Baton Rouge Dentist

Archives for December 2013

Teeth whitening with a crown

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I want to get my teeth whitened, but I have two porcelain crowns. Will the whitening help the crowns or damage them?

Tammy L. – Georgia

Tammy,

Teeth whitening will do neither. It is completely ineffective on any type of cosmetic work.  I’m assuming your porcelain crowns match the current color of your teeth. If that is the case and you whiten them, your natural teeth will get whiter, but the porcelain crowns will remain darker.

Here is what you can do though. I would get your teeth whitened to the color you would be the most excited about. Then wait a couple of weeks and get new porcelain crowns to match your new white smile.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Traveling to Central America for Dental Implants

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My friend Deanna, went to a central american country to have a tubal ligation reversed. Doctors in the United States refused to perform this surgery on her because of her age. She crossed the border and had a great experience.

She had offered to drive me to the same area to get my dental implants.  I can’t afford them in the US and they are much more affordable in central america. Is it safe?

Amelia L.- Idaho

Amelia,

There is no way for me to adequately answer that question. Is it true that people go to other countries to have procedures done cheaply and have a good experience? Yes. But it is also true that people have horrendous experiences.

Many Central American countries have no resources for patients who have poor care. There are no consumer protection agencies and no laws protecting patients. Here in the U.S. there are standards dentists have to meet regarding sanitary equipment and standards on the materials used. There is no such protection south of our borders.

If you are looking for affordable dental implants, but want the security of U.S. medical standards, you could get mini implants. These have a significantly reduced cost. You could also do phased treatment, getting only a couple of implants at a time and saving up for the others. This will give you affordable care, without sacrificing standards or your safety.

This blog is brought to you by by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.