Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

Lumineers or Porcelain Veneers

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I’m FINALLY able to get a smile makeover. I can’t tell you how excited I feel about this. I’m just having a bit of a hard time choosing. I like the idea of the thin ones called Lumineers. Originally, I thought that would look more natural. But, I’m reading a bunch of reviews which seem to be mixed. Am I better off with porcelain veneers?

Karen

Dear Karen,

A porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

Which is more important the brand of veneer or the dentist who does them?

It’s great that you’re trying to research this. However, I’d like to redirect your question just a bit. The brand isn’t as important as the dentist which does them. A great cosmetic dentist could make any brand look stunning. But, an inexperienced cosmetic dentist could have the best materials and still create a subpar smile.

Lumineers Limitations

You should be aware that most expert cosmetic dentists aren’t extremely fond of the Lumineers brand. Much of that has to do with their lab. The DenMat company owns Lumineers and requires dentists to use their lab. Sadly, that lab isn’t known for its skill and artistry.

True cosmetic dentists will normally have a ceramist they prefer to work with that they feel produces the right results and follows their directions well.

While Lumineers brand does seem to heavily advertise as being no-prep because they’re’ ultra-thin it’s not always best practice to place porcelain veneers without any tooth prep whatsoever. The results can look bulky depending on the smile.

The Most Important Decision for Porcelain Veneers

More important than which brand of porcelain veneers you get is which cosmetic dentist you have design and place them. The artistry and skill of the dentist will make the biggest difference in the beauty of your smile makeover.

To find one of the best cosmetic dentists in your area, I recommend you go to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry website (aacd.com). The AACD has an accreditation program which helps patients looking for a good cosmetic dentist to know which dentists have the skills necessary to give them a gorgeous smile.

On their website, is a link to help find a cosmetic dentist in your area. Just be certain you check that you’re looking for one who is accredited. If there is not one in your immediate area it will be well worth a little bit of travel to get stunning results.

Best of luck. This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Mismatched Front Teeth

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I had a root canal and the tooth needed a dental crown. My dentist has had a very hard time getting it to look natural. The first one looked way too white. Then he redid it. The next one was a more realistic shade, but still doesn’t match my adjacent teeth. He bonded that one on. At first, I thought I could live with it but I’m really uncomfortable having mismatched front teeth. He’s willing to try again. Do you think I’m being too picky? I can tell he’s getting frustrated, even though he hasn’t said anything.

Louisa

Dear Louisa,

Image of a crown being placed on a tooth

You’re not being too picky. You have every right to have matching front teeth, especially when they’re being crafted for you. However, you might be asking too much of your particular dentist. Matching a single front tooth requires cosmetic skills that are likely above his artistic and technical ability at this point.

Even many expert cosmetic dentists, will charge extra for matching a single crown to a front tooth because they know it could take three or four try-ins. A dentist should never permanently bond on the crown until they are 100% sure it matches the adjacent tooth absolutely. There are many subtleties in colors. It’s rare to get it spot on first time out of the box.

You have two choices. The first one is for you to continue to allow your dentist to try and get it right. He may and it won’t cost you any extra. However, there’s no guarantee he will.

Your other option is to find an expert cosmetic dentist and let them do your crown. They’ll be more likely to get the result you’re both hoping for and deserve. But, it will cost you some extra. It’s possible your dentist would be willing to give you a partial refund because you’re having to go elsewhere for the crown.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

How is a patient supposed to know which cosmetic dentists have the skills and artistry to create a gorgeous restoration? The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) realized the quandary many patients found themselves in. Because of that, they began an accreditation program. This requires the dentist to pass stringent oral and written examinations demonstrating their technical knowledge of their craft. In addition to that, they have to provide examples of a large number of specific cosmetic cases they’ve done within a recent time period.

Anyone who reaches accreditation level with the AACD can not only match your crown to your front teeth, but if you ever decided to go all out and get a total smile makeover with porcelain veneers, they’d give you an absolutely stunning smile.

If you were to pick a new dentist to do your cosmetic work, they should be on the top of your choice list. To find one in your area, you simply go to the aacd.com website and choose “find a dentist”. Make sure you click that you’re looking for an accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Why Would Porcelain Veneers be the Price of a Home?

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I had a disastrous first smile makeover. Even the dentist who created it knew it was awful and offered me a full refund without me even asking. That should tell you how bad it was. So, now I’m off to get this fixed. You can imagine I’m not too willing to smile at this moment. The “makeover” is humiliatingly bad. I made a list of cosmetic dentists in my area. I’ve tried one who was highly recommended in fact, I heard that people fly in from other countries to have him do their makeovers. Unfortunately, he quoted me the price of my home. Is that what I’m looking at if I want this fixed?

Cora L.

Dear Cora,

A single porcelain veneer being held by a dental tool

I’m going on the assumption that your house is worth more than $100,000. That’s pricey even for the best of the best cosmetic dentists. Is it possible he quoted you a full mouth reconstruction? Did he say anything about your bite being off?

Some dentists only want to work on the “ideal” treatment, but a great cosmetic dentist can give you a gorgeous smile even if your bite is a bit off. Though, if it’s very off, you may want to look into TMJ disorder because you don’t want an additional problem.

What you were quoted isn’t a typical cost of getting porcelain veneers. I wouldn’t panic that you’ll have to mortgage your house to get this fixed. In fact, cost isn’t the biggest factor in determining who’s a better dentist. I know a couple of dentists in the area who might be able to illustrate this for you.

A Tale of Two Dentists Who do Porcelain Veneers

Dentist “A” costs a fortune. He gives gorgeous smile makeovers. Dentist “B” isn’t the cheapest but is less than dentist “A”. He gives gorgeous smile makeovers. It’s more about the skill of the dentist than it is the price.

In your place, because you’re already repairing a disaster, I’d say you need a highly skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist. See if there’s an AACD accredited dentist in your area. Most of them even have a beautiful smile guarantee.

If there’s not one within a reasonable distance, then look on the mynewsmile.com website. They list artistic cosmetic dentists by area. A dentist can’t buy their way onto the site. Either way you’ll get great results.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Can the Shape of My Bite Really Keep Me from Porcelain Veneers?

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I’ve wanted a smile makeover ever since I was old enough to realize my smile was ugly. I have an overbite, which makes my front teeth practically cover my bottom teeth. They’re misshapen, some of them have small chips, and they’ve all got tetracycline stains. I saved for years to get the top of the line smile makeover. Now, when I finally tell my dentist, he tells me I can’t because of my overbite. Instead, he wants to do four to six crowns on my upper front teeth. To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. I just wanted to double check he had the right idea before I give up my dream.

Hazel L.

Dear Hazel,

Don’t give up your dream. Give up your dentist. I hope I’m not coming across harsh, but I want you to get the best smile possible. It sounds to me like your dentist is in over his head when it comes to cosmetic work so he’s made up some lame excuse to not have to admit he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

If you were to get porcelain crowns, he’d have to grind down your front teeth to nubs! Why get rid of all that healthy tooth structure? Plus, he’s talking about 4-6 crowns. Most smiles are much wider than that. Can you imagine how weird that would look beside tetracycline stained teeth? No. Don’t do this.

Your bite actually makes you a fine candidate for porcelain veneers. Your teeth are covering your bottom teeth. Crowns would have to surround your entire tooth, causing the dentist to have to beware of what he does on the back side, so it doesn’t negatively impact your bottom teeth. Porcelain veneers don’t go on the back of your teeth, just the front.

In your place, I’d look for a top of the line cosmetic dentist. Tetracycline stains are more challenging than most. The dentist will want to get the veneers to look bright, translucent, and natural, but still cover the stains. It will take someone with an advanced skill set and artistic eye to do that. Find a dentist who’s reached accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). They’ll be your best bet and can certainly give you the gorgeous smile you’ve always dreamed of having. In fact, quite a few of them have a “beautiful smile guarantee“.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

How Can You Offer a Beautiful Smile Guarantee?

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I saw on your website that you offer a beautiful smile guarantee. How is it possible to do that? Isn’t everyone’s smile different? Some people just have an ugly smile.

Justine M. – Oklahoma City

Justine,

You’re right that everyone’s smile is different. You’re also right that some people have had unfortunate experiences with their smile, such as tetracycline stains or trauma to their teeth that causes chips or breaks. There are also those who are just born with less than ideal smiles. When Dr. Cha offers a beautiful smile guarantee, he’s referring to those who are getting a smile makeover.

Generally, that is done with porcelain veneers, though occasionally a patient will also require a crown or implant. He can offer that guarantee because he won’t stop with their restorations until they are absolutely astounded and thrilled with the results. Dr. Cha places their porcelain veneers with a try-in paste and gives them time to look at them from every angle with several types of light.
If they’re ecstatic with their new smile, he’ll bond the veneers. If they’re not thrilled, he will start over.

One of the reasons he does that is because of the number of smile makeover disasters other dentists have done. He’s had more patients than you could imagine come to his office in tears begging him to fix the fiasco done to their smile by another dentist. That is because not all cosmetic dentists are created equal. They might know the technical procedure, but not have an artistic eye.

In fact, two cosmetic dentists can do the exact same smile makeover on the same person and end up with completely different results. Many patients are not aware that cosmetic dentistry isn’t an official recognized specialty with the American Dental Association (ADA). So anyone who calls themselves a cosmetic dentist is just a general dentist who enjoys doing cosmetic procedures. Their skills vary widely. So how is a patient able to tell an artistic dentist from a less skilled one? That’s where the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) comes in. They started an accreditation program to award dentists who’ve reached the highest level of technical and artistic skill. So, if you’re looking for a stunning smile, an AACD accredited dentist would be the way to go. I’d be willing to guess many of them offer a beautiful smile guarantee.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Ortho Bands or Porcelain Veneers?

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I’ve got this gap in my teeth and they need some whitening. My dentist tells me porcelain veneers will take care of both those things.  The price tag is a tad out of reach for me. I could do it, but am wondering if I should spend that much money just because my smile bothers me. Ortho bands are a lot cheaper. They would take care of the gap. What do you think? I’d feel better with a professionals opinion.

Gracie – Ohio

Gracie,

The ortho bands are a bad idea. In fact, I’m surprised they haven’t been sued out of business. What they do to close the gap is tip the teeth together. That puts you at risk of losing your teeth because the roots of your teeth aren’t properly adjusted. They don’t have bone support. They become loose. They’re no better than putting rubber bands on your teeth.

I don’t necessarily think porcelain veneers are your solution either. You have a couple of more affordable options that will give you the results you’re interested in.

First, get teeth whitening done. Once that is completed, you can do one of two things.

  • Invisalign:  These will straighten your teeth without anyone knowing. They’re truly invisible, even at a conversational distance. Some dentists will even whiten your teeth using the Invisalign trays saving you money.
  • Dental Bonding: This uses composite bonding to close the gap.  You’ll want to do the whitening first, because you want the bonding to match your new color.

I’d only invest in porcelain veneers if you’re wanting a full smile makeover. Veneers can change everything about your smile. Size, shape, color–anything you want. But, to get it done right, you’ll need an expert cosmetic dentist, preferably someone who is AACD accredited.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Natural looking white teeth

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I want to whiten my teeth. I’m over forty and my teeth have yellowed quite a bit.  I just don’t want it to look unnatural.  So many people I see who have their teeth whitened, especially newscasters, have teeth that are so white you know they’ve been bleached like mad.  What is the secret to whitening them in a mild way?

Amanda C. – Texas

Amanda,

One of the things I love about cosmetic dentistry, is the ability to tailor the treatment to the desires of the desires of the patient.  The simplest way to whiten your teeth without them getting overly white, is to do professional at-home teeth whitening. You can whiten until you get it to the level of brightness that you want, then you stop.  It’s that simple.

If all you’re wanting is a whiter smile, that is the way to go. If, however, you’re wanting to change anythign else about your smile, such as their size or shape, than I suggest you ask a great cosmetic dentist about porcelain veneers. They can do a lot more.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Lumineers verses porcelain veneers

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Are Lumineers or porcelain veneers better?

Stacey A. – Little Rock, AR

Stacey,

You’ve asked an interesting question. What many people don’t realize is Lumineers are porcelain veneers. They’re just a specific brand that is more heavily marketed than most. Each brand has its own unique properties. A qualified cosmetic dentist will know which brand will work best with your teeth and the smile you want.

The more important issue is which dentist you choose. There is no recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry.  Any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist.

However, when you’re talking about your appearance and getting a smile makeover, you want it to be stunning. That takes a significant amount of training and artistry. Training that you can’t get in dental school.

Look for a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The standard for accreditation is so high that only the top 1-3% of dentists in the world reach that level. It would be worth it to even drive to a nearby city to get an artistic dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Having trouble with my dentist

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I kind of had the type of smile I wanted in my mind when I went to see my cosmetic dentist. The problem is he keeps arguing with me and suggesting something else.  First he thinks I want the teeth too long, then he thinks I want them too white.  I just brought him a picture and showed him what smile I wanted.  I don’t see what the problem is.  The girl in the picture I bought has a similar face structure to me, Do I stick it out with this dentist or look for another one?

Mandy P. – Illinois

Mandy,

I think you should look for a different dentist. In most procedures any general dentist will do. However, there are some procedures, such as porcelain veneers and dental implants, that really require the best dentist possible.

Here is the reason why.  There is no recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. Any general dentist can call themselves a cosmetic dentist. However, that doesn’t mean they are truly qualified.  For a dentist to be really qualified in cosmetic dentistry it takes considerable post-graduate training.

One of the things we’re taught is that the patient dictates whether they are pleased with their smile, not the dentist.  I would look for someone who is AACD accredited.  Those dentists reach the highest level of expertise with cosmetic dentistry.  They’ll be able to give you any smile you want.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Smile Makeover

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What do I do to go about getting a smile makeover?

Analisa M.- Staten Island, NY

Analisa,

The most important step in getting a smile makeover is choosing your cosmetic dentist. Many people don’t know that cosmetic dentistry is not actually a recognized specialty.  Anyone can “learn” a few cosmetic procedures and call themselves a cosmetic dentist. What you will get from a dentist like that is a disappointing smile.  In fact, you might be better off not going to them at all.

Instead look for someone with expertise in cosmetic procedure. You want someone with an artistic eye. Ideally, you’ll want someone who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).  Very few dentists attain that level of expertise, so you may have to drive a little ways. I assure you, it will be worth it.

Most of the time, cosmetic dentists pick porcelain veneers for a smile makeover. As long as you’re a candidate, they are the ideal way of getting a gorgeous smile. These tiny wafers of porcelain can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth.

You’ll meet with the dentist you choose and together decide on the type of smile you want.  He’ll make the veneers, or hire a lab to do it according to his specifications. Make sure he doesn’t permanently bond them on until you’ve tried them in with a temporary paste. This way you can  have any changes made before they’re permanent. However, if you choose the right dentist, he’ll do that automatically.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

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