Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Can’t get a date. Is it my teeth?

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Everyone says I am beautiful. I can see where my face is pretty, but I have a huge gap in my front teeth. Could that be why I can’t get a date? If so, what can I do about it at 37? I’m not wearing braces.

Jenna S. – Maine

Jenna,

I would be ridiculously unfair of me to say your teeth are the reason you can’t get a date. It could be you just haven’t met the right guy. It could be you’re beautiful AND wicked smart, so men are intimidated.  I won’t convince you to get a procedure based on something emotional and personal.

What I can do is tell you how to discreetly fix your teeth at 37. You have a few options.

  1.  Fill in the gap.  That can be done wtih dental bonding. I have a hesitation with this, simply because you said the gap was huge. You don’t want to do this if filling it in will make your smile look unnatural.
  2. Invisalign.  If all that is worrying you about your smile is the gap, Invisalign can close it without you having to wear traditional metal braces.  This uses clear aligners to gently shift your teeth into proper alignment. No one will even know you’re doing it.
  3. Porcelain Veneers. I’d only suggest this if you needed a complete smile makeover. It can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth.

I’d pick one of these only if YOU are unhappy with your smile.  Otherwise, go about your life. The right man will come along.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

 

Can any dentist do teeth whitening?

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I have a great general dentist. He’s good at what he does and very dependable. However, I want my teeth whitened. I asked him to recommend a good cosmetic dentist, but he said he could do the job himself. I wondered if that was true or I needed someone who was a specialist?

Denae H. – Florida

Denae,

There is a common misconception that cosmetic dentistry is a recognized specialty. In fact, any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. There are some cosmetic procedures, such as porcelain veneers, that would require some additional training. In those cases you’d want someone with some expertise and artistry.

Teeth whitening is different. Any dentist can do it. It’s fairly straight forward. I’d go ahead and let your general dentist do it.

Enjoy your new smile.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Can I Replace a Single Porcelain Veneer and will it Match?

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Just over a month ago, I had veneers put on my teeth. One of the veneers on my front tooth is causing me some issues. It was left with some dentin exposed and I have had a lot of sensitivity. Although the sensitivity is getting better, the dentist wants to replace this veneer and fit it properly. I’m worried the color won’t match and I’m also concerned there will be risks to my underlying tooth when the veneer is removed.

What do you think? Will the tooth underneath be okay when the veneer is removed? Will the dentist be able to match the color?
– Brenda from Oklahoma

Brenda,
I recommend you work with a cosmetic dentist with a good track record. A great cosmetic dentist will have no trouble matching your existing porcelain veneers; they are artists and color is just one of many details they master. Excellent cosmetic dental laboratories will keep their color formulas for the cosmetic dentists so the work can match previous projects. These labs realize things may need to be done later and matching is the key in doing great work.

There’s no need to worry about damaging your tooth. This is a non-issue because you actually pose more risk to the tooth by leaving this source of irritation then by redoing the veneer. When teeth have exposed dentin, this causes tooth sensitivity because the dentin has tubules that go straight into the pulp. Open tubules are at risk for attracting bacteria so it’s important to redo the veneers.

For more information about Dr. Noah, visit the Region Dental website.

Great information about porcelain veneers

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We noticed a website that has some great information about porcelain veneers. Click here to read more: https://www.chaldentistry.com/phoenix-cosmetic/porcelain_veneers.htm. It talks about how the veneers are prepared, costs, how to maintain them. The author is Dr. Arthur Chal, a past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Dr. Noah also does porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns, and other cosmetic dentistry procedures.

If you are interested in a smile makeover, but would like to save some money, another option could be a Snap-on Smile. Check our page on that subject to learn more. The cost for an entire smile would be about what it would cost for one or two porcelain veneers.

This blog is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Can I bleach my non-veneered teeth?

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I have veneers and wanted to know if over-the-counter products like Crest White Strips will ruin or damage my veneers? I’ve noticed that over time, my other teeth look yellow in comparison to my veneers and the color change is noticeable between my natural teeth and the veneers. I want to bleach my natural teeth to match the veneers but don’t want to damage the expensive veneers. What do you recommend?
– Brent from Oklahoma

Brent,
If you want to bleach your natural teeth, you may use over-the-counter whitening products such as: Crest Whitestrips and products by other manufacturers but only for limited situations. The strips hold peroxide in a gel that’s attached to the strip. When you affix the strip to your tooth, it allows the peroxide to penetrate your teeth and whiten them.

If you decide to use other products with powders, rinses or toothpastes, these won’t be that effective as they’re on the teeth briefly and don’t penetrate the teeth. Also, some of these products are acidic and etch the tooth surface. The teeth may look white for a few days but then they start attracting stains and look darker because the etched surface easily attracts stains.

The challenge when using the White Strips is that they’re designed to cover only your front six teeth so if you’re attempting to reach the natural teeth that aren’t in the front, you’ll need to cut the strips and try to fit them to your teeth that are further back. This is a hassle.

The other issue with the strips is they whiten slowly because the peroxide bleach is fairly weak as it’s sold over the counter and can’t be too strong. The strips are also expensive and may end up costing you more than if you had your teeth whitened in a dental office.

The best solution would be to see a dentist and have your teeth bleached properly. Dentists have experience with bleaching and use stronger peroxide that easily covers your teeth.

Bleach won’t harm your veneers and they won’t change color. You may notice slight lightening of your veneered teeth, but this will come from behind the tooth and won’t affect the look from the front.

For more information about Dr. Noah, visit Region Dental.

What Can I Do about My Crooked Front Tooth?

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I am having a challenging time locating a good dentist who can straighten my front tooth. I keep hearing different things about how to solve my problem and I don’t know what to believe.
Here’s my situation: The tooth next to my front tooth on the left is very crooked and looks bad. Are braces my only option, or will Invisalign work? It was also suggested that my crooked tooth be pulled. What do you think?
– Brian from Texas

Brian,
It’s best to avoid pulling your crooked tooth, even if a dentist believes this would solve your problem. You don’t want to pull a tooth because your smile won’t look right if you have an uneven amount of teeth showing. You want your smile to be symmetrical and you can’t have that with five front teeth instead of six.
If you’re an adult and your teeth are crooked, Invisalign is a good solution to straighten your teeth. Another option is to have a cosmetic dentist create porcelain veneers for you. Both of these options would be appropriate.

For more information about Dr. Noah, please see his Region Dental website.