important to know that Lumineers are just a particular brand of porcelain veneers. There are many types of ultra-thin veneers so don’t feel as if Lumineers are your only option.

To have porcelain veneers placed, typically your tooth will need to be shaved down slightly. But the veneer itself is only the thickness of a fingernail. So the amount of tooth preparation is extremely small. The preparation is mainly so that the veneer is virtually undetectable and the most natural-looking as possible.

You also should be aware that removing Lumineers from your teeth may damage them. It is true that the teeth are not “shaved” but when they are removed it is quite likely that the tooth may get scratched or damaged in some way.

I would recommend seeing an excellent cosmetic dentist that is experienced in placing all types of porcelain veneers, not just Lumineers. This is because if they promote Lumineers too heavily, they may be a bit biased about their results. Some Lumineers patients complain that they make the teeth look larger than they are, rounded, and longer. Depending on your teeth and your smile, this may not be the best option for you.

So make sure you seek the talents of an expert cosmetic dentist before you commit to a particular brand of porcelain veneers for your smile makeover.

I hope this information was helpful.

This post is sponsored by Chicago dentist Landman Dental Associates.

Recently one of my front teeth was broken during an accident and my dentist has suggested I get an all-porcelain crown to fix it. At first he recommended that I have both of my front teeth done so that the match would be perfect, but I was not on board with that. I don’t think I should have a perfectly healthy tooth treated for cosmetic reasons. Anyway, he said that was fine and that the laboratory should be able to make an extremely close match and that he would send it back until it does.

My question is in regard to bleaching my teeth. Do you think that I should have this done before the crown is done? My teeth are pretty white right now but I was wondering if it is more difficult to get a whiter crown and then try to match my teeth to that? My dentist says it’s pretty much up to me.

- Morgan in New Mexico

Morgan,

It’s a good sign that your dentist sounds like he truly cares about doing good cosmetic work. Typically when you are trying to match a single front tooth to your existing teeth, it can take several trips back to the laboratory to get it just right.

To answer your question about teeth whitening, the answer is yes. Absolutely, I would recommend that you have your teeth bleached before the crown is placed. This is because after the crown is placed you won’t be able to bleach your teeth without also replacing your porcelain crown.

There is no increased difficulty in matching the new crown to teeth that have just been whitened versus unbleached teeth. Also, it shouldn’t be anymore difficult to maintain the new color of your bleached teeth. Your teeth will pick up stains as you get older but you don’t necessarily always have to bleach your teeth to keep the same color. Although, when they do get a bit darker several years down the road, if you wanted to re-bleach them, you can do a touch up treatment to maintain the whiteness you desire.

There is one important point worth mentioning and that is two make sure you wait for two weeks after bleaching before your dentist begins the crown. This is because it takes a good couple weeks for the final color to stabilize after your teeth have been professionally whitened. That way you can make sure you get the closest color match as possible for the new crown.

This post is sponsored by Chicago dentist Landman Dental Associates.

Related links: cosmetic dentist, Zoom whitening

- Janice from California

Janice,

From what you described, I’m under the assumption that you are trying to re-fasten your temporary crown to your tooth. It is important that the crown be replaced as soon as possible because your tooth could become damaged if left exposed. Another problem is that if you don’t re-attach it the surrounding teeth may drift a little bit making it so the crown will not fit. When that happens you will have to start all over again with the process and there could be an additional charge by your dentist.

Some people say that toothpaste or Vaseline will reactivate a crown, but that will not hold it. Call your dentist and tell them what happened. It is likely they will re-cement it and hopefully not charge you anything.

If for some reason you are not able to get into your dentist right away, you may want to consider re-attaching it yourself. You can use Superglue, although this may present difficulties later when the glue needs to be cleaned off. So before you glue it, call your dentist to see if they are in agreement. Or you could try a denture adhesive. That should hold relatively well. Sometimes you can find temporary dental cement at your local drug store which may also meet your needs until you can see your dentist.

Be sure to call your dentist and inform them of your situation as soon as you can.

This post is sponsored by Chicago dentist Landman Dental Associates.

Related link: porcelain crown, cosmetic dentist