Archive for cosmetic dentists

It’s Time to Find a New Dentist!

Posted by: The Hightech Dentist | Comments Comments Off
Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Question:

My dentist told me that most porcelain veneers are made by the same labs and that talk of different quality is just sales talk. Is this true? Are there labs that are better than other labs?

Answer:

You dentist is so wrong that it is scary. Probably 99% of all cosmetic dentists send their work to a dental lab and never see the porcelain veneers until they are finished and delivered into their office. The problem is the porcelain veneers are made without any customization by the dentist therefore all decisions that could make a world of difference for the patient are made by the lab. The dental lab has never seen the patient and has no idea. The porcelain veneers made without dentist supervision tend to be fake looking, thick, lack surface texture, are poorly proportioned, lack translucency or have too much translucency for the color of the teeth. All of this is normal for most cosmetic dentists as they totally rely on the lab to produce porcelain veneers without any customized guidance by the dentist. The result by the dental lab is limited if the knowledge and skill of the cosmetic dentist is limited.

My opinion is there is a huge difference between dental labs and an even bigger difference between dentists.

I have found over the last 30 years that the dentist must personally work on each porcelain veneer personally in order to maintain quality. I have developed a system of photography that includes over 40 images and diagnostic model measuring that helps me develop customization and create individualized quality that is unsurpassed from multiple facial angles. I personally work on every patient’s porcelain veneers before the final glaze is fired which permits me to insure the best shape, surface texture, size proportioning, veneer angling, surface contour, color and overall quality that is ideal for my patients. Over the years, I have worked with multiple dental labs that are the biggest and best in the industry and still personally work on every single case before the lab finishes their work. The ability of the lab is limited if the cosmetic dentist’s ability is limited. Every patient has different needs and there are so many ways the porcelain veneers could be better if the cosmetic dentist could only recognize it when he or she is looking at the patient.

How to Pick a Cosmetic Dentist?

I am honored that such a large number of my patients have signed model release forms (without payment) that gave me permission to show their entire face on the Hightech Dentistry Gallery. It is the ultimate testimonial. I highly recommend that you compare before and after photos of potential cosmetic dentists work and make sure the expressions and smiles are matched. Also, look at the close-up photos too. Find the best cosmetic dentist possible and make sure they have the photos to prove they are competent.

Categories : Best Cosmetic Dentistry, Blog
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Grey & Dull Porcelain Veneers

Posted by: The Hightech Dentist | Comments Comments Off
Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Question:

Dr. Muslin, my family dentist convinced me that porcelain veneers were the best solution to cover my dark teeth. At first it looked OK but now my porcelain veneers look grey and dull. Do I need to have them whitened or bleached? How can this be fixed?

Answer:

Porcelain Veneers can be made with different thickness. The thickness of the porcelain veneer is the critical component in hiding the color of your teeth. The ability of the porcelain veneer to hide dark tooth color is related to the thickness of the porcelain and the bonding technique of the dentist. Sometimes the material or the technique used by the dentist causes the color to turn grey. Sometimes the dentist did not have the lab add enough opacity to hide the color. Other times the dentist did not help the lab understand how much of a color change he or she hopes to achieve. The bonding skill and the cosmetic dentistry skill of the dentist is very important in determining how color stable your porcelain veneers will be. There is a huge difference in the skills of cosmetic dentists. I realize that patients think dentists are all licensed and trained the same but the training and the ability of the cosmetic dentist varies wildly.

Sometimes if the color of the veneers turns grey you can bleach the teeth but this is not permanent. You will have to continue bleaching your teeth for the rest of your life and that may not be a good idea. You also mentioned the porcelain veneers were dull. The material used may not be real porcelain but some hybrid form of porcelain that is cheaper to make and easier for the dentist to bond. There is a large difference in the types of porcelain used for the porcelain veneers. The types of porcelains utalized, the cosmetic skills of the dentist, the technical bonding skills of the dentist and the diagnostic skills are critical to achieve results that look natural and last for many years.

Caution! The dentist you choose makes all of the difference between good and bad porcelain veneers. Ask to see one of the dentists patients, ask to talk to one of their patients but the best way is to see a lot of photographs with clear before and after images of the patients including full face views and close up views. Don’t fall for website gimmicks. Don’t fall for miss matched photos that do not allow you to compare results. Don’t fall for a slick website with bad before and after photos. Choose carefully because you will be wearing the porcelain veneers for a very long time.

Categories : Blog, Porcelain Veneers
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Cracked and Broken Porcelain Veneers after 6 Months!

Posted by: The Hightech Dentist | Comments Comments Off
Monday, January 18th, 2010

Question:

Dr. Sam, I’ve had porcelain veneers on my front teeth for 6 months. Last month one of them cracked and had to be replaced. I was a bit shocked that it only lasted for 6 months – but this is not my question. My dentist then replaced the cracked veneer, but the color is different and it seems to be quite a bit thicker than the others. My dentist says this is my imagination and that I should allow some time to get used to it. This sounds wrong to me – what do you think?

Answer:

Without even seeing your teeth the odds greatly favor that you are right. If can be difficult to match the porcelain veneers if the dentist did not write down the shade of the bonding material. Additionally, manufacturers do not keep making the same materials as the word “new” seems to sell products. The dentists can find themselves in a difficult situation, trying to match one tooth to all of the other teeth without the same material available.

The best cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles have a large inventory of different materials and they also have the skills to know which one would be the best. See Josh for a great example of matching only two porcelain veneers to this patient’s natural teeth. It is very difficult to match shade shape and opacity when bonding only two porcelain veneers but it also can done. Josh has had his two porcelain veneers for nearly 8 years and they still match perfectly.

You also mentioned the shape was too thick and you are surely right because the patient has a much better feel inside their mouth and can tell if there are any discrepancies. Considering that one of the porcelain veneers broke in only six months and the dentist could not match the shade nor the shape when trying to replace the veneer, it sounds to me you chose the wrong dentist. Maybe it is time to move up a few levels as you now understand how uncomfortable and irritating bad porcelain veneers can be.

Contact Sam Muslin DDS MAGD, Santa Monica, California at (310) 829-6796

Categories : Botched Cosmetic Dentistry, Porcelain Veneers
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Choosing Ultra-Thin Veneers

Posted by: The Hightech Dentist | Comments Comments Off
Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Question:

Dr. Sam, I have gone to three different dentists to get advice on the best porcelain veneers. Each dentist has a different story. The one suggested Lumineers, the other suggested Composite Veneers, and the other suggested Empress Veneers. I never knew there were so many types! As this is expensive and painful, I would desperately like to make the right choice. Can you guide me?

Answer:

The skill of the dentist treating the patient is by far the most important choice. A dentist that is unskilled will not provide good care with Lumineers, Empress Veneers or Composite Veneers. There is a wide difference between the artistic and technical skills of the cosmetic dentists. More importantly, the three techniques mentioned, all have positives and negatives.

A Very Important Video Clip

Before chooing a dentis, watch this video about a bad porcelain veneer outcome.  Sama was treated with porcelain veneers and was gracious enough to tell her story about the replacement of her porcelain veneers. Potential porcelain veneer patients have to remember that they will be wearing the porcelain veneers 24 hours a day so there are many characteristics that this patient explains that make a huge difference in how they look, feel and last.

Fake Looking Porcelain Veneers

An average cosmetic dentist will produce fake looking porcelain veneers with any technique so the choices mentioned are not the key issues.

Lumineers, Empress Veneers or Cosmetic Veneers?

One of the techniques mentioned requires a lot of tooth reduction. Most patients should not loose their natural tooth structure unless it is unavoidable. Another of the mentioned techniques turns color too quickly. The veneer does not hold its shade over the years. Another of the techniques has a tendency to be made too bulky, which looks fake. All three of the techniques could look great if the best dentist is chosen but if you pick the best dentist, the dentist should be guiding the patient toward making the right decision. He or she may not pick any of the three you mentioned.

The Best Porcelain Veneer

The best porcelain veneer choice is one that holds it color indefinitely, requires little to no tooth reduction, has a textured surface and natural contours. A great example of the best of the best in porcelain veneers is Melessa. Not a single tooth had to be ground down! Judge for yourself, then call Sam Muslin DDS MAGD for your conultation on (310) 829-6796

Categories : Blog, Lumineers, Porcelain Veneers
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Can Instant Braces Straighten Teeth – Or Is It A Cover Up?

Posted by: The Hightech Dentist | Comments Comments Off
Friday, October 9th, 2009

Question:

“Dr. Sam, my teeth are very crooked. I understand that I can get “instant braces” porcelain veneers to make my teeth look straight – but is this a good solution as my bite will still be off – but covered up?” –  Angie, Los Angeles.

Answer: 

The Skill of the Dentist

All dentists are not alike and there is a huge range in skill between cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles.  Many patients may pick a “coupon dentist” because they get a discount, which has been a big mistake for so many patients.  The skill of the dentist will directly determine the quality of your work.  Poor quality porcelain veneers are far more dissatisfying than paying more to get fine quality. 

Correcting Bites with Porcelain Veneers

Some dentists have the ability to improve and in some instances correct the bite with porcelain veneers.  These dentists have reached technical skills that few dentists will ever achieve.  Theses dentists can improve your bite and give you “instant braces” at the same time.  Porcelain veneers can be made to lengthen the bite, reshape the teeth, build new cusps of the teeth, change the color of the teeth and provide smooth right to left guidance to the bite.  The ultimate level of dental care using porcelain veneers, “instant braces”, cosmetic dentistry and maximizing dental health is Face Lift Dentistry®.

Bad Bites Break Porcelain Veneers

If the “instant braces” make your teeth look straight and the dentist was unable to balance the bite, the end result is generally,  broken porcelain veneers.  Some patients need to wear a night guard to improve the bite while grinding their teeth at night and to protect the new porcelain veneers.  Porcelain veneers can be made to look natural and make the teeth look perfectly straight and yet not change the bite at all.  In these instances a night guard may be the best solution to protect the porcelain veneers from breakage.  However, bonding the porcelain veneers into position with better technique minimizes   porcelain veneer failures or breakage.  The worst thing that can happen is to have a porcelain veneer break just before a very important event in your life.  It is not a health risk but definitely embarrassing.

Crooked Teeth and a Bad Bite

Is it a good solution to get instant braces and yet still have a bad bite?  Yes it is a good solution because having straight teeth is a very comforting and a very confidence building procedure.  Some patients may not be able to afford to change their bite but still want straight looking white teeth and for these patients “instant braces” are a great ideal.

We have had senior citizens or baby boomers want whiter teeth even though their bite is bad.  They get the white teeth and just live with the bad bite.  Others prefer to fix their bite and leave the teeth crooked, as their primary purpose is health.  The goal of the patient determines the level of care. 

Bulky Fake Looking Porcelain Veneers

There are so many fake and bulky looking porcelain veneers being placed on patients that many other people that are considering getting “instant braces” are turned off to the idea because of the bad porcelain veneers placed on their friends.  Patients get the wrong idea that porcelain veneers do not look natural.  The dentist just lacks the ability to deliver natural looking porcelain veneers and is just doing their best.  There best is not good enough and unfortunately, porcelain veneers and “instant braces” get a bad reputation.  Nothing can be further from the truth.  Porcelain veneers can be undetectable from natural teeth.  They can look incredible if the right dentist is doing the treatment.

Categories : Blog, Instant Braces
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News and Awards

Dr. Sam Muslin received the 2009 "Best Cosmetic Dentist in Los Angeles" award from LAs Best, featured in the Los Angeles TImes.