March 2021 - Arnold Dental

I have seen so many before and after porcelain veneers pictures at my dentist’s office and they all look better than mine. For some reason, mine look way too shiny and flat. It gives them the effect of looking like pieces of chicklet gum stuck in my mouth. Are the pictures photoshopped?

Ariana

Dear Ariana,

I think I know what is going on with your porcelain veneers, but let’s address the before and after images first. I don’t know your dentist but I doubt they were photoshopped. If the photos are significantly better than the results you got, it is probably because your dentist is using stock photos instead of his own work. This is a practice I don’t encourage but it does happen, especially with inexperienced cosmetic dentists. I always recommend two important things when it comes to getting cosmetic dental work done.

The first is to make sure the dentist has post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. Most people do not know that cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty. In addition, smile makeovers are not taught in dental school. It truly is up to the dentist how much training they invest in before doing cosmetic procedures on their patients.

The second thing is to make sure the dentist only uses a temporary try-in paste when their porcelain veneers arrive. You should get to look at them carefully in several different lightings before they are bonded on. Only allow the dentist to permanently bond them on if you are thrilled with the results. If you are not, tell the dentist what you don’t like and ask him to fix that.

What Went Wrong With Your Porcelain Veneers?

If you look at the image I have at the top of this post, you will notice that the teeth are not flat. Instead, they are textured. If your dentist did not know how to do that and they are flatter on the surface, they are going to have too much shine, as you described.

A second issue is the chicklet appearance you mentioned. Again, you may notice on this image above that the teeth are not uniform in color from top to bottom either. Some parts are more opaque than others. If you keep them completely the same, then that fake look will result.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold, an AACD accredited dentist.

I am struggling with my dentures. They make me gag. I think it is probably from the plate that I have on the upper dentures. It is so hard and I have a strong gag reflex. Is there such a thing as a soft denture?

Penny

Dear Penny,

There is such a thing as a soft liner, but that has more to do with padding the ridge on the lower jawbone for those with a bony ridge. The upper dentures need the firmness to them in order to have some structure to keep them in place. You are not the only one to struggle with the feeling on their palette. A liner isn’t really what you’re looking for though. It won’t solve your problem.

You may be better served with an implant overdenture, such as the one pictured above. These use between four to eight dental implants and then anchor your denture to them. There will be no need for the denture plate that is causing you so much grief. The implants hold the dentures in place. They’ll be completely secure. You won’t have to worry about any slipping. But, the most important benefit is how it protects your jawbone.

Once your teeth were removed, your body recognized that and immediately took action to be as efficient with your body’s resources as possible. One of the ways it does this is by resorbing the minerals in your jawbone, which it perceives you no longer need to retain teeth, and disperses them to use throughout your body. In about ten years, you will no longer have enough jawbone to even retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse. The implants signal to your brain that you need those minerals and helps you to retain your jawbone.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. Fred Arnold.

Too Much Shine on My Porcelain Veneers

What Went Wrong With Your Porcelain Veneers?

Is There a Soft Denture?

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What Went Wrong With Your Porcelain Veneers?