Monthly Archives: January 2019

Affordable Dentistry

What Should You Know about Cheap Dental Crowns?

Last November, I was happy to find a dentist who made it affordable for me to get a badly need root canal and crown. The root canal went find, but the crown looks horrible. It’s difficult for me to settle with the crown because it’s on my front tooth. Despite 3 attempts, my dentist can’t seem to provide me with a crown that matches my natural tooth. Both of us are frustrated. None of my immediate family members have every received a crown, and I’m uncomfortable asking my friends if they have one. I am wondering if this is a normal experience to have so much difficult matching a crown to natural teeth. Thanks. Ying Yue

Ying Yue,

It’s good that you’re questioning the color match for your crown. Out of frustration, many patients just accept the mismatch and try to manage with the disappointment. Unfortunately, issues often occur when fees for dental care are unusually low.

The High Cost of Cheap Dentistry

A crown on a front tooth should perfectly match your adjacent teeth. Otherwise, the restored tooth will be noticeable and detract from your smile. Although a dental restoration might be affordable, if it doesn’t look natural, it can affect your self-confidence and how you express yourself through your smile. And it can cost even more money in the long term.

Natural-Looking Crowns Are Possible

Unfortunately, your experience is common because it requires time, effort, and skill to provide a front-tooth crown that perfectly matches your natural teeth. Several factors are involved.

  • Skill and artistic talent of the dentist – A cosmetic dentist understands how porcelain can be manipulated to match your natural teeth. He or she also has advanced training in the art of cosmetic dentistry. Dental schools don’t teach much about how to provide restorations that capture variations in tooth color and translucency. Cosmetic dentists also have artistic inclination and can ensure a crown reflects the characteristics of your teeth.
  • Dentist and laboratory tech relationship – A cosmetic dentist uses a highly skilled laboratory technician with whom the dentist regularly communicates. Tooth color and characteristics are provided to ensure your crown perfectly matches your natural teeth.
  • High-quality photography – Dental photographs that are taken with advanced camera equipment correctly capture the shade and shape of your teeth. A dental shade tab is held next to your natural teeth and photographed. The dentist’s ceramist will use the photograph to match the crown with your teeth. If the ceramist provides a crown that isn’t a perfect match, the crown is placed over your tooth and another photograph is taken to show the difference in color between the crown and your natural teeth. The ceramist will use the photo to craft a new crown that matches. A typical family dentist doesn’t have advanced photography equipment to capture the details required for a lifelike crown.
  • Try-ins – Before a crown is permanently bonded to your tooth, several try-ins might be required to ensure a perfect match.

Although a dentist who has unusually low fees for a dental crown can provide you with an affordable restoration, the results might not look natural—as you have experienced.

As the before-and-after photos show, it is possible to place a crown and achieve a beautiful match to your natural teeth.

Before-and-after photos of porcelain crowns, which are available from Plano, TX dentist Dr. Miranda Lacy.

What Are Your Options?

  • Do nothing – You can choose to live with your dental crown as it is.
  • Speak with your dentist – You can speak with your dentist about your dissatisfaction and your desire to get a second opinion.
  • Choose a cosmetic dentist – Seek a dentist with advanced training in cosmetic dentistry. Check the dentist’s website, or ask about his or her training. Ask to see before-and-after pictures of dental crowns—on front teeth—for actual patients of the dentist. Some patients schedule consultations with two different cosmetic dentists and compare the recommendations.
  • Choose quality over cost – Although you sought an affordable price for a dental crown, the results are costing more time and money. As you look for a cosmetic dentist to correct the flawed work, consider choosing quality over cost. There are ways to make your dental care affordable without sacrificing quality. Speak with your new dentist about payment plans or financing.

 This post is sponsored by Plano, TX cosmetic dentist Dr. Miranda Lacy.

Teeth whitening

Will Crest Whitening Strips Help a Child’s Gray Tooth?

My daughter is in gymnastics. 5 weeks ago she had a serious collision with a teammate that included a blow to her mouth. She complained about her teeth hurting, but none of them are loose. One of her teeth started turning gray. Our pediatric dentist said that we shouldn’t worry about it because it’s a primary tooth. My daughter is in school and very self-conscious about her gray tooth. Although the dentist isn’t concerned, my daughter is. Can I use Crest whitening strips to lighten her tooth a bit? Thanks. Fallon

Fallon – Most causes of stains in teeth are from the outside in. Over time smoking, eating, drinking coffee or dark beverages create stains on our teeth. The stains can become imbedded in teeth. Teeth whitening can remove them.

Before Using Whitening Strips on Your Child’s Teeth

  • Effectiveness of whitening strips – Whitening strips are about ¼ the strength of professional whitening from a dentist. Even deeply embedded stains from external sources are difficult to remove with whitening strips. In your daughter’s cause, the stain is coming from damage within the tooth. Whitening strips won’t help.
  • When there is internal damage – The color of your daughter’s tooth indicates internal damage.  Skilled cosmetic dentists are able to provide internal whitening treatment. The process is complex and generally not recommended for children. If the damage was to a permanent tooth, the discoloration would be a lingering issue and internal bleaching might be an option.
  • Whitening can create problems – You didn’t mention that the tooth is causing your daughter any pain or discomfort, which is good. Bleaching, particularly when it’s not supervised by a dentist, should only be applied to healthy teeth. The gel can irritate tooth nerves and cause sensitivity to heat or cold. It’s best to let the tooth remain as it is. In a year or two, it will be replaced with a permanent tooth.

Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

If your daughter begins to feel discomfort in the tooth, schedule an appointment with her pediatric dentist. The tooth might require a pulpotomy, which is similar to root canal treatment for adults. Whenever possible, primary teeth should be preserved as a placeholder for permanent teeth and to guide them into the correct position.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Miranda Lacy of Plano, TX. Dr. Lacy offers free teeth whitening to her patients who maintain regular cleaning and exam appointments.