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Is My Dentist or My Filling the Problem?

I’m trying to figure out where the problem lies. I wanted a white filling instead of a silver one. I know it sounds vain, but I’m tired of obvious fillings and wanted something that matched my teeth. I told my dentist. He wasn’t too keen on the idea and told me they have problems. None of my friends with white fillings seem to have problems with them, so I decided […]

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Dentist and I in disagreement about smile makeover

I want to get a smile makeover and I know exactly what I want my smile to look like. My dentist thinks the smile I want is too white for “my age”.  To be frank, if I wanted to look my age, I wouldn’t be getting a smile makeover to begin with. How can I convince him this is OK? Marigold L. – Texas Marigold, You probably can’t. It sounds […]

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Woman holding her jaw in pain

I think I may have made a mistake choosing my dentist

One month ago, I went to a cosmetic dentist for a sile makeover. The dentist completed 12 lower crowns and 6 veneers on the front upper teeth. I’ve been in pain ever since and generally can’t even chew. My dentist she said to take ibuprofen for a few weeks because so much work was done in such a short amount of time. Also one of the teeth that hurts does not touch […]

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Woman smiling in the dental chair with her dentist behind her

Finding my first dentist. How do I get the best one?

I’m on my own for the first time and am getting a dentist. How do I know how to find the best one? Lisa M. – Arizona Lisa, Finding the best dentist is different for every person. A lot of that depends on what you’re looking for in a dentist. If you’re looking for a general dentist who is friendly and listens to you, then I’d look at some reviews […]

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Woman smiling in the dental chair with her dentist behind her

What if my dentist left tooth roots?

I had two teeth extracted. I’d planned on getting dental implants. However, last night I noticed that one of the roots is still there. Can I still get dental implants with the root there? Elaine T. – New Mexico Elaine, Are you certain it is the root of the tooth and not just some debris that needs to be cleaned out? There are occasions when a tooth root is left, […]

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Whitening my crowns

Can you tell me if I can whiten my dental crowns? They’ve always been fine, but then a few weeks ago they started picking up stains and getting dull. Audra W. – Baltimore Audra, I suspect that your dental hygienist used a prophy-jet or something similar that destroys the glaze on your crowns. It will do the same to porcelain veneers. She may not have realized what she did because […]

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