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February 2013

Can you get Zoom teeth whitening if your 16?

By Teeth Whitening

Can you get Zoom teeth whitening if your 16? – Melodee

Melodee – The manufacture of Zoom!® recommends that patients under the age of 13 consult a medical doctor before receiving whitening with Zoom. Individual dentists may have an age requirement for treating with Zoom.

If you are 16 years old, you may be a candidate for Zoom, but first, your teeth need to be examined by your dentist to determine if Zoom is right for you.

It may be that take-home teeth whitening will work best for your case. Speak with your dentist about your desire to have your teeth whitened. He or she will make a recommendation based on your individual circumstances.

This post is sponsored by Naperville dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

My dentist recommends a flipper but the prosthodontist prefers a temporary crown

By Dental Implants, Porcelain Crown, Prosthodontist

My dentist sent me to a prosthodontist to get an implant in place of a rotten tooth that had to be pulled. My dentist wants me to get a dental flipper from him, but the prosthodontist said that I can get a temporary crown. Is it normal to get a temporary crown? What is a dental flipper like anyway?

Ken – It is common for a temporary crown to be used while waiting for a permanent crown to be placed.

A dental flipper is a removable partial denture that has a gum-colored acrylic base with an acrylic tooth attached to it. Metal clasps can be attached to wrap around your teeth and keep the flipper in place. Depending on the location of the missing tooth, the metal clasps can be seen. Care must be taken to ensure the flipper does not disturb the dental implant.

You will find a temporary crown to be more comfortable than a dental flipper. Speak with your prosthodontist about your concerns. He or she will be able to fully explain your options and the pros and cons of both.

This blog post is sponsored by board-certified Naperville prosthodontist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Strong Sales Pressure Tactics

By Blog

Very strong sales pressure tactics. Very little face time with dentist – about seven minutes. Salesperson spoke very rapidly, jumped from topic to topic, and often did not answer questions unless they were repeated. Very difficult to pin down the process, as we were told several times that detailed questions would be answered at the follow-up appointment.

Both salesperson and dentist were scornful and dismissive about other dentists’ practice of doing bone grafts: “We NEVER do bone grafts and don’t believe they are necessary.” Most common treatment they appear to offer is to pull all teeth, implant four, and fill the remaining space in with acrylic, bolt-on dentures…for $50,000. Seems high if the service is provided over the course of only one day. Salesperson claimed they would fix anything that went wrong, but there was no written policy provided (what if all teeth are pulled, then the implants are rejected?). We were shown a lengthy infomercial, which dumbed down the info for the audience. For example, they really pushed the wonder of their 360 degree imaging device — mentioned it multiple times — and they also pushed the fact that all resources necessary for the service are onsite.

They faked a “news” story, with a Fox newscaster set and a “story” that was too lengthy to be a true news story. When confronted, the salesperson stated it was a “special situation.” At the end of the hour-long consultation, the salesperson tried to force us to sign a statement that, among other things, claimed the dentist described a wide range of medical and dental information to us, which she did not. The salesperson grew visibly angry when we refused to sign, repeatedly insisting we do so, then angrily writing “refused to sign” on the form. She also pressured us to start the treatment that day, and they wanted full payment up front. Their service may be a viable option for some patients, but the high-pressure sales tactics and lack of medical information scared us off.

– Suzanne from Virginia

Suzanne,
Your experience is similar to others we have heard about. We do believe that clinically they do good work, but we have received this frequent complaint about high-pressure sales tactics, and the treatment recommendations being presented by a sales person rather than the dentist.

And they have a strong inclination to want to take out all the remaining teeth and do the all-on-4 dental implants procedure, which avoids needing to do bone grafting and other labor-intensive services. There may be cases where that is the best treatment for the patient, but we believe in presenting more options.

Please see Dr. LaVacca’s page where he offers second opinions about Clear Choice dental implants. If you have your own experience to share, please see our Chicago Clear Choice reviews page.

The teeth are falling out of my denture

By Dentures

Hello. I got implant dentures about 2 ½ years ago. Since that time I’ve had teeth fall out of the denture twice. I have been keeping record of this and the first time it happened was in December 2011. One of the top left teeth fell out. In July of last year, two bottom teeth fell out. Last weekend I noticed a problem again on the upper left side of my mouth when I chew. I looked in the mirror and gently pushed each tooth on that side of my mouth and found that again, one is loose. Of course, I have brought this to the attention of my dentist. He keeps the denture for repair. I am not sure what that process is, but after the “repair” he returns the denture to me. I know plenty of people who wear dentures and I haven’t heard one of them say that a single tooth has fallen out of the denture. So my guess is that what’s happening to my dentures is very unusual. Can you confirm that for me? Thank you. Jim

Jim – It is very unusual for teeth to fall out of the base of a denture. If your implant dentures were made correctly, what you are experiencing would not occur.

You can certain request your denture be to be re-made. Unfortunately, mistakes occur when shortcuts are taken. Inferior materials, shortcuts in techniques, or a cheap dental lab can all contribute toward your receiving dentures that are poorly made.

Although the laboratory makes the dentures, it is the dentist who is responsible for ensuring that you get a high-quality product, and for correcting this situation.

This post is sponsored by Naperville implant dentist and prosthodontist Dr. Anthony LaVacca. Find out what to look for if you want affordable dental implants.

 

I was told I only needed a filling in my tooth

By Dental Crowns, Dental Fillings

I have a tooth that has been sensitive for about 2 mo. now. Not just to hot or cold. It’s just been plain sensitive. So my dentist took xrays and said there is some decay and I needed a filling. Yesterday I went for the filling and after all of the drilling and prep work now he says I need a root canal treatment. I made the appointment to get the root canal treatment next week but I am wondering how could I go from needing a filling to a root canal treatment all in the same day.I just want to know if this is unusual . thanks – Jamel

Jamel – Dentists use x-rays to determine the appropriate treatment plan. At times, when a dentist begins to work on a tooth and drill to eliminate tooth decay, it’s found that the tooth decay is deeper than the x-ray revealed. In that case, a dental filling in the cavity won’t be enough to save the tooth.

When a dentist sees that the decay has reached the pulp of your tooth, a root canal treatment is needed to remove the infected pulp. The root canal treatment prevents the infection from spreading to your jawbone or other teeth.

Although a root canal treatment takes longer to complete than a dental filling, it can be painless procedure. You will receive antibiotics to ensure that the infection is completely gone. And a dental crown may be used to protect your tooth.

This post is sponsored by Naperville dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca

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