chipped teeth Archives - Arnold Dental

Fixing a Broken Lower Front Tooth

Posted on January 6, 2024 by writeradmin.

About a year ago I broke a lower front tooth. It was irritating me the way it hit the soft tissue in my mouth, not to mention it made me uncomfortable. My dentist said he could repair it with a filling. Unfortunately, there have been two problems with the repair. First, it won’t stay on. It’s fallen off less than a week after he re-does the repair and he’s “repaired” it several times. This is an unrealistic way of keeping this tooth whole. The second issue is more of an aesthetic concern, but still valid. The repair does not match the rest of my tooth. The color is completely different. Is there any way to really repair this?

Sandy

Dear Sandy,

One of the problems you are facing with this composite bonding repair is the dentist. Your lower incisal edges hit the insides of the upper incisors constantly, especially when you close your mouth. This puts enormous stress on the repair. A dentist repairing this would not only need to be an expert cosmetic dentist to get this to look natural, but also understand the principles of occlusion (how your bite comes together) in order to minimize this issue. Based on your description, your dentist does not have either of these skills.

Here is an image of a patient who has a similar problem as you by another dentist. Notice one of the repairs fell off and the tooth next to it has bonding where the color is markedly different from the tooth. Also notice that the tooth with the chip is further forward from the other teeth. This caused it to hit before the other teeth putting additional stress on it.

Thankfully, this patient was able to get to an expert cosmetic dentist and have this fixed properly (image below). This dentist used porcelain veneers to repair the tooth. Notice that he also shaved back the tooth that was further forward so that it would line up with the other teeth and reduce the stresses.

What you need to do if find an expert cosmetic dentist. Look for someone who is AACD accredited. These are the best cosmetic dentists in the country.

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

Teeth Look Terrible After Bonding Removal

Posted on November 11, 2023 by writeradmin.

I had dental bonding done in order to fix some gaps, chips, and uneven edges on my teeth. I was so excited about having this done. Unfortunately, it ended up extremely bulky and unattractive. I felt like it was worse than my original smile. I was told to give it some time and I might get used to it. The dentist felt it was much better than my original smile and that I just wasn’t used to seeing it without all the gaps and things. I didn’t. In fact, I was a bit offended that he pressured me to keep it. I asked them to remove the bonding and give me a refund. The office said they couldn’t give me a refund, but that they wouldn’t charge me for the removal. To make matters worse when they removed the bonding, I don’t feel like they did it right. The teeth are splotchy looking and uneven. Some of it looks shiny and some dull. I think they took off some of my natural tooth, but they’re insisting that’s what my teeth looked like before. Is there anything that can be done about this?

Avery

It sounds like you went to a basic family dentist who has not invested in much cosmetic dentistry training. At this point, there is not a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. As a result, any general dentist can do cosmetic dentistry. The problem with that is it takes a significant amount of post-doctoral training in order to know how to do it well. Your dentist, quite apparently, does not have this training.

Above is an image of dental bonding done for a chipped tooth. There is no reason to add bulk in these situations. You should just replace the missing structure and nothing more. Then, it appears your dentist thought it would be simple to just remove it but obviously went past the bonding and removed some of your enamel. They should have taken a before picture when they did your case, which would have cleared up right away what your smile looked like before. It does not sound like they did that, which also hints to me that this office does not do a lot of cosmetic work. I’m sure you have an image you can show them from your own photos. However, I doubt it is going to make much difference to them.

What I recommend is that you see an expert cosmetic dentist and have them look at your case. They may be able to tell if some enamel was removed, which could help you get some money back.

The good news is that this can be fixed. AACD accredited dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. Any one of them can repair the damage that your dentist did while placing and removing the dental bonding. You can get the stunning smile you were hoping for.

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

How Much Dental Work Can Be Done in One Sitting?

Posted on June 11, 2023 by writeradmin.

I need a significant amount of dental work done and am finally in a position to do something about it. At last check, I needed three root canal treatments, several cavities filled, my teeth whitened, as well as some cosmetic work done about some chips and a snaggletooth. I’d like to get this done as quickly as possible. How much dental work can be done in one sitting? I am ready to get that beautiful smile I have always wanted but couldn’t afford.

Stacey

Dear Stacey,

I am glad that you are able to get the work you have always wanted done. How much you can have done in one setting will really depend on the dentist. Each dentist is different in the amount of work they are willing to do during an appointment. You will find that sedation dentists will be willing to do more at a time than other general dentists. This is especially true if you use oral conscious sedation. You are so relaxed with this type of sedation that you will sleep through the appointment. This makes it easier for you to tolerate more dental work at a time.

You’ll want to get the general work done before you start in on the cosmetic work. The exception to that would be the teeth whitening. If you are going to need dental crowns, you will want your teeth the color you want them before you have the crowns made. The whitening will not work on dental crowns, only natural tooth structure.

Be Careful Who Does Your Cosmetic Work

While teeth whitening can be done by just about any dentist, the work for the chips and the snaggletooth will require cosmetic expertise. When you do get those procedures done, you will want to see a dentist who has both technical skill and artistry. You will have the most success with a dentist who has been accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. You can feel confident that any one of them can provide you with stunning results. You’ll have a smile you will be proud to show for many years.

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

Dental Bonding Disaster

Posted on August 22, 2019 by writeradmin.

I had dental bonding done to repair chips on my two front teeth. They ended up so bulky that it became hard for me to speak properly. The dentist said I’d get used to the new feel. I didn’t. Plus, they were so much bulkier than the adjacent teeth I was miserable. When I originally had them done, they told me it was reversible. I decided to take them up on that and have them removed. When they did that, the teeth ended up splotchy. I mentioned that and they said that is how my teeth were before and I just don’t remember. That is absolutely NOT true. Do I have any recourse? Can this be fixed?

Penny

Dear Penny,

First, I’m going to say I’m sorry this happened to you. This has been a disaster from the beginning. It sounds like whatever dentist you went to isn’t very familiar with cosmetic dentistry. First, let’s talk about the bulk. Unless you were talking about replacing lost enamel, there is no reason to add bulk. The teeth should be the same depth they were before. Adding too much bulk can affect speech (as you’ve experienced). It can also lead to food and bacteria getting trapped which will lead to decay.

The second problem you ran into is them telling you it is removable. While technically, you can grind it down, it would take an expert cosmetic dentist to do it right. Here’s what happens, they grind down and have to estimate where your enamel is. If it’s splotchy, they’ve gone too far.

Getting Bad Dental Bonding Fixed

I’m going to tell you up front that you’ll have to have these re-done. You can ask for a refund. Without some documentation of your before teeth, it might be hard to get one, but it is worth a shot. When you have them re-done, I’m going to highly suggest you go to a different dentist.

If you can afford it, I’d go with porcelain veneers instead of dental bonding because it will last longer. It’s okay if you need to stay with bonding. Just make sure you go to a true cosmetic dentist either way. Dental bonding has to be done freehand, so it takes a true artist with a sure technique to do it right.

The best cosmetic dentists have attained accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. AACD accredited dentists are the top 15 of cosmetic dentists in the world. If you don’t have an accredited dentist in a reasonable distance, a second option is to check mynewsmile.com. They prescreen dentists who want to be listed there for both technical training and artistry. Many of them are either accredited or on their way to accreditation. Any of them can provide you with a gorgeous smile.

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

Affordable Smile Makeover

Posted on March 1, 2019 by writeradmin.

I really want a pretty smile, but there isn’t a way in the world I can afford to get porcelain veneers. Are there ways to affordably makeover your smile? To be specific, I have two chipped teeth, a gap in my front teeth, a couple of crooked teeth, and they all look old and yellowed.

Bernadette

Dear Bernadette,

Lexington Cosmetic Dentist — You can get a pretty smile on a budget

You can absolutely improve the appearance of your smile without getting porcelain veneers. Think of veneers as a Lamborghini. It’s stunning and the top of the line, but there are other gorgeous cars that won’t cost nearly as much. Though, they won’t be able to maneuver the way a Lamborghini can.

While veneers can change the shape, smile, and color of your smile simultaneously, most of those things can be done with other procedures as well.

Cosmetic Dental Options to Veneers

The first thing I’d recommend is to whiten your teeth. You can do it gradually with at-home teeth whitening or in just one appointment with Zoom Whitening. This is the fastest and most affordable way to improve your smile. It takes years off your appearance.

With crooked teeth, I often recommend Invisalign. This allows you to straighten teeth without a mouth full of metal.

Finally, for the chipped teeth I recommend dental bonding. This is a composite resin which is hand scultpted onto your teeth by a skilled cosmetic dentist to make up for the lost structure. It will blend in perfectly with your natural tooth structure.

Just be sure you do the whitening first, this way the new bonding can be made the right color. The bonding won’t change color once it is completed.

All of these procedures cost significantly less than porcelain veneers.

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