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Don Swearingen, DDS Blog

Filling fell out

December 31, 2013

Filed under: Dental Emergency — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 4:24 pm

I have to leave for a business trip in the morning and my stupid filling just fell out.  What do I do?!?

Sarah N.- Minnesotta

Sarah,

You’ll need to find an emergency dentist. There is sure to be one in Minnesotta. However, if you’ve already left for your trip, you can probably find one where you are on your trip.

They’ll be able to give you new filling. If there are any underlying problems that caused the filling to fall, they may just give you a temporary filling until you can get back to see your regular dentist.

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

Fixing a chip without lumineers

December 16, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 7:02 am

I’ve fallen and got a small chip on my front tooth. My dentist is suggesting I use Lumineers to fix it.  That is very expensive for such a small chip. Are my choices cleaning out my savings account or living with the chip?

Sandy B. – Missouri

Sandy,

This is a massive overtreatment for a small chip.  I am not sure why your dentist is recommending such an expensive treatment, when it can easily be fixed with some dental bonding, which costs significantly less.

Generally, Lumineers are for a smile makeover. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth. If you were needing that kind of change to your teeth then I would say his recommendation is reasonable.

Because you just have a small chip, I think you are being taken advantage of.  I suggest you go to a different dentist for this treatment.

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

Ugly Crowns

November 30, 2013

Filed under: Porcelain Crowns — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 3:09 pm

I need to get two dental crowns. I’ve had several friends who have gotten dental crowns in the past. I didn’t have the heart to tell them, but their crowns look quite fake. In fact, they’re so opaque I don’t know how anyone could think they are real.  Is there any way I can prevent this from happening to me?

Sally B.- Georgia

Sally,

From your description, I wonder if your friends were given porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. They often have to be made more opaque in order to cover the metal foundation.  There is also another way to distinguish crowns with a metal foundation. Eventually, they will all develop a dark grey line at the gumline. And unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about this.

The way to insure you get beautiful, natural looking crowns is to pick your dentist carefully. You want someone who’s had signifcant post-graduate training in cosmetic procedures. You’ll also want someone with an artistic eye.  Matching crowns to existing teeth takes more than just technical skill. Anyone who is serious about their cosmetic skill will have a smile gallery you can look at. That will help you determine if you like their work.

Make sure they give you all-porcelain crowns. This will prevent you from having anything that looks opaque. It will also prevent that dark line I mentioned earlier.

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

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My teeth look fat with Lumineers

November 16, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 1:56 pm

I spent a fortune on Lumineers. My dentist told me it was better than porcelain veneers because you don’t have to shave your teeth. But they have made my teeth look fat. Is there anything I can do about it?

Maureen B.- Nevada

Maureen,

Your dentist is either uninformed or deceptive.  Lumineers aren’t better than porcelain veneers, they because they are porcelain veneers. They are simply one of several brands of veneers.

They are marketed to dentists as an easy prep because there is no “need” to prep the teeth. This is especially appealing to dentist who don’t understand cosmetic dentistry. Many expert cosmetic dentists do not like the Lumineers brand at all. Bulkiness being just one of the reasons.

Another reason is the lab. The Lumineers brand is owned by the Den-Mat Company and they require you to use their labs.  It is not the most artistic lab.

The reason your teeth look bulky is because there wasn’t any tooth preparation.  To be honest, the tooth preparation is so minimal, it is no big deal, but the Lumineers company uses that as a selling point anyway.

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

Why are my teeth falling out?

October 31, 2013

Filed under: Dental Emergency — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 3:49 pm

I have one tooth that has already come out and two more that are loose. I don’t seem to have any cavities and I don’t know what is happening.

Beverly C. – Provo, UT

Beverly,

Bear in mind I haven’t examined you, but it sounds like you have periodontal disease. If this gets left untreated, you will continue to lose teeth.

I’d get in to see your dentist as quickly as possible. If your dentist also considers himself an emergency dentist, you can get in today. If not, you may have to just schedule an appointment for as soon as their schedule allows. In the meantime, make sure you are brushing your teeth carefully and using floss.

You’ll need to find a way to replace these teeth. I’d start with a dental flipper, which is a temporary tooth replacement. This will give you and your dentist time to deal with the periodontal disease and decides which tooth replacement will work best in your case.

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

Lumineers verses porcelain veneers

October 16, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , — okcitydentist @ 9:34 pm

Is it better to get Lumineers or porcelain veneers for a smile makeover?

Angie W.- Wyoming

Angie,

Lumineers are a brand of porcelain veneers. The are often promoted as different becuase they are promoted as not needing any tooth preparation.  Some cosmetic dentists feel that makes them a little bulky on your smile.

The best thing to do is to choose a good cosmetic dentist, with a lot of experience and they can determine which brand of porcelain veneers will work best for what you want to do with your smile.  He or she may choose Lumineers, or they may choose a different brand.

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

Tooth knocked out

September 21, 2013

Filed under: Dental Emergency — Tags: , , — okcitydentist @ 12:50 pm

What do I do if my tooth gets knocked out?

Andrew M.- Ft. Worth, TX

Andrew,

The faster you get to the dentist, the more of a chance you have of saving your tooth. Ideally, you want to get there within thirty minutes.

If you can’t get in touch with your dentist. Google an emergency dentist. Many of them will see you even if you are not a patient. If there is any dirt on your tooth, you’ll want to remove it. Be careful not to touch the root of the tooth. Only clean the part of your tooth that is normally visible.

You’ll also want to keep the tooth moist. An easy way to do that is to put it in a glass of milk.

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

Stained Lumineers

September 16, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 1:48 pm

I got Lumineers to improve my smile, including the color.  My dentist put a stain on them in order to make them look “natural”.  If wanted my teeth to look the way they did before I wouldn’t have gotten Lumineers. Is there anything that can be done?

Brooke- Benton, AR

Brooke,

A lot of it will depend on if they were permanently bonded on or not.  If he just did a temporary try in paste, then he can send them back to get the color you want.  However, if they were bonded on already, you would need a new set of Lumineers.

Unfortunately you dentist will probably not do that for free. Did you tell your dentist ahead of time what level of whitening you wanted? If so, he has some responsibility to meet what you guys agreed on.

When dentists are in dental school, they are taught that teeth need a staining put on them in order to look more natural. However, most cosmetic dentists have learned that what you really need is to listen to the desires of their patients.

If your dentist is not willing to work with you then you’ll probably have to find another dentist to fix your work.  Get a consultation with them ahead of time to make sure it is someone who will really listen to you.

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

Discolored Fillings

August 31, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , — okcitydentist @ 8:23 pm

I have fillings on my front teeth, but they are discolored compared to my natural teeth. I’m not sure what to do. Do you think Lumineers can fix this problem?

Megan- Nevada

Megan,

This is a simpler problem than you think. I suggest you get the fillings fixed. It sounds to me like your dentist didn’t know how to match the filling material to your front teeth. There is every color imaginable available  for white fillings.

It is true that Lumineers can cover this problem, but they are a lot more expensive than just having your filling replaced by someone who knows what they are doing.

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

Is a night guard really necessary?

August 22, 2013

Filed under: Lumineers,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 4:28 pm

I recently got 6 Lumineers put on. Now my dentist is insisting that I get a night guard. Is this really necessary?

Amanda B.- Benton, AR

Amanda,

Has your dentist mentioned that you have a grinding problem? If so, it really will be important that you do get a night guard. Most patients don’t even realize that they have a grinding problem because they do it in their sleep. However, your teeth will show the wear from the grinding.

If that is the case you’ll want to wear them, not only to protect the Lumineers, but to protect your teeth in general. Some grinders actually wear their teeth down to stubs.  However, from a financial standpoint, when you spend thousands of dollars on your smile makeover, you don’t want it getting damaged. Grinding can chip your Lumineers.

It is your choice to wear purchase or wear a night guard. Your dentist cannot insist. However, be aware that if you do have a grinding issue, you’ll end up damaging them.

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

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