Whiten old veneers

April 30, 2013

Have they come up with a procedure yet for whitening veneers? Mine are 17 years old and have picked up some stains over the years.

Eileen S. – Staten Island

Eileen,

There is no procedure that can re-whiten your porcelain veneers in the same way teeth whitening works on your teeth. If there is significant damage done to them, then your only options are to live with them or to replace them.

However, if you’re just talking about surface staining, then I recommend you use Supersmile toothpaste. It is fantastic at getting stains off of cosmetic work. Give that a try before spending thousands of dollars re-doing your veneers.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

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Fear of dentist

April 26, 2013

Filed under: Dental Fear — Tags: cater to cowards, dental anxiety, fear of the dentist, relaxation techniques for dental appointments, sedation dentistry — okcitydentist @ 1:03 pm

Can you give me some advice on getting over a strong fear of the dentist.

Yasmine- Florida

Yasmine,

Most dental anxiety is rooted in a traumatic experience with the dentist, so the biggest factor in getting past your fear is going before you have a dental problem. That way you get to experience an easier appointment.

You’ll also want to go to a dentist who readily works with fearful patients and you can build a trusting relationship with. Look on their site to see if they have a page dedicated to dental anxiety, such as a cater to cowards page. You can also look for a dentist that practices sedation dentistry.

While you’re there ask your dentist to show and explain to you what he is going to do ahead of time. That way you aren’t taken by surprise. Some dentists will also let you listen to your ipod if that will help relax you.

This blog is brought to you by Oklahoma City Dentist Dr. Don Swearingen.

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