Baton Rouge Dentist

Why can’t I whiten my crown?

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My dental crown has started to get stained. I don’t know what to do. My teeth are discolored anyway, so I thought I could knock off two birds with one stone, but my dentist says it is not impossible. Is there anything I can do?

A.J.  – San Diego

A.J.,

Unfortunately, your dentist is right. Dental work, such as veneers or crowns, cannot be whitened even with professional teeth whitening. Your only option is the have the dental crown replaced. If you do this, let me give you some advice that will make it the best result possible for you.

First, if you’re going to want to get your teeth whitened as well, you’ll want to do that before you get your new crown made. That way your crown can be specifically designed to match your new white smile.

Secondly, you’ll want to get all-porcelain crowns, not porcelain fused to metal. That will give you a more natural and aesthetic result.

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

My dentist stinks–literally

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I called around to find out who the cheapest dentist in town was, in order to save money.  I came across a dentist who was quite a bit cheaper than everyone else.  However, in my first appointment I found out why. He stinks. Like truly smells bad.  So, I went to the next cheapest dentist on my list and he had horrible chairside manner. In fact he made Dr. House seem like a cuddly, chatty teddy bear. Is there a decent dentist who is actually affordable or do they all have issues and that is why they’re so much cheaper?

Sara M. – Denver, CO

Sara,

I’ve heard of dentists who stink at their job before, but actual body odor is a new one for me. It is definitely true that dentists with…shall we say issues…tend to draw in clients by lowering their prices significantly. It may seem like a very subtle difference, but there is an important distinction between a cheap dentist and an affordable one. Sometimes fees can seem close to what a high end dentist would be, but they save you money in the long run.

One important way is by using high quality materials. Sometimes a dentist has really low fees, but that is because they purchase inferior materials. They may go into your mouth fine, but they’ll fail or break much sooner than they should.

Other dentists stay affordable through phased treatments or no interest payments.

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

Floored by the cost of dental implants

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I need three dental implants. I was absolutely floored by the cost–$10,000! Is there any way to get these less expensive?

Nora A. – Minnesota

Nora,

You’re not the first person to ask this question. It may be possible to find a dentist who will do your implants for less money, but you have to be careful about looking for the cheapest dentist.  Oftentimes, the only way those who are really cheap can afford it is by using sub-par materials. This can cause serious problems in your jawbone later.

There are ways to get affordable dental implants, such as mini implants. The key is to have honest communication with your dentist. Then he can work within your budget to give you the correct treatment.

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

Filling fell out–No time for a dentist

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My daughter is getting married in two days and my filling fell out. I have no time for a dentist. Will that store bought filling work?

Helena C. – Missouri

Helena,

Store bought filling will be a temporary solution. It certainly will not take care of the root of the problem. As long as you just use it to get through your daughter’s wedding and don’t leave it on much past that.

As soon as the wedding is over you’ll need to be seen. If your dentist can’t fit you in, it would be worth it to see an emergency dentist, just to make sure things don’t get worse. There is a reason your filling fell out.

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

Whiten dark lines at top of teeth

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I’ve been getting these dark lines at the top of my teeth, near the gumline. It’s on all the teeth that have dental crowns. Will teeth whitening solve this problem?

Stacy S.  – Wyoming

Stacy,

Unfortunately, the problem isn’t your teeth, it’s your crown. You can’t whiten dental crowns using teeth whitening. It sounds like your dentist gave you porcelain fused to metal crowns. Eventually, they all develop a dark line at your gumline.

The only way to fix this problem is to get new crowns. This time get all porcelain crowns. They’ll be more natural looking and you won’t get a gray line. However, because you realize that dental work can’t get whitened, you might consider getting your teeth whitened before you re-do the crowns. Then, you can get the all-porcelain crown to match your new sparkly white smile.

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

NOT saving money would have saved me money

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Dear Dr. Perry,

I just wanted to tell you about something that could help dental patients in the future.  Maybe they’re like me and don’t have much money. I go to the local dental school to get my teeth cleaned, because they only charge $50. They do a fantastic job with cleaning. Unfortunately, they don’t treat things like cavities and root canals.  I needed a dental crown. I called around to every dentist in the city in order to find the absolute cheapest dentist around.

I ended up finding this guy that charged less than half of everyone else. I thought this would be a great way to get affordable dental care. He was a new dentist and just opening his first practice. I thought it would be a win-win situation. He’d graduated from dental school and needed some clients. I figured he knew what he was doing, as he had graduated. I was wrong.

He’s had to reinstall the dental crown four, yes FOUR times.  That meant  I’ve missed work three extra appointments. I’m payed by the hour, not salaried, so that has cost me a day and a half of pay in total. On top of that, buy the time he went to put the crown in the fourth time, it no longer fit right and caused me a lot of pain. We had to re-do another, brand new crown. Somehow between the fourth fit of the first crown and the second crown I got an infection.  Now, I still have no crown, I’m dealing with an infection, and I’m out quite a bit of money. If I’d have just gone to a regular dentist to begin with instead of trying to find the cheapest, I would have save a lot of money.

I hope this saves some of your patients. It’s better to go to an experienced dentist, like Dr. Perry, than to “save money”.

Amelia M. – Oklahoma

Amelia,

Thank you for your warning. I have seen many disastrous “affordable” treatments in my lifetime. For future reference, there is no reason for a dental crown to fall out once, let alone four times. Competent dentists go their entire career without a crown falling out when it is cemented in.

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

 

I’m worried about my jawbone

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My jawbone is getting smaller. My dentist says it is because I have dentures instead of dental implants and that it will keep happening. I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford dental implants, so my dentist says there is nothing more he can do for me. Are there no options?

Henry C. – Frankfurt, KY

Henry,

I’m sorry for the situation you are in. Did your dentist mention mini-implants? I hope so.  It is unethical to not give all your treatment options.

Mini-implants are a more affordable option, so that may be something you can do. It costs less, because the surgery is much simpler.

I am a little concerned about your bone loss. If you don’t have enough bone structure, which may be the case if you were recognizing it visually, then you’d have to have some bone grafting done, which will increase the cost.

Many dentists have payment plans that are low and even no interest. You might look into that as well.

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

My smile embarrasses me

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My teeth have been really dark ever since I was a girl. The older I get, the more embarrassed I get about it. My teeth look like I never clean them. No matter what I do they don’t get whiter. Is there anything I can do about it?

Amanda T. – Rhode Islan

Amanda,

Of course, I haven’t examined you, but I suspect the dark stains on your teeth are tetracycline stains.  It is an antibiotic that affects the coloring of developing teeth. Tetracycline stained teeth can be anywhere from a little grey to a dark brown.

I’m sorry this happened to you. I know it is hard to feel confident with a smile that makes you uncomfortable. I’m going to tell you about some cosmetic options. First, you need to be aware that it is very hard to whiten tetracycline teeth, so those these options will help, they will not be perfect.

One option is teeth whitening. There is an oxidation process that takes place during professional teeth whitening. It will help.  It may not get them perfectly white, but they will be greatly improved.  A second option is porcelain veneers. However, let me caution you a little more with this one.  Any dentist can do teeth whitening on tetracycline stained teeth. However, very few dentists can do porcelain veneers on tetracycline stained teeth well. Either they end up getting them too opaque to cover the stains, which makes them look fake, or they are too translucent and show the stains. You would have to be willing to spend extra money to go to an expert in order for these to work in a way that you’d be pleased with the results.

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

Protecting myself in Mexico

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I need to have some dental work done. My dentist wants to charge too much, so I’m thinking of going over the border (which is close to my home). I did some research and learned that dental care there is a fraction of the price. Is there anything I can do to help ensure a pleasant experience?  Do I need to give the dentist anythign ahead of time?

Mason F. – Arizona

Mason,

I know it can be very tempting to take a quick day trip to Mexico and get dental work done cheaply, but you are playing with fire. In the U.S. we have regulations to protect the patient, including sterilization standards.  You will find no such thing in Mexico. It is up to the dentist to determine the level of sanitation and sterilization they’ll provide.

If something goes wrong, you have to try to get recourse through their government and arbitration. It is complicated to navigate and often ends up a futile battle.

I know having affordable dentistry is important, but you don’t want to risk your health. I suggest you call your dentist and ask for some kind of financial help. Many dentists give a discount to patients who pay in cash. He may offer payment plans also, which can spread out the cost and be less prohibitive.

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

Bleach my teeth with bleach

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I want my teeth whitened. I was saving up for a dentist, but my roommate says we can just use laundry bleach and cotton balls.  That doesn’t sound right to me. If people could just use bleach, why would anyone go to the dentist for teeth whitening?

Amelia J. – Berkeley, CA

Amelia,

You were wise to check.  Your roommate is making a foolish and dangerous choice. It is not household bleach that whitens your teeth.  Your dentist would never use laundry bleach, becuase he knows it is corrosive. If you or your roommate were to put any in your mouth, it would  damage  your oral cavities soft tissues.

Besides causing damage to your tissue in your mouth it also will harm your teeth. Bleach can remove moisture from your teeth. Without moisture, your teeth weaken and  become brittle, making them more sensitive.

Additionally, bleach is a poison. There is a toxic chemicals in bleach called sodium hypochorite. Even small amounts of sodium hypocrite an cause problems if you  swallow it, causing both vomiting and stomach irritation. If larger amounts are swallowed, then poisoning develops causing heart issues, coma, shock, and even death.

The best way for you to get your teeth whitened is to go the dentist’s office. Many dentists have two option for whitening for patients: in office or at-home.  You can decide which one fits your schedule and budget.

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