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Sedation Dentistry

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If you’re among the many Americans who are terrified of the dental chair, we want you to know there is a solution that could help you feel comfortable with dental treatment.

Some dentists practice what is known as sedation dentistry. Each sedation dentist varies in which services they offer. It could be as limited as just using nitrous oxide to relax you, or as deep as IV sedation.

Another popular option is oral conscious sedation.  With this you’ll take a pill shortly before your appointment. You’ll still have all your reflexes, but you will need someone to drive you too and from your appointment. Many patient’s are so relaxed they don’t even remember their appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Not happy with Bonding

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If I’m not happy with my dental bonding, what can I do?  It just doesn’t look very natural to me. Plus, it is starting to pick up stains.  I thought this would last longer.

Brooke H.- Wisconsin

Brooke,

Dental Bonding usually lasts only a few years and has to be redone.  If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, then I recommend you get porcelain veneers.  These will last for many more years.

You also said your cosmetic word didn’t look very natural. That tells me you need to be very careful in choosing who you have do your porcelain veneers.  This cosmetic procedure can give you a gorgeous smile, but only if done well. If your bonding doesn’t look natural, that means your current dentist isn’t really qualified to do your veneers, even if he says he does them.

You didn’t mention what about your smile you were trying to change. With porcelain veneers, you can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth.   Ideally, you want to get a dentist who is accredited by by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).  However, there are few dentists who reach that level of cosmetic expertise.  If you can’t find one within driving distance, then you can look at the mynewsmile.com website.  They recommend highly skilled cosmetic dentists in each state.  Anyone on that site will be a great choice.

This blog is brought to you Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Bonding verses Veneers

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Is there a difference between bonding and veneers or are they the same thing?

Elizabeth F.- Maryland

Elizabeth,

Though both bonding and veneers are cosmetic procedures that require a high level of expertise, they are very different.

  • Dental Bonding is more of a temporary solution. A tooth colored composite material is placed on your teeth and shaped to match your existing tooth structure. It is generally used to fix things like minor gaps and small chips. The bonding will last, at most, a few years. After that it will begin chipping and staining. The materials need to be matched to you tooth structure, including the coloring. This is generally done freehand.
  • Porcelain Veneers are a more permanent solution, lasting decades instead of months or years. These are thin porcelain shells. They are bonded to the front of your teeth. The porcelain is made either by the dentist or by an outside lab who follows your dentist’s instructions. These can change the size, color, even the shape of your teeth and can completely remake your smile.

Choosing A Cosmetic Dentist

Whichever procedure you choose, the more important thing is the level of artistry and expertise in the dentist you choose. There is not a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, so any general dentist can learn a few cosmetic procedures and call themselves a cosmetic dentist.

There are many cosmetic horror stories of people who went in to get a gorgeous new smile and ended up with something worse than they started with.  There is no recourse for an ugly smile makeover either. The only standard for getting a refund is if the smile is no longer functioning.

I’d look for a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Accredited is different than just being a member. Only about the top cosmetic dentists reach the accredited level. Every one of them will be able to give you an absolutely stunning smile.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

My dentist can’t numb me

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I wonder if you can help me. I’ve been to my dentist’s three times for a root canal. Each time he cannot get me numb. I’ve been in tremendous pain.  Do you know anything that can help me?

Amanda – New Mexico

Amanda,

I know exactly what is going on, because I’ve encountered it.  When someone has a high level of anxiety it adversely affects the way the numbing agent works. Then, when you’ve already had a negative experience it just makes you that much more terrified for the next appointment. That compounds the problem and again the numbing agent won’t work.  There are a couple of possible solutions to this.

For both of them you’ll need to find a sedation dentist. They can give you a relaxant, such as Valium. This will relax you enough to allow your numbing agent to work.  You’ll need to take the pill about 30 to 40 minutes before your appointment and you will need someone to drive you there and back again.

Your other option is to get some nitrous oxide. It is a mild gas that will relax you. It isn’t quite as strong as Valium, but you will not need a ride to and from your appointment.

This blog is brought to you Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Can I can my porcelain veneers re-done?

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I had some porcelain veneers done. When he first tried them on I thought they were too long, so he sent them back. The problem is, I really didn’t get to try them on for the second time before he cemented them on permanently.  They’re really too small and two of the teeth, I think they’re called incisors, don’t match at all. Would it be a lot of trouble for my dentist to re-do the porcelain veneers?

Francine M.-Jackson, MI

Francine,

While it will be a difficulty for your dentist to re-do your porcelain veneers, you paid to have a beautiful smile and I feel  you have a right to expect one.  Plus, he really should have let you have time to try them in before permanently bonding them on. However, if the veneers are functional you don’t have a lot of recourse, so I would start by asking him very nicely.

A true cosmetic dentist would never be satisfied if his or her clients wasn’t thrilled with their new smile. Unfortunately, I do not believe your dentist is an expert cosmetic dentist, otherwise, he would never have bonded on the veneers without giving you ample time to look at them in various lighting.

If you have trouble getting him to re-do the veneers, you could take it a step further. I’d suggest getting a second opinion by a true cosmetic dentist. If he thinks they need to be re-done, he could put a little pressure on your dentist. Many dentists care about the opinion of their peers and wouldn’t want to appear incompetent.

I would use one of the dentists that are recommended by the mynewsmile.com website. There are only two recommended for the whole state of Mississippi. One in Hattisburg and one in Tupelo. Believe me, it is worth the drive.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Porcelain Veneers Question

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I wanted to ask you a question because I’ve been told you are an expert cosmetic dentist. I am getting a full set of porcelain veneers, mostly to change the shape of my teeth. I have really white teeth already, so I didn’t need a lot of change in color. However, when my dentist put in the temporaries, they looked a little less white than the rest of my teeth. He said he could send them back to the lab and make them a little whiter but he was afraid they would have to be a little more opaque than this set. I don’t want them opaque, but I really want my teeth to match the white color I already have. What do you recommend?

Shari H.- Baton Rouge, LA

Shari,

I’m hoping your dentist is an expert cosmetic dentist. If he’s saying they can’t be whiter because they need to look more natural, than I’m concerned maybe he isn’t. You can have really white porcelain veneers that are translucent.

In his defense, there is a extremely white coloring for teeth that some celebrities like that does need to be made a little opaque. However, it does not take away from its appearance. Some dentists call this ballistic white.

So, it appears you have a couple of choices. You can go ballistic white if you want your smile to shine from across a room and draw attention. If you just want a beautiful smile that is more of a natural white smile,  you can tone it down a little.

By the way, there are a couple of ways to see if your dentist is an expert cosmetic dentist. One is to see if he is AACD accredited. Not every expert cosmetic dentist is, but that is a great gauge. Secondly, you can check the mynewsmile.com website and see if your dentist is one recommended for that are. This site only recommends expert cosmetic dentists.  Dr. Hadgis is both recommended on that site and AACD accredited.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Cracked porcelain veneer

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I have porcelain veneers that are about four months old. I usually sleep with a night guard because I have a grinding problem. One afternoon, I feel asleep watching a program. I didn’t have the mouth guard in and my veneer cracked in two. Is it possible to ask my dentist to replace this, or will I have to pay for a new veneer?

Sandy L. – Houston, TX

Sandy,

Whether or not your dentist will replace it free of charge really depends on  your dentist. Because you knew that you needed to wear a nightguard, your dentist is under no obligation to replace it. However, many dentists would be willing to do replace it asking you only to pay the lab fees, simply because you haven’t had your porcelain veneers very long.

If your veneer cracked cleanly into two pieces, it is possible that it could be repaired, without needing to replace it. A skilled cosmetic dentist could bond it back in place and it would be almost undetectable that anything amiss had happened to it.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Needing crowns after veneers

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I had to get crowns on my front teeth. My dentist also suggested getting veneers on four adjacent teeth on either side of my front teeth. I was anxious to remake my smile, so I agreed. Two days after they were put on one of them popped off. I went in and she told me it was because I was grinding my teeth. She made me a night guard, but then another one came off.  She now says that I need crowns put on all the teeth because my bite is off. I’m pretty sad about that. Is she right, or should I get a second opinion?

Danee- Florida

Danee,

I heartily recommend you get a second opinion. It is possible that your dentist is correct, but I suspect she is in over her head and is not an expert cosmetic dentist. If she were, the veneers would not be falling off. For the most part, people can wear porcelain veneers even with a grinding problem. If you couldn’t, they would chip, not break off.  Also, she would have noticed the bite problem before placing the veneers.

I think you need to seen by an expert cosmetic dentist. I would look to see who is AACD accredited in your area (The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry).

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods cosmetic dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Damaged veneer

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I’ve had porcelain veneers for about 5 years. One of them got a tiny stain on it. I went in to my dentist. He polished it with a pretty strong polisher. I don’t know what happened, but it is now yellow. All my other teeth are a beautiful white so it is a pretty stark difference. Is my dentist responsible for this?

Cyndy K- Staten Island, NY

Cyndy,

It is a shame your dentist your dentist didn’t know how to deal with porcelain veneers properly. All he needed to do was remove the stain with a tiny bur and then seal over it. I suspect your dentist used some power polishing equipment like Prophy Jet. That is a real no-no with porcelain veneers.

It is possible this veneer can be repaired, but it really depends on how it was originally done.  However, I don’t think your dentist has the expertise to do this. You’ll need to find an expert cosmetic dentist. In order to find someone who is able to do what you need, look for someone who is AACD accredited.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods cosmetic dentist Dr. Ted Hadgis.

Porcelain Veneer Mistakes

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I had six porcelain veneers put in several months ago.  Unfortunately have had to have them replaced two times already.  First she (my dentist) added a yellow/gray color to make them “look natural”. I hated them and insisted they be replaced, especially because I told her I wanted a white smile. Then the next pair had cracks in them and  had to be replaced. I’m still not completely satisfied with this third pair. Is this normal? I spent so much money on these that I feel like I should be getting a fantastic smile.

Candice from Benton, AR

Candice,

Your story isn’t uncommon. Anyone can call themselves a cosmetic dentist, but in reality very few are truly qualified. It takes a lot of post-graduate training to become an artistic cosmetic dentist, especially with porcelain veneers. You’re fortunate that your dentist has been amenable to replacing them both times. Many dentists wouldn’t do that.

What you want to do is look for a dentist who has exceptional cosmetic training. See if they’ve gone to the Las Vegas Institute (LVI). It is one of the most respected post-graduate dental training programs available. To get the best of the best in cosmetic dentistry, I’d look for someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Notice I said accredited and not just a member. Accreditation takes exceptional training and a demonstration of artistry on the part of the dentist. Also, you can ask your dentist to put on the veneers with a temporary paste so you can try them on and see how they look in various lights before he or she permanently bonds them on.

This blog is brought to you Grosse Pointe Woods cosmetic dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.