Floss is Catching on My Porcelain Veneers
I recently got four porcelain veneers and I’m having trouble flossing. My flosser keeps catching on the veneers. My dentist thinks it is fine because my gums cover the problem. I’m just afraid that if we leave it like this, then food and things will get trapped in there. Won’t that leave me vulnerable to decay?
Carolyn
Dear Carolyn,
When you have porcelain veneers placed on your teeth, the margin needs to be completely smooth and flush with your teeth. It sounds like that didn’t happen for yours and you have an overhang. This can happen when the dentist does not get a clean impression at the end of the tooth preparation. Then the lab can’t make smooth finish from the veneer to the tooth.
The overhang not only means that you can’t get your floss there, but that food and other debris will get caught there, as you are concerned about. While there is a risk of decay, I think the bigger risk is gum disease. This really does need to be fixed. When gum disease is left untreated, it leads you bone loss and the loss of your teeth.
If your dentist has a good sense of ethics, they will replace this free of charge. If they refuse to, then you will need to get this fixed for the health of your gums.
You may want to try getting a second opinion. If another dentist agrees that there is an overhang, they may be able to convince your dentist that they need to redo them. Sometimes a dentist is more likely to listen to a colleague than a patient. It shouldn’t be that way, but it can happen.
I’m sorry this happened to you. Cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty, which means any general dentist can do cosmetic work regardless of whether they’ve invested in any post-doctoral training. If you do have to pay to have them done by someone else, make sure they have a beautiful smile guarantee.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Click here to learn about dental implants, a tooth replacement option.
Ordering Dental Implant Parts Online
I have four snap on dental implants. I periodically need to replace the male retention caps. But, my dentist charges me $25 for each one. I’m on a very tight budget and the current economy has it to where I cannot even pay all my utilities without help. I have looked online and the price is much cheaper. You can get four of them for $20. The problem is that to order them you have to be a dentist. Is there any other way to get them at that lower cost than by being a dentist? I’m really struggling.
Dennis
Dear Dennis,
I know a few ways that you can go about getting these more affordably. First, I would start by just explaining to your dentist the financial situation. While dentists do need to charge extra for things in order to cover their overhead, such as the lease on their offices, staff salaries, etc., the percentage he would make on this is so small that I can’t imagine that he would not be willing to work with you.
If for some reason your dentist is not willing to cooperate with you on that, there are still a couple of options for you. First, you could call around to some other dental offices and talk to their staff. Most staff who work for dentists are compassionate people. It’s usually the staff that do the ordering for the dentist anyway.
If both of those things fail, then I have another option for you. I see on eBay where you can purchase dental implant parts, including the retention caps you need for the price you found online. These are sellers that do not require you to provide your dental credentials. The only downside to this is that you need to know what kind to get, such as the resistance. You would also need to know how to place them in.
By the way, if your dentist is not willing to work with you on this, I would say that you are not with the best dentist for your situation. There are a lot of dentists out there and you should look for one that works for you.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Click here to learn more about affordable dental implants.