Archives for August 2023

Teeth Whitening for Brown Spots

Posted on August 23, 2023 by writeradmin.

I have very healthy teeth. My biggest problem is that I have had brown spots on my teeth. I’ve been told that this happened because of a fever when I was a child. My dentist, knowing how embarrassed I am by my teeth has worked with me to try every possible over the counter whitening product. None of them made much of a difference. Those that did only made the brown spots more noticeable. Now she’s considering grinding the brown spots away. The thing that worries me is that she cannot tell me how much tooth structure she’ll need to grind down to get past the brown spots. Before I agree to this, I was wondering if getting professonal teeth whitening done would have any better success in getting rid of the brown spots for me?

Ellie

Dear Ellie,

It sounds like, while your dentist cares for you, she is out of her depth. Please don’t allow her to do any more work on your teeth. Though she does not realize it, she is experimenting on you and not from a place of knowledge. Unfortunately, teeth whitening is not the solution to your issue. If you want whiter teeth, professional tooth whitening will do a fantastic job and get them as white as you want. However, it whitens your teeth evenly. That is why it will not help with the brown spots.

The solution to this is microabrasion and then some dental bonding. However, your dentist is not the one to do it. I am sure she is a great and caring general dentist. However, this type of treatment is a very advanced cosmetic procedure. If she did not understand the nature of teeth whitening, which is the simplest of cosmetic procedures, this will be well out of her wheelhouse.

My suggestion is you continue to see her for your general dental needs. Then, for your more advanced cosmetic procedures, find a dentist who is qualified to do those. They should have a smile gallery which shows before and after pictures of cosmetic work they’ve done. You’d also want to make certain you love the results.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Is Diabetes a Contra-Indication for Dental Implants?

Posted on August 15, 2023 by writeradmin.

I want to get Dental Implants for two of my teeth. However, my dentist said that I am not a good candidate because of my diabetes. Is there any way around this?

Brandon

Dear Brandon,

I’m glad you wrote. Dental implants are a fantastic choice in tooth replacements. While diabetes is not a contra-indication for dental implants, it is a significant risk factor. You will require careful diagnostic work as well as diligent follow up throughout the procedure.

Make certain you see a dentist with significant dental implant training and experience. Do careful diagnostics, including a 3-Dimensional x-ray, such as a CT scan. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure they keep a close eye on you throughout the procedure. Infection is a particular danger for someone in your position.

If you have a dentist who send you to an oral surgeon to place the implant themselves, that is fine. However, and this is VERY important. It needs to be your dentist who determines the placement of your implant NOT the surgeon. There are counteless dental implant horror stories where the oral surgeon, who will have no occlusion training, only surgical, placed the dental implants in the wrong position. Occlusion is how your teeth meet together properly. When this is off, it throws off your whole bite. That can lead to constant pain and headaches as well as sharp pain when your trying to eat.

So, the bottom line for you is, yes, you can very likely get the dental implants you want. To do that safely, you will need a dentist with post-doctoral training, who is willing to do the proper diagnostics and keep a close eye on you throughout the procedure.

One other word of caution. Your dentist’s hesitance about this tells me he does not feel qualified to handle your particular case. He may be fine with less complicated ones. You, however, will need to find a different dentist to do your tooth replacements. That’s okay and common.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.