Will my dental veneers stain?
Absolutely not. That is one of the beauties of our porcelain veneers. Unlike teeth, the finish by our master ceramist is so highly polished it does not have micropores on its surface to pick up stains. Your smile is always beautiful, no matter how busy you are.
How soon after Zoom! Teeth Whitening will I be able to start bleaching with trays?
Usually 24 hours. As soon as you have no sensitivity to cold water in your mouth, you are ready to start bleaching at home to get those tough-to-treat areas.
Do I have to use special toothpaste for my dental veneers?
We recommend special toothpaste designed for highly polished porcelain ceramics to ensure the beautiful finish lasts. We also use special polishing paste for our patients during their hygiene visits.
How long will my mouth be numb after treatment?
We have a variety of anesthetics with different durations. For fillings and crowns, it will vary from one to three hours for most people depending on their metabolism and the anesthetic chosen.
How long will my dental crown last?
Great question. There are many variables involved. Statistical studies show the average crown lasts 10.3 years in the U.S. The short answer is it depends on the oral environment it is placed in. Patients who are clenchers and grinders and do not wear a mouth guard at night are at greater risk for fractures and root notching, called abfractures. Patients on multiple medications can have their saliva’s pH affected, resulting in more bacterial growth, causing more decay issues.
We study and test the saliva through bacterial cultures for patients who have issues and then give the patient supplements to change the oral environment. In our practice, we do everything possible to create an environment, so the crown lasts much longer than that.
Do you take dental insurance?
Yes, we are committed to customer service. We will fill out your insurance claim and submit it for you. If you need it resubmitted for any reason, we will follow up and resubmit it for you.
Are you accepting new patients?
Yes, we love having new patients. The greatest gift our patients can give us is to refer their friends and family.
What is the quickest way to straighten my teeth?
Direct bonding (veneers made by the dentist in your mouth out of composite). This can be done in one day, done by a talented artistic dentist, and can be very esthetic. The next would be porcelain veneers or bonded ceramics; this takes anywhere from one to three weeks. The advantage is longevity. If done by a talented master ceramist and experienced dentist who’ve worked together many times, the esthetics can be the best possible since the ceramist has much more time to put detail into the porcelain.
If you have attractive, healthy, unworn teeth with acceptable color but they are misaligned, then Six Months Smiles are barely noticeable clear/white braces that will straighten your front teeth in four to nine months. If you want invisible liners to wear, the Invisalign/ClearCorrect liners can straighten your teeth in nine to 18 months, depending on how much movement is needed. Except for one tooth, movement on lower front incisors can be done in one to three months. Also, minor leveling can be done in one day through cosmetic recontouring.
What would a smile enhancement look like on me?
This is the question we strive to answer before we even start. Many times, patients want improvements and request something they see on someone else, not realizing what it will look like on them. We always want to meet or exceed our patient’s expectations, so for this reason, we use advanced SLR Nikon photography and computer imaging in the mouth mock-up to show the patient the expected results before we start.
We understand through experience this is a process, and patients see more as they learn, so once we start, we make two sets of teeth. The first is the prototype, which the patient can wear for a couple of days and experience a new smile.
We meet and can make changes on the spot until we have the changes desired communicated. Now the patient and we know the end result, and the ceramist can copy and create the desired result. This gives both the patient and dentist predictability and meets expectations.
Does snoring or sleep apnea have any effects on my teeth?
Yes. It is amazing how much we have learned in the last five years about sleep apnea/snoring and its effects on teeth. Basically, snoring/sleep apnea is the body’s response to not getting enough oxygen into the body during sleep. This causes the brain (from CO2 receptors) to send a message to arouse us from our sleep (keeping us from going into deep, restful sleep) so that we gasp for more air and open up our airway more to get air in and raise the oxygen level in our body.
When this happens, our jaw muscles are stimulated, and in many people, we clench down on our teeth with considerable force. As we get older and heavier and ingest alcohol and medications, our muscles in the airway relax, and our airway gets smaller. The more times per minute this micro-arousal occurs, the less restful sleep we get and the more clenching we do with our teeth.
This directly results in damage to our dental work and teeth. It causes teeth to crack and split and porcelain to chip as well as notching on our roots called abfractions, and it can be associated with recession of the gums and bone support of the teeth.
What does Accredited mean?
Accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry means that the dentist has undergone board testing to demonstrate superior skill and knowledge in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty of dentistry by the ADA or the state board of Texas. Thus every dentist down the street can advertise they are a cosmetic dentist without any specific training or demonstrated art skills.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry is the largest organized group of cosmetic-oriented dentists in the world, with over 6,000 members. They have created a board process called accreditation to recognize dentists who have undergone and passed this process. To date, there are around 350 dentists in the world who have been accredited. Currently, there are four in the Dallas-Plano Metroplex.
Are you a general dentist, and if so, what services do you provide?
Yes, I am a General Dentist by degree. I did a general dentistry residency when I graduated and then eventually became a Fellow and later a Master’s in the Academy of General Dentistry, which is a recognition of advanced continuing education in all 11 fields of general dentistry. I provide all services that any general dentist would provide, and since we are not a PPO provider, I am free to seek long-term health for our patients, not just short-term fixes.
Additionally, I provide turnkey implant (surgical and restorative) services, advanced cosmetic (surgical and restorative), reconstruction, and adult cosmetic orthodontics.
How much tooth structure is removed with veneers?
Different dentists have different approaches depending on their skill, training, esthetic standards, and laboratory support. Esthetics is very subjective; you cannot do what you cannot see. With the idea of a high standard for the esthetic outcome, some cases require minimum to no tooth structure to be removed, depending on the position of the teeth in the mouth and the health of the teeth, which is often related to age.
Other cases require from .3mm to 1 mm reduction to get the esthetic outcome the patient desires. The philosophy that guides me is to never remove all the enamel, as the enamel bond to porcelain is much stronger and usually lasts well over 20 years and counting.
This conservative approach is more demanding for the dentist and ceramist, as you have less room to create natural colors and the anatomy of attractive teeth. Our approach is always based on the patient’s wishes and expected outcomes, which we visualize before we start.
Why choose a dentist with AACD credentials?
Getting the outcome you expect takes much of the risk out of the equation. You know you are getting an experienced cosmetic dentist who has demonstrated his experience, care, skill, and knowledge before a board of the best cosmetic dentists in the world. Most accredited dentists’ offices are set up to manage the detail and complexities of advanced cosmetic dentistry and have a high-end laboratory ceramist to support them.
PPO dentists have a different model, where they must simplify treatment and decrease detail to treat the number of patients they need to see each day.
What is the advantage of going to a dentist who is a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry and an accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry?
Basically, you have the assurance that you can get your smile enhancements addressed at a high standard concurrently with your general dental needs and follow-up care. This allows me to treat all the needs of our patients, from cleanings and fillings to implants and veneers, etc.
What is the advantage of having an in-office lab?
The difference between night and day. It boils down to communication, control, accountability, and convenience for the patient. The dentist and ceramist can communicate at will, and neither has the excuse that they were too busy to check something or couldn’t get someone and had a due date, so they went ahead and finished it without all the information. For quality control, the ceramist gets direct and immediate eye-to-eye feedback and visa-versa.
The dentist and ceramist are on the same page, especially in the area of art design and color, which is best live and face-to-face. If the ceramist disappoints the dentist or the dentist disappoints the ceramist, they experience it face-to-face. If the patient needs something changed, it can be done at that appointment normally, saving the patient time and another visit.
Additionally, the ceramist can see the color and anatomy and hear the patient live and not depend on photos in low-resolution jpeg files on a monitor or printer that is not color-accurate.
Can periodontal disease be cured?
This could be answered either way, but the simple answer is no. It’s like diabetes and high blood pressure; in most situations, it can be controlled. You can be restored to ideal health in many cases, just like diabetes and heart disease can be with exercise and diet control without medications.
More advanced cases require more care and supervision. Our office focuses on treating and controlling gum disease with state-of-the-art science and literature. We are very proud of our periodontal disease treatment and success rate.