Archives for September 2021

Botched Dental Implant Case

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Annmarie Worthington.

I spent a small fortune on dental implants and crowns for a full-mouth reconstruction. Things did not go as well as I’d hoped and the crowns started falling out. I kept having trouble getting in touch with them to get this fixed. Now it turns out the business closed and I have no way of reaching them or recouping my money. The dentist has essentially disappeared. What do I do? I can’t even eat at this point. I’m living with mostly stubs in my mouth.

Karyn

Dear Karyn,

An illustration of a dental implant by a natural tooth

I am so sorry this happened to you. It is obvious this dentist was both incompetent and a crook. You have been left in an awful situation. Obviously, the only thing you can do is have this repaired by a different dentist. You will want to do some investigating of the dentist first. A full mouth reconstruction is one of the most advanced procedures there are.

You need to look for someone with post-doctoral training in dental implants and preferably even some great training in dental crowns, such as a prosthodontist. It is also helpful to have someone who takes their continuing education seriously. for instance, Dr. Tostado takes over eight times that amount of required hours in his state.

I know you’ve already spent a fortune. Talk to the dentists you investigate and see if any of them (who are actually qualified) will be willing to allow you to pay out your treatment so you can eat again sooner rather than later.

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

Help! My Porcelain Veneers Keep Popping Off

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Annmarie Worthington.

I need advice. At this point, I have lost all faith in my dentist. He told me I needed porcelain veneers to fix the appearance of my teeth. In all honesty, they were pretty bad. Quite a few were chipped and they were uneven in size (mostly because of my teeth grinding habit), and of course, at my age (which I will not disclose) they were pretty yellow. I agreed to the veneers and was actually pretty excited about it, but it has been a complete disaster. He ground my teeth down to little nubs and put the veneers on. While they do look better than my natural teeth did, they keep popping off. I have one or two fall off every couple of days, leaving me with that little nub visible. My dentist does always put it back in, but this is a complete hassle going into the office every couple of days. Not to mention the embarrassment of that nub until I can get in. He keeps blaming my teeth grinding for them coming off, but I do wear a mouthguard. Is there a way to keep them in permanently?

Desiree

Dear Desiree,

First, the good news. There is a way to keep these in permanently. You just need to go to a dentist that actually knows how to bond these on. It is not normal for them to be coming off like this. In fact, most dentists go their entire careers without even one coming off. Your dentist obviously doesn’t know how to bond them. I would go to another dentist for this repair, AND insist your dentist pay for the appointment too. You’ve wasted enough time and money on this.

Now for the bad news. Your dentist did not actually give you porcelain veneers. I believe he gave you porcelain crowns.

Porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

Porcelain veneers are tiny wafers made of porcelain that hug the front of your teeth (see image above). Hardly any tooth preparation is necessary. As I mentioned before, I think your dentist provided you with porcelain crowns. These do require the type of aggressive tooth preparation you described. That is to make room for them. Instead of just bonding to the front of your teeth the way porcelain veneers do, they cover the entirety of your tooth: front, sides, and back. If he misrepresented what he was placing, you can actually get a full refund.

I’m sorry this happened to you.

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

Will Crest Whitestrips Hurt My Porcelain Veneers

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Annmarie Worthington.

I have four porcelain veneers which are in good condition. However, the teeth that are on either side of them are stained. This is making my nice veneers look fake. If I used Crest Whitestrips to whiten my natural teeth, would it harm my porcelain veneers? If so, is there a different solution for my problem?

Angie

Dear Angie,

Teeth Whitening Trays

I wish your dentist had whitened your teeth before providing your porcelain veneers. That is the standard procedure and would have saved you this embarrassment with your smile and current inconvenience. However, that is water under the bridge and we have to go from your current situation. While Crest Whitestrips will not harm your porcelain veneers, I do not think it will be the solution you are looking for.

First, the Whitestrips only will reach your first six teeth. With four of your teeth veneered, only the two adjacent teeth will receive any whitening gel. It is, of course, possible for you to use two strips, one on each side of your porcelain veneers, but that is double the Whitestrips. In addition, they are not very strong at all so it will take you significantly longer.

My suggestion is that you have your dentist make you some custom-made teeth whitening trays. He can even make them where they will not even touch your veneered teeth. The gel will be significantly stronger, which will save you time and money getting your smile the way you want it.

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