Goldstein, Garber & Salama, LLC

Dr. David Garber says: Everyone with intact non-compromised teeth can essentially get lumineers or no-prep veneers, but they are, in many situations, more problematic. It is more important to develop a small well-defined margin for the veneer on the tooth, so that when in the mouth there is a smooth transition from the remaining natural tooth to the veneer. “No-prep veneers” can be more complex than a minimally invasive roughening of the tooth surface confined to only the enamel.

Dr. Ronald E. Goldstein says: If your teeth are worn, discolored, or otherwise aging you, a smile makeover can help give your face the appearance of a facelift without the surgery. By creating a younger-looking smile line you can easily look 10 to 15 years younger.  A lighter color makes a big difference as well as varying the lengths of the teeth to get rid of a worn straight across look that many older people have. And healthy-looking gum tissue also plays a major role in creating a younger look. Try to get rid of any open spaces or black triangles between your teeth if your gum has receded.

Dr. Ronald E. Goldstein says: You can get a cavity underneath a crown if the decay is left in the underlying tooth structure when the crown was placed.  However, most areas of decay in crowned teeth occur at the gum line due either to a washout of the cement used to fasten the crown to the tooth, or to decay in the root of the tooth below where the crown is attached.

Dr. Maurice Salama says: A bad bite has been reported to cause chronic headaches and may even precipitate the migraine process. The problem is how the dentist defines what characterizes a bad bite. [It can be treated.] Most importantly, if a single tooth hits prematurely when you close, this should be adjusted or if your back teeth do not separate when you move your lower jaw forward or side to side, as in chewing or biting a sandwich, this may be a potential cause or factor.

There certainly is. One day makeovers can consist of:

1. Cosmetic contouring, or reshaping crowded teeth to create an illusion of straightness.
2. Composite resin bonding to change the shapes of teeth, cover discolored teeth, close spaces, or repair chipped or fractured teeth.
3. Porcelain veneers to accomplish the above but would usually take 2 appointments since they would be made indirectly by a laboratory.  However, there are porcelain veneers that can be made from CAD/CAM porcelain blocks that possibily could be made in a day depending on how many are required.

The main thing is to have a good consultation with a talented cosmetic dentist who will create a smile design and let you know the choices because there will almost always be different methods and you need to have all the information so you can make the right decision.

Depending on the type and severity of the stain you may be able to make a nice difference by bleaching at home.  It may well take more time but it can result in lighter teeth.  However, if your teeth have concentrated stains on part of the teeth it would be better to consult a cosmetic dentist to see if a technique called ‘micro-abrasion’ could be used.  This technique consists of the dentist painlessly polishing your teeth with a concentrated acid and can also be combined with bleaching depending on the stain.  Reshaping of the enamel may also be required and at times bonding the enamel after the dentist physically removes the stain with diamond burs.

You need to have a consultation with another dentist who may be more skilled at temporomandibular joint disfunction.  It could be the type of bite guard you are wearing because there are a number of different approaches to the problem and different designs for the appliance.  You may also be clenching or grinding during the day (subconsciously) and totally unaware you are doing it.  The rule I give my patients is “Lips together, teeth apart” and I have them make signs in their car, on their desk and at home wherever they are so it is a constant reminder not to have their teeth touch unless they are eating.  If you find your teeth are together at anytime day or night, you are clenching and may be causing the muscles to go into spasm.  At times I even have to make “day appliances” for patients who cannot stop on their own.

The best treatment for a very deep overbite or over jet where the teeth stick out too far is orthodontic treatment. This could consist of an invisible technique called Invisalign where you would wear a series of clear plastic matrices over a period of 8, 16, or 20 months to correct the condition.  Most people will not know you are wearing them.  In severe cases porcelain brackets can be applied to your teeth to reposition them.  The main requirement is to have a thorough diagnosis of the cause and treatment plan for the choices of correction.  Finally, there are instances whereby restorative means can be utilized such as porcelain onlays or crowns can be constructed to ‘open’ your bite and reduce the amount of the overbite.  In addition the teeth can be reshaped and a more normal arrangement can improve the smile and the bite.  Again, get a consultation with a very experienced dentist and orthodontist to help you determine the best approach for you.

Good answer from Dr. Sadati, and I would just liike to add that I advise my patients to avoid eating blueberries, and suspend drinking coffee, tea, cola drinks and those that have strong pigments.

There are also techniques that can remove individual stains such as microabrasion and cosmetic contouring.  these can be dark yellow or even white spots on teeth.