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Archives for October 2023

Is a Cracked Crown a Dental Emergency?

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I have four dental crowns on my front teeth for a bit over twenty years.  One of them has always had a minor defect. I was told that was fairly common. I could never see it but if I ran my tongue over it I could feel a tiny dip. However, now something has changed. There is a horizontal crack on it. I can both see and feel it. Is this a dental emergency that I need to take care of right away or is it something that I can put off for a bit? What I don’t want is for it to break when I am in public. I am not opposed to replacing it. I just need to know how fast I need to do it.

Stacey

Dear Stacey,

Porcelain Crown

 

As your dentist told you, minor defects, called craze lines, are usually not that big of a deal, but yours has changed significantly. While I would not call it a dental emergency, I do think this needs to be replaced. It is going to break at some point. I would talk to your dentist and make arrangements at a time that is convenient for you. This way you have more control.

Your dental crowns have lasted you quite some time, which says a lot about the dentist who placed them. I would have your dentist give you an idea of the condition of the other three at the same time you schedule the other crown’s replacement. It may be better to change them out all at the same time if they are showing signs of failure. In that case, changing them all at once will save you time from having to go back and forth to the dentist every time each one of them fails. However, if they’re in good condition, there is no reason for you to change the others.

I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Alan Yount.

The Danger of Yelp! for Smile Makeovers

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I am working on my smile makeover. I am thinking of the BL2 or BL3 color. I’m almost 60 with medium blond hair, blue eyes, and a fair skin tone. I don’t want an over-white smile because of my age. I’ve going with dental bonding because it is less expensive than the porcelain veneers. I’ve looked on Yelp! and have picked the dentist they listed as number one for cosmetic dentists. Quick question, though. Should I have him start with the canines so I can see that I’m getting the right color?

Beverly

Dear Beverly,

A single porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

 

I am very glad you wrote. I think I can save you from a disaster here. Let’s start with the choice of your cosmetic dentist. While I use Yelp! myself, you have to be careful which services you use it for. For example, it is a fine way to find a good plumber or hair dresser. However, if you are looking at cosmetic work, you have to be more careful. The reason for that is Yelp! does not distinguish between what the ratings are for. A dentist could be getting lots of five stars for being friendly when patients receive their dental cleanings. Yet, he may have no training in cosmetic dentistry.

As an example, I went to Yelp!, picked a random city, and asked for the best cosmetic dentist in that city. I went to the websites of the top five results. The first did not show any links for cosmetic work, not even teeth whitening, which tells me he doesn’t do any cosmetic work. The second through fifth did have cosmetic work on their site, but only two of them had a smile gallery. If a “cosmetic dentist” does not have a smile gallery, that tells me they have zero results that they are proud to display. Any serious cosmetic dentist will have a smile gallery. Of the two that did have a smile gallery, only one of those had any post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry.

In order to find the best cosmetic dentist, the first thing you’ll need to do is really make certain the dentist you have in mind has post-doctoral training, but also that their smile gallery shows they achieve beautiful results. If you get a skilled cosmetic dentist, they can help you with the color issue, as well as many other considerations, such as shape and size that will need to be addressed.

As for the choice of dental bonding, I think you may want to reconsider and go for the porcelain veneers. When well cared for the porcelain veneers will last your lifetime. Dental bonding will only give you a few years before you have to replace them. Plus, dental bonding is done free hand, which means there is no testing out the results.

With porcelain veneers, they can place them with a temporary try-in paste. This allows you to look at the comlpleted results and make certain that you really love them before they are permanently bonded on.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, Al Dentists Drs. Alan Yount and Steve Murphree.