Wednesday, April 18, 2012

How can I lighten 1 dark tooth?

Often, when one lone tooth is darker than the rest that tooth has a history of trauma or has had a root canal.  If the tooth has had a root canal we place bleach in the canal of the tooth and it will become much lighter.  If your tooth is dark and it has not had a root canal, it may need one! (An X-ray would tell us).  Another possibility is your tooth is darker for unknown reasons.  If that is the case there are several options such as bonding or a porcelain veneer.  Each case is unique but Dr. Bacon( Flagstaff, AZ) can take a look any time and let you know what the best treatment would be.  For more information on veneers
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Cerac dental crown in flagstaff

A decision for todays patient is what kind of crown to get when one is needed.
Cerac crowns are "milled out of a hard cube of porcelain like material".  The advantages are:
1) They can be made and cemented the same day, saving the patient an appointment.
2)The cost is about $25 for the dentist lab bill versus $250 for a custom made lab crown.
(This is only an advantage if the dentist passes along these savings.)
Disadvantages:
1)Monochromatic(one color)
2) Generic anatomy.  They look similar to my temporary crowns.
3)Strength.  I have replaced many of these crowns made by other dentists. They sometimes break.
Summary: A good deal for dentists, a bad one for patients.
(In my opinion as a long time flagstaff dentist).
I often make decisions on patient treatment by asking"What would I want if it was my mouth".
At this point in dentistry, the custom lab made crown is my choice.  I have no doubt that technological advances will make the computerized crown an equal in time.
I did indeed borrow a Cerac crown making machine for a day from the company. A dentist and a technician spent the whole day with me in hopes of a sale. When at the end of the day I asked them about some of the problems we experienced that day with the 3 crowns I made, the response was that it was due to my inexperience. My only reply was"Wait a minute, I had the three experts guiding me all day." For more information on crowns at Dr. Bacon's office, go to http://www.flagstaffdentist.com/cosmetic-dentistry-flagstaff/dental-crowns.asp