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writeradmin writes blog posts on behalf of Dr. Kevin Peck
Lumineers

Can I get vampire teeth with lumineers?

I am a huge Anne Rice fan and wondered if you can get your teeth shaped like a vampires permanently with lumineers?

-Armand

Armand,

It is possible to get your teeth shaped like a vampires. We can lengthen your canines and shape them into points. I’m not sure how comfortable that would be for you. It is bound to cause some soreness on your lower lip. Plus, it might throw off your bite a little, causing maloclussion.

If you get it done with Lumineers (or another brand of porcelain veneers), you need to be aware that they will be bonded on. In other words, you’ll have vampire teeth 24/7 for at least ten to twenty years.  Think that through. In that amount of time you will likely have children and even grandchildren.  Though it might seem fun now to have vampire teeth now, will you always feel that way?

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

 

Emergency Dentist

My son’s tooth is turning gray

My  4 year old son was playing Thor. I should have known something was up when he started spinning his Thor hammer. The next thing I knew he was flying across the living room and banged his mouth pretty hard on some furniture. He bled a lot, which I know is pretty common for a mouth injury. What is concerning me is now his tooth is turning gray. Do I need to take him to a dentist? Our dentist is on vacation. If so, do I need to take him to the hospital?

Farrah L – San Francisco

Farrah,

It is good you kept a clear head when his mouth was bleeding. Many parents panic when that happens. I can picture your son flying across the room.  To be honest, you probably have more cause to fear him playing Hulk and destroying your furniture than you do to worry about this.

Unless your son starts complaining, you have nothing further to do. The tooth will eventually fall out anyway.  If, however, your son starts saying it hurts, or you see signs of swelling or an abscess, that is when you need to see a dentist right away. It is likely your son will then need to have a root canal procedure.

If that happens and you can’t reach your dentist, you can go to an emergency dentist. There won’t be a need to go to the emergency room and, to be honest, they won’t treat a dental issue anyway. Make sure the emergency dentist enjoys treating children, so your son will have a better experience.

If your son is not a complainer, you may want to keep an eye out for him avoiding using the injured tooth. That is a sign it bothers him, but he’s not saying anything.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Affordable Dentist

Disparity in dental costs

Can you tell me why there is such a disparity in different dental costs? One dentist in my area charges $900 for a dental crown while another charges $2,100. How can there be such a difference in their pricing? I’m trying to save money, but this is such a huge difference, I’m wondering if something is wrong with the first pricing.

Gennifer F., – Hot Springs, AR

Gennifer,

You are wise to realize that the cheapest deal is not always the best deal.  You want an affordable dentist, but not one that cuts corners in important areas.

The difference in pricing is caused from a lot of factors. Sometimes it is a matter of the type and quality of the materials used. There are some materials, like the type of porcelain used  or whether it is all porcelain verses porcelain fused to metal.

Some times dentists cost less because they work hard to keep their fees down, without sacrificing quality.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Lumineers

How Can I Be Sure I Won’t Wind Up With Horse Teeth After Veneers?

I’ve really wanted to get veneers for quite some time. I’m continually self-conscious of my stained and cracked front teeth and that makes me examine the teeth of the people around me more. Sometimes, I look at someone’s smile and it’s gorgeous and natural, but other times, it’s obvious they’ve had work done. This scares me. I’d hate to spend gobs of money, only to wind up with horse teeth. How can I be sure I’ll have natural-looking, beautiful teeth if I have veneers done?

Thanks,

Emma- Franklin, TN

Dear Emma,

Mr. Ed had a great smile, but it’s understandable that you don’t want one to match.  When you invest in cosmetic dentistry, you’re investing in yourself and you deserve to have a smile you are proud of.

You might appreciate Lumineers, which are thinner than traditional veneers and because of this, often look very natural.  However, it’s best not to get your heart set on any one type of treatment.  Instead, choose a great dentist and lean on their cosmetic expertise.  If you go this route, your dentist can help you assess which treatment will best give you the results you want.  Be sure that in your initial consultation, you bring up your concerns about having bulky horse teeth, because each option has benefits and limitations and your dentist will need to know all he can about your ideal smile before you begin.

Mr. Ed is quoted as saying “Never send a man to do a horse’s job,” but with those chompers of his, I also have a feeling he’d agree that you should never choose just any dentist to do cosmetic work as well.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin PEck.

Affordable Dentist

Broken fixture

I had called around to find the least expensive place to get dental implants. I found a dentist who was $1000.00 cheaper than everyone else. But, the fixture broke and now I have a serious infection. I don’t know what to do.  I spent everything I had to get this implant and now I am worse off. Is there any way to fix this?

Liz C. – Mesa, AZ

Liz,

I am really sorry this happened to you. I say this over and over again– there is a big difference between cheap dentistry and affordable dentistry.  Generally when something is significantly less expensive than almost every other place you call, it means they are cutting corners in places that are advantageous to themselves, but not to the patient.

In this case it sounds like he used substandard materials in order to save money on his end. This puts you in a real bind. Unfortunately, this procedure will have to be completely re-done after the infection has healed.  You’ll probably also need some bone grafting in order to ensure their is enough bone support for the new implant.

I realize you don’t have money for this procedure right now. You may have to get a removable partial denture while you save up for the second implant procedure.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Lumineers

Can I switch to Lumineers instead of crowns?

I was planning on getting dental crowns, but recently read about Lumineers.Can I get them instead of crowns, or am I stuck with crowns once I start that procedure?

Lillian- San Diego

Lillian,

It depends on whether or not your dentist has already done the tooth preparation for your dental crowns. Once a tooth has been prepared for crowns, that is the only thing that will work on your teeth. However, if he hasn’t already shaved your teeth down, then you can switch to the Lumineers procedure.

There are two possible hold-ups. The first is whether or not your dentist is familiar with the procedure. If not, you’ll need to find a Lumineers certified dentist. The second is whether those teeth have large fillings on them. If so, you’d need to do crowns instead of Lumineers. You can do a mixed procedure too: some crowns, some Lumineers.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Affordable Dentist

The Problem with Cheap Dentistry

When you are on a limited budget, the temptation is to look for the cheapest dental care possible. While that sounds like a great idea, there are dangers. Let me give an illustration. Suppose you went to Walmart to buy a toy castle for your child. They have three different sets. The least expensive is $5.00, but is obviously cheaply made.  The second set is $25.00, but is well constructed. The third set is $70.00. It is also well constructed and has lots of bells and whistles.

While $5.00 sounds like a great deal, if you’re an experienced parent you know that the cheaply constructed castle is unlikely to survive a day before something on it breaks.  The smart thing would be to get the $25.00 set.  Yes, it costs a little more, but it is soundly made and will last much longer.

The same is true of dentistry. Many times when you have a dentist who has the cheapest prices, it is because he also has the cheapest material.  What you really need is an affordable dentist.

These dentists strive to keep prices reasonable without compromising the quality of materials and care they give.  They often have other ways of helping their patients financially with phased treatments and no-interest payment plans.

You are much better served with a quality dentist than a cheap dentist. It won’t matter if  you’ve saved $200 on your crown, if it breaks and causes not only you to spend money on a second crown, but gives you an infection that takes extensive treatments.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Is teeth grinding normal in children?

Is it normal for a three year old to grind their teeth?

May L- Jackson, MS

May,

You don’t need to worry. It is completely normal for young children to grind there teeth. Nearly 40% of children grind their teeth in their early years. They generally grow out of it by the time their permanent teeth are in.

Don’t panic if he or she starts losing tooth structure. Those teeth are going to fall out  anyway. If he or she is in any pain, you can bring your child in to the pediatric dentist.

Most teeth grinding is done at night.  Try to make sure your child gets as much soothing as possible before bed as possible to see if that helps eliminate the grinding, but don’t stress.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Lumineers

My dentist stained my lumineers

I spent over $15,000 on a smile makeover and my dentist put a stain on my Lumineers on purpose!  Do you know if I can fix this? He insists it is necessary to make it look natural, but if I wanted my natural teeth, I wouldn’t have spent this much money for new ones.

Dana C. – Portsmouth, VA

Dana,

This is a typical issue. Someone who is not an artistic cosmetic dentist, but knows how to do a few cosmetic procedures is a dangerous thing.  While he may have been taught in dental school that it is important to make a smile look natural, people who get porcelain veneers are not after any smile. They want something stunning.

Unfortunately, the only way to fix this is to get is to get new veneers. You’ll want to go to a different dentist though. I’d ask for a refund.  You may have to cover the lab fees, but seeing as you’re going to have to have the procedure re-done, he may agree to refund his chair time.

When you go to an artistic cosmetic dentist, he may suggest something other than Lumineers. Don’t panic. Bear in mind that they are just one brand of porcelain veneers and he may know of a brand that will give you a better smile.

I’m sorry you’ve had to go through such a tough, expensive lesson. Hopefully others will learn from what you have been through.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Affordable Dentist

Dental Crown disaster

I needed two crowns. I didn’t have much money so I called around to find the cheapest dentist. He did such a bad job that it completely threw off my bite.  It got so bad that I developed TMJ, which is costing me even more than the crowns. What a disaster!

Penny L.- West Virginia

Penny,

You’ve discovered an important principle in dentistry. Cheap does not necessarily mean affordable.  There are affordable dentists who don’t compromise the quality of their materials. However, generally the least expensive dentist is that way for a reason. Sometimes it is just a matter of not being great at their profession and needing a way to draw customers in. For others, it is skimping on the appropriate materials.

What you want to do is look for a dentist who has reasonable fees, but still does quality work.  That usually won’t be the least expensive dentist. Many dentists have payment plans that allow you to pay out your work interest free.  Others do your dental work in stages so you only have to pay for one part of the procedure at a time.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix, AZ Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck