Ask the Dental student....Q's, fears, concerns, hopefully answered.

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
porcelain veneers, are they really that great? What are some advantages and disadvantages?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that great.

I havent had much experience with them. I only know that Ive heard that these dentists who do them for the makeover shows often do shoddy work b/c of cutting corners. I also dont think they are the be all end all esthetic solution that people seem to think they are. They can cause trauma to the teeth and the longevity of the restorations is still of concern. Eventually all those teeth that have full porcelain veneers may need to be crowned. An often better solution to anterior esthetics could be a more conservative (and cheaper) bleaching + composite resin bonding approach (also called veneers.)

Ill do some research and get back to you with more definitive +/-s of full porc veneers.

-JP

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't have any questions. I just want to tell you that when you become a dentist to get some decent magazines in your waiting room. I go to my dentist and I have a choice of People, Cosmo, Jet, Teenybopper-something-or-other, and a bunch of Motherhood or family type crap. When I go to the dentist I'm not in a good mood. The least you people can do is let me read something remotely interesting. Why can't there be Car & Driver or Golf Digest, or porn?

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for the concern. I plan on having plasma tv's with xbox 360's and like DVD's of TV shows that you can select episodes or something or whatever is the new thing. And cosmo of course. 30 new and exciting ways to please your man.

-JP

[steelcmg]

For about 4 years now i have had my gums back where my wisdom teeth should be shed every few months. Like hunks of skin will come off.(mainly on the bottom.) But there is no tooth yet breaking thru. Is it just my teeth coming thur very very very slowly or is it something else.

[CollinEstes]

Did you fail out of med school?

Or really just wanted to be a Dentist?

[ddss6_99]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
porcelain veneers, are they really that great? What are some advantages and disadvantages?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that great.

I havent had much experience with them. I only know that Ive heard that these dentists who do them for the makeover shows often do shoddy work b/c of cutting corners. I also dont think they are the be all end all esthetic solution that people seem to think they are. They can cause trauma to the teeth and the longevity of the restorations is still of concern. Eventually all those teeth that have full porcelain veneers may need to be crowned. An often better solution to anterior esthetics could be a more conservative (and cheaper) bleaching + composite resin bonding approach (also called veneers.)

Ill do some research and get back to you with more definitive +/-s of full porc veneers.

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info. I'm going for a consultation in a month or so to decide whether porc veneers or bonding would be the best option. So if given the choice you'd reccomend bonding?

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you fail out of med school?

Or really just wanted to be a Dentist?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have no desire to help people or any of that nonsense. Only to make good money, be my own boss, make my own hours, retire early and own a few well located condos.

Medicine will not afford me any of these things (due to insurance and other [censored]). It only provides the ability to help people. Plus you have to actually listen to peoples problems. Oh yah and the blood and guts and sick people gross me out.

F that.

Dentistry's where its at.

-JP

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
porcelain veneers, are they really that great? What are some advantages and disadvantages?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that great.

I havent had much experience with them. I only know that Ive heard that these dentists who do them for the makeover shows often do shoddy work b/c of cutting corners. I also dont think they are the be all end all esthetic solution that people seem to think they are. They can cause trauma to the teeth and the longevity of the restorations is still of concern. Eventually all those teeth that have full porcelain veneers may need to be crowned. An often better solution to anterior esthetics could be a more conservative (and cheaper) bleaching + composite resin bonding approach (also called veneers.)

Ill do some research and get back to you with more definitive +/-s of full porc veneers.

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info. I'm going for a consultation in a month or so to decide whether porc veneers or bonding would be the best option. So if given the choice you'd reccomend bonding?

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on how fugged up your teeth are. Its really a case by case decision etc. Many things in dentistry are not clear choices, there is a bit of an art to it. Determining the treatment w/ the best prognosis that also meets the needs (economical, physical, emotional whatever) of the patient. Discuss it at the consult. Your dentist should be able to give you some idea of what the finished product will look like. If they cant, it may be worth spending the xtra $$ to go to a good esthetic dentist or prosthodontist. Its always been possible to make up a model of your teeth and show you what your smile will look like. Also, I believe there are some new computer stuff that can do that too.

-JP

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
For about 4 years now i have had my gums back where my wisdom teeth should be shed every few months. Like hunks of skin will come off.(mainly on the bottom.) But there is no tooth yet breaking thru. Is it just my teeth coming thur very very very slowly or is it something else.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uhh, something else. Could be impacted or infected or whatever. Im not quite sure off the top of my head what the exact cause would be. Ill try to ask around. Im bout to go to pathology...although its general path, not oral path so the teacher may not know. Get it checked out.

-JP

[Thebram]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
porcelain veneers, are they really that great? What are some advantages and disadvantages?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that great.

I havent had much experience with them. I only know that Ive heard that these dentists who do them for the makeover shows often do shoddy work b/c of cutting corners. I also dont think they are the be all end all esthetic solution that people seem to think they are. They can cause trauma to the teeth and the longevity of the restorations is still of concern. Eventually all those teeth that have full porcelain veneers may need to be crowned. An often better solution to anterior esthetics could be a more conservative (and cheaper) bleaching + composite resin bonding approach (also called veneers.)

Ill do some research and get back to you with more definitive +/-s of full porc veneers.

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info. I'm going for a consultation in a month or so to decide whether porc veneers or bonding would be the best option. So if given the choice you'd reccomend bonding?

[/ QUOTE ]

I had some minor spacing, but otherwise my bite was perfect, and I had never had a cavity.
I left a friend talk me into veneers and it was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

Keep your teeth in their original state for as long as you can.

[Thebram]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Most people have no idea how hard dental school is (godawful 4 yrs, id give anything to have it as easy as my med student roommate right now)

[/ QUOTE ]

this made me laugh

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm assuming this made you laugh because you disagree with the OP.

IMO, the first 4 years of dental school is as hard or harder than med school.

The difference lies in after 4 years, the dentist is free to start raking it in, while the MD has a residency to look forward to.