I am a bit discouraged and wanted to reach out for advice. I had ten dental crowns placed about 15 years ago. They were made to look “natural” which to me always looked too yellow. I want to replace them and finally get the white smile I always wanted but my dentist said that isn’t possible. He’s recommending a B1. He did do temporaries so I could see what they’d look like, but in all honesty, I’m not thrilled. I’d like them even whiter. He said because I have a couple of posts in two teeth that anything whiter would show through the post. Are there no options for me to have the smile I really want?
Sandy
You can certainly get the white smile you want, but I don’t think this is the best dentist to do it for you. It appears he doesn’t understand appearance-related dentistry. In fact, he is confusing two concepts: color and translucency. If the posts are not showing through on a B1, they will not show through on super white crowns, such as BL1.
I don’t know if he has even worked with these super bleached shades. He may not have a lot of experience in cosmetic dentistry. Some dentists are just engineer-minded and want to fix things. The esthetics of it does not factor in.
The first thing I would do is have him show you some before and after pictures of dental crowns he’s done with a super white shade. If he can’t do that, then ask him if he’s willing to give you what you want. If he says yes, make sure you get another temporary try-in and do not let him bond them on permanently until you are 100% satisfied. He may not be able to pull this off.
In that case, or if you just want to go straight to the expert, the best cosmetic dentists are accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Note that accreditation and membership are two different things. You want an AACD accredited dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.