Will Dentures Make Me Ugly?

My dentist said if I got dentures, I’d end up ugly. My teeth are falling apart so I need to replace them. Are dental implants my only option to still be attractive? I’m 32 so I don’t want to be hideous, but they’re so expensive. Missy Dear Missy, I’m curious about the motivation behind your dentist’s statement that you would be ugly with dentures. If he’s saying the dentures themselves […]

Baby Canine Teeth at 16 Years Old

I have senior pictures coming up next year and I want to look good for them. Last year I discovered that my canine teeth on the bottom and top are still baby teeth. I had the bottom ones removed. While one of the adult canines was close, the other one came in sort of behind the tooth next to it. The gap looks like I don’t have a tooth there […]

Teeth being prepped for porcelain veneers

Porcelain Veneers and Root Canal Treatments

I had four porcelain veneers placed. Now I have a periapical abscess in one of them and am wondering how to keep the veneer from being ruined. My dentist is sending me to a root canal specialist to have this done and I don’t know if it should be different with a porcelain veneer. Any advice? Laurie Dear Laurie, I can definitely help you here. I am curious, though, why […]

Dentist’s Disastrous Treatment Plan

I went to see my dentist to get a crown and veneer placed and I have some concerns about his suggested treatment plan. First, some background. I have one dental crown and three porcelain veneers. The reason I wanted the crown replaced is two-fold. First, it has never looked that great. Second, now there is a dark line at the gumline. The porcelain veneer I want to be replaced is […]

Can You Whiten Dental Fillings?

I have very yellow teeth because of stains picked up over the years. I want to whiten them but I also have some white fillings. Will they match? Will they whiten with my teeth or will I need to replace them? Katie Dear Katie, When you whiten your teeth, the only thing which will actually whiten is your natural tooth structure. No dental work whitens with our current technology. When […]

Dentist Wouldn’t Fix Crown

I had a dental crown on a molar that already had a problem. It had a crack and a filling in it. I’ve learned now that there was always a possibility this tooth would need a root canal treatment, but I was never told that at the time. The crown hurt from the very beginning, so much so that I couldn’t bite down on that side at all. The dentist […]

Image of natural looking teeth with dental work

Can You Reduce the Shine on Porcelain Veneers?

I have a problem with my porcelain veneers having an unnatural shine. They are so shiny that it makes it obvious they are fake. Is there a way to reduce the shine some? Katherine Dear Katherine, When porcelain veneers are done correctly, the glazing makes them look very natural. It is also what enables them to be so stain resistant. In fact, they are more stain-resistant than your natural teeth. […]

When a Crown Feels Off

I have a dental crown that feels off. My dentist has tinkered with it and says there is nothing wrong. I can’t explain exactly what feels off, it just does. My dentist thinks I am just not used to having a dental crown there, but this isn’t my first crown. Is this in my mind or should I pursue it further? Meagan Dear Meagan, I would follow up with this […]

Dental Implant Crown Doesn’t Match

This is the third crown my dentist has done for my dental implant. He can’t seem to get it to match. The last exchange we had he accused me of being too picky and I should be happy that I have a tooth. Apparently my tooth color is between A1 and A2. I don’t understand why it is impossible with a crown if my dental flipper matched okay? Now he […]

My Veneers Keeping Coming Off

I need some advice. I’ve been in tears since getting my porcelain veneers. This has not gone as expected and I feel like a guinea pig. The first unexpected thing came when I discovered she ground my teeth down to little dark nubs. I thought porcelain veneers didn’t need to grind down your teeth that much. But, that isn’t the worst part. I start getting this bad smell, then one […]