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Why Can’t I Have Porcelain Veneers With My Tongue Pierced?

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I’m getting married. I wanted to get porcelain veneers so I’d have a pretty smile. But, the cosmetic dentist I went to said he’d only do it if I got rid of my tongue ring.  My tongue ring is part of who I am. Why do I have to get rid of it?

Tabitha – Brooklyn

Tabitha,

Great question. After all, no one wants to change who they are for a makeover. They want it to express their personality. I can tell you the likely reason this dentist doesn’t want you to wear it, though. Tongue rings do a real number on your teeth.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve got some chipped teeth right now.

Another common problem for teeth with tongue rings is knocking your bite out of alignment, which can lead to TMJ Disorder. Many people who wear them subconsciously suck on them, which will push some of your teeth out of whack.

However, if getting porcelain veneers means that much to you, you’ll certainly be able to find more than one dentist willing. Just be certain you’re willing to spend that much money on something that is likely to be damaged.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Why Did My Parkinsons Doc Tell Me to Get a Dentist?

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I have Parkinsons Disease. I was just diagnosed. I saw the specialist today. He prescribed some medication then asked me to make sure my dentist keeps an eye on my teeth. I mentioned I don’t have a dentist because my teeth have always been healthy, and I’m not fond of dentists. He said get one and then left. Will this medicine destroy my teeth?

Leon – Washington

Leon,

Parkinson’s Medication can cause teeth grinding. That’s likely what your dentist is concerned about. Teeth grinding causes serious problems. Not only can it cause TMJ, but the grinding destroys your teeth.

Healthy teeth can go down quickly. You mentioned not being fond of dentists. You should know you’re not alone in that feeling. If it’s because you’ve had some rough experiences with the dentist, I’ll recommend you try sedation dentistry. This allows you to have a pain-free dental experience. It’s worth looking into now that you’ll need to go to the dentist more regularly.

You can likely tell if you start grinding your teeth during your waking hours. Unfortunately, most of it is likely to happen at night while you’re asleep and won’t notice. If you start getting jaw pain or headaches in the morning, that is a sign you are grinding your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

What Do I do for My Wife For Sedation?

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I’m newly married. My wife is having dental sedation. I know it sounds corny but I don’t want her to know I’m nervous. The dentist said I need to be there with her throughout the day.  What do I need to do? I want to be prepared and medical stuff makes me nervous.

Timothy M. – New Hampshire

Timothy,

It doesn’t sound corny to me.  You love your wife. You don’t want to worry her. You also want to look out for her.  All of those are wonderful qualities. It’s good to know chivalry hasn’t died.

Taking care of her will be fairly easy. The dental sedation will make her quite groggy. She’ll need you to drive her home and make sure she rests for the remainder of the day.

Her balance will be a bit off. She’ll need to stay off her feet. Your best bet is to get her set up with a nice comfy spot on the sofa give her plenty of water and a Netflix marathon.  She may be a bit emotional, so give her lots of cuddles and patience.

Complications are unlikely, but the dentist will certainly give you post-op instructions.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

My Veneers Were Fine Until My Check-Up

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I had porcelain veneers done about seven months ago. For the first six months, they were gorgeous. Then, shortly after my check-up they started picking up stains. I don’t know what I did.  I know it sounds crazy, but I wonder if the dentist did something to them. Is that possible?  I’ll be honest and say they looked fine when I left the cleaning. I just can’t figure out anything else different that happened in that time period.

Jocelyn M. – Maine

Jocelyn,

I can’t know with a certainty without seeing the veneers, but it sounds like the glazing has been damaged on your veneers. Generally, porcelain veneers are very durable and will last for many years, so something has to be done to them to remove the glazing.

It’s possible, if the hygienist wasn’t aware you had porcelain veneers or didn’t know how to care for them, that he or she used a prophy jet or something similar on them. If so, that would have removed the glazing from your veneers.

They would have looked fine when y ou first had them cleaned, but after a short time they’d have started picking up stains again.

There are ways to repair the glazing, but it is a highly advanced technique. Even a good cosmetic dentist may not know it.  Your best bet is to go to an AACD accredited dentist, have them look at your veneers to diagnose what’s going on.  If it turns out your hygienist did remove the glazing, they should pay to have them re-done.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Does TMJ Require a Full-Mouth Reconstruction?

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I’ve had jaw pain and severe migraines for months. My doctor did everything he could. As a last resort, he sent me to a dentist. The dentist told me I had TMJ and said that I need a full mouth reconstruction. I’m a little jumpy at the idea. My teeth are fine. It seems weird to do a full-mouth reconstruction. I have a friend in your neck of the woods who says you’re one of the best with TMJ.  Is that what you’d recommend?

Bess – Arkansas

Bess,

I’m glad you wrote. Full-mouth reconstruction is usually a last result except for the most severe cases. Generally, you try other less invasive TMJ treatments first. What your dentist is recommending is done when all else has failed.

Your doctor was right to recommend you to a dentist. My suggestion is to get a second opinion. You want a dentist, who like Dr. Hadgis, has significant TMJ training.

Look for someone who has gotten training at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). I have confidence that they’re diagnosis and suggested course of action will be trustworthy.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

How Easy is it to Get Tricked While Recovering from Sedation Dentistry?

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I saw this YouTube video where these brothers messed with their sister. The clip said that she just had her wisdom teeth pulled and that she was leaving the sedation dentist when they pranked her. They went all out and had a fake radio announcement saying that zombies were coming and they had the girl really freaked out. I’m supposed to see the sedation dentist next month to have my wisdom teeth pulled, too. I’m a little worried my brothers might mess with me, too. Does this stuff really happen? Is that how everyone acts when they leave the sedation dentist?

Em

Dear Em,

Those brothers put some serious planning into their prank, but it’s pretty clear they knew their mark very well. That is not standard behavior after a visit to the sedation dentist. No offense to the girl in the video, but she is probably a very trusting person the rest of the time as well, which made it really easy for her brothers to pull one over on her.

When people visit the sedation dentist, they tend not to care about what’s happening around them. The medications make you very complacent and relaxed, but they don’t make you do things that are abnormal for you. If you’re on medications, a normal reaction to being told zombies are coming would probably be a shrug and maybe an “Ok. That’s nice.” A lot of people get very sleepy as well, so they’re more likely to snooze through a real zombie apocalypse than they are to believe that fake one is occurring.

With all this said, if you have concerns about people giving you a hard time while you’re recovering, talk to your folks about it in advance. You are entitled to some quiet time after extractions and you’ll want to sleep off the medications. You should have a responsible adult with you all day, or at least in the same house, and you shouldn’t be getting up and being active. Your sedation dentist will go over all the instructions with you and your parents in advance, but you shouldn’t worry about winding up on YouTube. It’ll be a good day to cuddle up in bed and watch movies, though you might want to lay off the zombie flicks or you could have some odd dreams.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

I Thought Porcelain Veneers Could Change the Shape of Your Teeth

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I think I may have gotten the wrong procedure. I spoke with my dentist ahead of time about what I wanted. A whiter smile that was a little taller and broader. I also didn’t want to see so much of my gums when I smiled. My dentist suggested porcelain veneers. I got them and couldn’t wait to see my new smile. I’m really disappointed with the results. While they are close to the color I wanted, and (as my dentist pointed out) nicer than my old smile, They’re still short. I still see a ton of my gums, and worse one side of my gums seem lower than the other. I shared my disappointment with my dentist. He said he always does beautiful veneers and has never had a complaint. H e pointed out that my smile wasn’t very good to begin with and this is way better than what I had. While true, it isn’t what we’d discussed. Did I get the wrong procedure? All the porcelain veneer before & after photos I looked at showed that veneers could reshape your teeth.

Cyndy M – Wisconsin

Dear Cyndy,

It sounds to me like the problem with your smile makeover isn’t the procedure. Porcelain veneers are the right treatment. The problem is the dentist.  I’m not basing that just by his results and lack of planning. I’m also basing it on his attitude. Many family dentists, with good intentions, do cosmetic dentistry. However, it takes a lot of post-graduate training, not to mention an artistic eye to do a beautiful job.

In dental school,  dentists are taught that they know what is best. But, those dentists who do extensive cosmetic study know that smile makeovers are about how the patient feels about their smile. If they’re not thrilled, the treatment was a failure. Period.

Unfortunately, the only way to fix this is to re-do the procedure entirely. Plus, your gum issue has to be addressed before  the veneers are done. You’ll want some gum recontouring done.

To answer your question, yes, porcelain veneers can reshape your teeth. They can make them taller, broader, whiter, thicker…you name it, they can do it.

If I were in your place, I’d go to an expert cosmetic dentist and have him evaluate your porcelain veneers. Based on what you’ve described, I think (with a little pressure from your second opinion dentist) you should be able to get at least a partial refund.

I’d go to a dentist who has reached accreditation status with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Why Does My Dentist Want Me to Go to an Occlusion Specialist?

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I’ve been going to my dentist to figure out my TMJ issues for a few months. Now, after I’ve spent all this money he wants to send me to an occlusion specialist.  Why the sudden switch? Why didn’t he do this BEFORE I spent all the money?

Sara L. – Michigan

Sara,

I want to make sure you understand up front, there is no such thing as a recognized occlusion specialty.  What your dentist means is he wants to send you to someone who’s had significant training in occlusion.

Sometimes a TMJ issue is solved fairly simply. It’s always best to check the easy things first, as they have the simplest, least invasive solutions.  That’s likely why your dentist worked with you first. When those didn’t solve your problem, rather than waste your money he decided to send you to someone with more training.

In reality, he’s doing you a favor and trying to get you the best care possible.  He tried to save you money, by not requiring another clinic in addition to his care. While I know it may have seemed like he was taking advantage, he was actually just trying to get you the best care possible after the little things were eliminated.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Can I Go Back With Our Border During Sedation

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We’ve got a refugee staying with us. She’s been through a lot. More in the last two years than you or I will likely experience in a lifetime. She’s a little jittery. She’s normally calm when I’m with her, but can panic and bolt in a hurry if I’m not. She’s got a toothache. It’s likely an infection. She’ll probably do best with sedation, but I’m afraid she won’t be calm without me there. Would a dentist let me back with her if I promise to stay out of the way?

Angie M. – Michigan

Angie,

Each dentist has a different protocol when it comes to having people back in the operatory with patients.  However, most dentists who do sedation are dentist who exude compassion. They want to help anxious patients.

Call around and explain her situation. I’m sure you’ll have more than one dentist who will understand the situation completely and allow you back to be a comfort to her.

Hopefully, you will find a dentist that she can build a healthy relationship with.

I’m glad you’re there for her to help her heal and transition to a new, hopefully more peaceful, life.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

 

Is a Crown Really Necessary?

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I’ve gotten two different plans of treatment from two different dentists, and I don’t know which to choose. Here’s the situation. I want to get porcelain veneers, but I have a small cavity. At least I thought I did. The first dentist said it isn’t a problem.  He’d partially fill in and the porcelain veneers will take care of the rest.  Then my husband got transferred and I had to put it off. When we moved, I went to see the second dentist. He said the tooth is too far gone and it would need to be a crown.  He’s insisting on a metal based crown. I’m not too keen on this because it’s a front tooth. Which dentist is right? Would a tooth go downhill that quickly?

Miranda – Kentucky

Miranda,

A tooth can go quickly. It really depends on the tooth. Some decay slowly and other go under so fast you’d think they were throwing the fight.

However, I’m not convinced this is the best dentist for your makeover anyway. Even if you did get a crown on that one tooth, you’d do porcelain veneers on the rest of the teeth. You’ll want an expert cosmetic dentist to do that. The second dentist is definitely not skilled in the cosmetic side of dentistry.

You’re right not to want a metal based crown on your teeth. It will be too opaque to look completely natural. Plus, you will eventually develop a gray line on your gumline.

I’d suggest, before moving forward, to get a second opinion by someone with greater experience in cosmetic dentistry. I’d look for a dentist accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). They’ll be very artistic and give you a gorgeous smile, regardless of whether they are porcelain veneers or a dental crown.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.