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Don Swearingen, DDS Blog

Will Lumineers Look Fake?

December 3, 2016

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 11:11 am

I want a smile makeover. I suggested Lumineers because you don’t have to remove any tooth structure. He told me it was a bad idea because everyone would know they were fake teeth. He said porcelain veneers were a problem and never look natural. Instead, he wants me to get dental crowns. He said they’ll look more natural. I don’t want an unnatural smile, but one of the reasons I suggested Lumineers was I didn’t want to remove healthy tooth structure. Dental Crowns remove even more tooth and my teeth are healthy. Is there another option?

Melissa – Michigan

Melissa,

The problem isn’t with porcelain veneers. The problem is your dentist. He is likely a very decent family dentist, but an absolutely horrible cosmetic dentist. He can work with crowns but has no real experience with porcelain veneers. So, instead of referring you to someone who can give you a gorgeous smile, he suggests a treatment he knows how to do. But, do you have any guarantee that it will be beautiful? I’d be willing to bet it won’t be. So, you’ll remove healthy tooth structure and end up with a subpar smile.

So, what do you do? I’d suggest you find a different dentist for your smile makeover. One who has a great deal of experience doing porcelain veneers. It doesn’t have to be Lumineers. In fact, you will likely get a more beautiful smile with a different brand. Ask to see before and after photos of their work. It would also help if they had some form of a beautiful smile guarantee.

I’m not suggesting you leave your dentist completely. Just don’t use him for cosmetic work.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don  Swearingen.

When Are Wisdom Teeth a Problem?

November 17, 2016

Filed under: Dental Emergency — Tags: , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 8:15 pm

My fiance has been having some issues with his wisdom teeth. He’s had problems in the past, but this seems different. It’s swollen, like the other was, but this seems to have a flap. I’m a little worried that will make it a problem. Can you advise us? We don’t yet have a dentist for him. We’re new to our area. He’s in more pain than I like to see him in.

Claire F. – Oklahoma

Claire,

Everyone’s wisdom teeth behave differently. They’re tricky under the best of circumstances. They come in late in life, just about the time we finally feel our mouths are established and settled. Now, we’re having to make room for something new.

It’s a little like life isn’t it? Constant change and upheaval. Sometimes the change goes smoothly. Other times it’s bumpy or worse, destructive. In which case things need to be removed. That might be where your fiance is.

It sounds like he could be developing an infection. I realize you don’t have a dentist. This is a case where I’d say he’d need to be seen sooner rather than later. Many dentists treat emergency dental needs whether or not you’re a patient. Some will even see you that day.

Do an internet search for an emergency dentist and see who pops up in your area.  It wouldn’t hurt to take the extra step and check out some of their reviews before calling, just to make sure they have a good chairside manner too.  When you’re in pain, you don’t want to deal with a surly practitioner.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

My Husbands Embarrassed to Admit Anxiety

November 1, 2016

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 3:22 pm

My husband has been avoiding the dentist for the last three years. The last time he went in was quite the negative experience for him. Now he’s stopped going. He tries to blame it on finances, but I know it’s really because he’s too afraid to go back. Is there a way I can help get him back to the dentist?

Julie B. – Carson City

Julie,

Negative experiences at the dentist leave a lasting impact.  It’s sweet that he wants to appear brave and self-sacrificing to you. I bet there’s a way you could help him keep his pride while getting him back in the dental chair.

My recommendation would be to get information on sedation dentistry into his hand. A simple internet search will help you locate dentists who offer that in your area. You’ll likely even find your current dentist offers sedation. They sometimes advertise as sedation dentists or cater to cowards dentists.

If you’re worried about embarrassing him, you could print out some information and leave it around for him to find. Or, you could tell him you heard about how you could have completely pain free dentistry with sedation and were thinking about checking it out.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Do You Have to Stop Going to a Pediatric Dentist When You Reach Adulthood?

October 21, 2016

Filed under: Pediatric Dentist — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 9:25 pm

I have a weird question. My daughter turns 18 in a few weeks. She was totally fine with becoming an adult, going to college, the whole new life idea…until today. Today she had a meltdown. Today she doesn’t want to go to college. She doesn’t want to get a job. You’d never believe what set it off. It was her last check-up with her pediatric dentist. She LOVES her dentist. Ever since she was two years old, she’s gone to the same office. Today, the dentist mentioned it would be her last visit and even had a gift for her. Corina burst into tears and hasn’t been the same since. I know it’s dumb, but I wondered if she really has to switch dentists now when she turns 18?

Deanna S. – New Jersey.

Deanna,

Growing up is hard. Change is hard. Combine the two and it’s super hard. Each pediatric dentist has their own policy when it comes to treating adults. I bet if you called her dentist and explained your daughter’s reaction they’d let her come until she’s ready for the change.

The only time that might become a real issue is if something happens where your daughter needs something like a crown or develops gum disease. While her dentist could treat those conditions and has been trained to do so, strictly pediatric dentists don’t get a lot of practice in those areas. They don’t generally come up with children.

Barring anything like that, I see no reason why she couldn’t continue with her beloved dentist for a little while longer. Of course, like I said earlier, call and explain, because every practice has their own policies on such things.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Can I Whiten Lumineers?

October 1, 2016

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 10:08 pm

I recently got Lumineers. I’m mostly happy with them. They look good, but are not as white as I’d expected. My dentist says that’s because they’re intended to look natural and that’s as white as they get.  Is there a way I can whiten them? I know it sounds vain, but I got these because I wanted more of a Hollywood smile. It matches that in everything except the color.

Dania L. – Pennsylvania

Dania,

You have every right to want your smile to look Hollywood. It’s not vanity. It’s about confidence.  Unfortunately, you went to the wrong dentist. It’s obvious from what you’re telling me that he doesn’t truly understand cosmetic dentistry.

We see this a lot in dentists who do Lumineers. They’re marketed to dentist’s who are inexperienced in the cosmetic procedures as being easy to place. Place, yes. Make beautiful, no.

While the shade he gave you may be the whitest “natural” shade. Lumineers, along with any other brand of porcelain veneers can look as white as you want them to look. There are a bunch of shades a cosmetic dentist works with that a family dentist dabbling in cosmetics would be unfamiliar with.

I wish I could tell you that you could whiten them, but any color changes would have had to been made before they were bonded on. Only natural tooth structure responds to teeth whitening. The Lumineers are stuck the color your dentist made them.

You could try to get a refund and then have them done by a more experienced cosmetic dentist. The fact that he told you they’re as white as they get, might give you some leverage.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Can an Implant Become a Dental Emergency?

September 16, 2016

Filed under: Dental Emergency — Tags: , , , , — okcitydentist @ 4:56 pm

I had dental implants done a couple of months ago. The implant site began to hurt a few days ago. I pressed on it and it was a little soft at the gum, not to mention tender. Now my jaw is tender. Is this something that needs to be seen or do I just give it time?

Miranda M. – New Mexico

Miranda,

It sounds like you’ve developed an infection at the implant site. This needs to been dealt with right away, especially since your pain has spread throughout your jaw. If your dentist can’t see you soon, I’d contact an emergency dentist.

Not only can an oral infection spread quickly, but you’re putting your dental implant procedure at risk. You’ll have to start over, and will also require bone grafting.

If you catch the infection soon enough, you may be able to save your implants.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Cater to Cowards without Sedation?

September 1, 2016

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 8:29 pm

I’m a total coward when it comes to dentistry. I know there are dentists who advertise as catering to cowards, but when I call their office, it seems all they do is sedate you. I’m not too keen about that either. Is there any way a dentist can cater to fearful patients without sedation?

Laura O. – Washington

Laura,

I can understand your feelings. Sedation is a common way for dentists to deal with anxiety in their patients. However, it’s not the only way.

Some dentists have a gentle manner and technique about them. Their patients feel completely at ease. These dentists are perfectly comfortable with anxious patients and have a way of putting them at ease.

Each dentist that works with fearful patients have their own way of going about it. For instance, Dr. Swearingen uses an instrument called “The Wand”. It allows him to give completely painless injections.

You can read more about it on his Cater to Cowards page.

I’d call around to some dentists. If their only method for dealing with fearful patients is to sedate them, move on to someone else.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Why Does My Pediatric Dentist Insist on X-Rays Every Visit?

August 20, 2016

Filed under: Pediatric Dentist — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 12:48 pm

I am diligent to take my children to visit the dentist every six months, even though we don’t have a lot of money. One thing that troubles me is the fact that they insist on x-rays every single visit. My insurance only covers it once a year. If it was necessary, I would think that they’d cover it twice. Is it that important or can I skip the next ones?

Mallory F. – New Hampshire

Mallory,

I wouldn’t say that x-rays every six months are necessary, with the exception of a high risk patient.  If you have a child that has a greater than normal chance of developing a cavity, based on genetics or habits, it would be appropriate to do x-rays at every six months. Other than that, every year would be more the norm.

I’d talk to your pediatric dentist about your concern.  It may be he’s noticed something about your children’s teeth that make him extra cautious. Barring that, I’d just tell him you’d prefer to only do the x-rays once a year.

It’s always difficult making ends meet, especially when you have children, so any way you can save some money and still carry out your child’s best interest, is helpful.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

My Lumineers Don’t Match My Other Teeth

August 6, 2016

Filed under: Lumineers — Tags: , , , — okcitydentist @ 12:38 pm

I had four Lumineers done. I like them and they’re a beautiful shape and color, but they don’t match the teeth next to them. My regular teeth are darker than the Lumineers. Can I whiten them to match?

Celeste E. – Oregon

Celeste,

I’m glad you’re pleased with the Lumineers. I think the bigger problem here is you went to an inexperienced cosmetic dentist. Four Lumineers aren’t enough in your case and that obvious because the teeth next to them are visible.

Now, let’s say that four was absolutely all you could afford. In that case, your dentist should have had you whiten your teeth BEFORE the Lumineers were made. That way you could whiten them to the brightness you’d like and then your dentist would match the Lumineers to them.

Now, you can still whiten your teeth, and it may help, but they will not be an exact match to your Lumineers.  If you want an exact match, I would get a two to four more Lumineers to put on the adjacent teeth. You’d only need four more if you have a very wide smile.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.

Can I wait to see my old gentle dentist?

July 25, 2016

Filed under: Cater to Cowards — Tags: , , , , , — okcitydentist @ 7:48 pm

I had a great dentist. He was so kind and gentle and used to brag that he “caters to cowards”, of which I was the biggest. I had to move a few hours away. I have visited a dentist in my new area, but she was rough and impatient. I had quite a bad experience. Now I’ve had a filling come out. I’ll be going home over Thanksgiving. Can I wait to see my old dentist or do I have to get it taken care of right away?

Olivia J. – Branson, MO

Olivia,

There are few things worse than having to leave a loved and trusted care giver. Unfortunately, it is too distant a time to wait until Thanksgiving holiday for you to get this looked at. There is a reason the filling fell out. It could even mean that there is a new infection.  However, even if it was just a fluke that it fell out, leaving your tooth exposed that long could be quite dangerous.

That doesn’t mean that you have to go to the insensitive dentist. You can mark her off your list. There are too many kind, gentle dentists for you to have to waste your time and money on one that isn’t.

If you’ll do an internet search for a “cater to cowards” dentist or a “sedation dentist”, you’re more likely to have a good experience.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen

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