April 2021 - 5 Star Dental Group

I saw an advertisement for Clear Choice dental centers. they advertised something called teeth in a day. That appealed to me so I went. However, I didn’t feel like I needed all my teeth extracted. Most of my upper teeth are okay. They may need some cosmetic work but that is about it. Yet, Clear Choice was recommending I remove all of my teeth top and bottom. Is this the only way to get the same day teeth?

Charles

Dear Charles,

Teeth-in-a-Day

I am glad you wrote. You do not have to go to Clear Choice to get the procedure you want. Nor, would you have to compromise on what procedures you want. There are private practices that do the teeth-in-a-day procedure.

While Clear Choice does have some good dentists that work for them, they are first and foremost a corporate practice, which means they are more about the bottom line than an individual patient. They tend to have high sales tactics and a one-size-fits-all approach to dental care.

It is very likely that they just don’t know how to do the cosmetic work you were wanting. Rather than lose the business, they suggest the procedure they do for almost everyone. Good for their bottom line, but not in your best interest.

Even when you go to a private dentist, when it comes to such a significant procedure like dental implants, I think it is important you get a second opinion before moving forward.

If your teeth are healthy, why in the world would you want to extract them? The most important thing you can do is save your natural teeth.

Look for a dentist who does the teeth in a day procedure who also offers cosmetic procedures. Just be certain that you check out their smile gallery to be certain you like the results of their cosmetic work.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Dentist Dr. Tostado.

I just found out I am 9 weeks pregnant. Three weeks ago, I had porcelain veneers done. One of the things my doctor said when he told me I was pregnant was not to have dental work done in the first trimester. I almost stopped breathing. Did I do something that hurt the baby?

Amanda

Dear Amanda,

Porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

Before anything, let me say congratulations! It is a wonderful thing to be a parent. Next, is to take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. One of the things dentists are taught in dental school is to try to schedule dental work for women who are pregnant only during the second trimester. This is because, during the first trimester, the reason for that is it is during this early time of pregnancy that the child is the most vulnerable. During the third trimester, you are usually so big (which is perfectly normal because the baby is growing and healthy) that is isn’t comfortable for the mama, so we try to limit getting the work done during trimester two when you will be most comfortable.

The caution for the baby in the first trimester is you do not want to introduce a chemical into the body that can harm the child at its most vulnerable stage. To put your mind at ease. There is nothing harmful to a child that is used during the porcelain veneer procedure. At most, your dentist will use Lidocaine. This topical anesthetic is completely safe and can be used during delivery. Nothing in that procedure will have harmed your child.

I would go ahead and schedule your check-up and cleaning for the second trimester, but this is more for your comfort than anything else. One exception to the second trimester-only rule would be in the case of a dental emergency, such as a broken tooth or a tooth infection. When a tooth is infected, you need to get treatment. Not only will the infection continue to spread until the infected pulp is removed, but leaving that bacteria will spread to your baby and has been linked to low birth weight.

This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Prosthodontist Dr. Tostado.

One-Sized Fits All Does Not Work in Dentistry

Porcelain Veneers While Pregnant?

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