Why should my dentist care if I smoke?

I’m trying to get dental implants, but my dentist won’t place them if I’m still smoking. I say it’s none of his business if I smoke. I’m paying him, he should place the implants. Stanley W. – Arkansas Stanley, I understand your line of thinking. Your dentist is a contractor. You’ve hired him to place dental implants. He should do the job and let you worry about the statistics. Look […]

Having problems with my dentist

I’m getting porcelain veneers. I have in mind what I want, but my dentist thinks I should do it differently. I’m not asking for anything outlandish, I just know what type of smile I want. He’s thinks it won’t work for my “age”. Outside of finding that pretty insulting, I’m paying a buttload of money for this makeover, shouldn’t it be what I wanted? Sara S. – Louisiana Sara, You’re […]

Dentist says amalgam fillings are better

I need to get a couple of fillings. I wanted to get white fillings, but my dentist says the old amalgam ones are better. I just didn’t want a bunch of silver in my mouth. Are the old ones really better? Lyric A. – Pittsburgh Lyric, It is more likely that your dentist is just unfamiliar with the procedure to place white (composite) fillings. Until very recently, dental schools didn’t […]

Must I get Lumineers on bottom teeth?

I’m getting Lumineers on my upper teeth. My dentist insists I get them on my bottom teeth, because their color is so stained. But I just can’t afford to get them on the top and bottom. I am mostly concerned about the upper teeth. Is there no way to get lumineers without doing the lower ones too? Elijah – Hawaii Eiljah, Yes, there is a very easy way to get […]

Disappointed with my veneers

I am having a hard time not being disappointed with my porcelain veneers. The veneers themselves look nice, but my natural teeth, which still show, don’t match them. That makes it obvious I had work done on my teeth. Can anything be done about this? Jane H. – South Dakota Jane, There is nothing worse than spending a small fortune on a smile makeover, only to have it be disappointing. […]

Avoiding atomic teeth

A co-worker of mine had her teeth whitened. For the most part I like how they look, but they’re just too bright. In fact, some people in the office call them atomic teeth. Is there a way to whiten your teeth without ending up looking like a radioactive experiment gone wrong? Carrin – Memphis, TN Carrin, Yes, there is a way to control the level of whitening you get. The […]

Broken denture

I was cleaning my denture, but dropped it into the sink. When I did that the tooth broke off. I was thinking I could super glue it back on, but worried maybe that is a bad idea. Is it OK to glue it back on or do I need to see a dentist? Denae L – West Virginia Denae, It’s good you asked before you took any action. It is […]

What is facial collapse?

My dentist told me if I got dental implants, it would lead to facial collapse. That sounds really bad, but wondered what exactly it was. Paula M. – Nevada Paula, I’m surprised your dentist would make such a statement, though accurate, without explaining it to you. Part of a dentist’s job is to make sure his patients understand what he’s talking about. Facial collapse is a term that refers to […]

Does cost matter in porcelain veneers?

I have been thinking about getting porcelain veneers. I’ve called around to the dentists in my area. They’re all close to the same price, excpet one, who is several thousands dollars less expensive. Is it a different brand he uses that makes them less expensive? Bethany H. – South Carolina Bethany, I am going to warn you off of this. While it is possible, though only slightly, that he’s found […]

No veneers on bottom teeth?

My dentist said we don’t usually put veneers on bottom teeth, though they can do it. I’m wondering if I don’t do the veneers, won’t my smile be obviously different between the top and bottom? Denise L. – West Virginia Denise, I’m surprised your dentist didn’t give you all the information. While it is true that we don’t usually put veneers on your bottom teeth, that is because you can […]