Did you see the recent episode of Dr. Oz discussing the mercury toxicity of amalgam (silver) fillings? The show discussed that people are being “poisoned” by their amalgam fillings and that the mercury allegedly being released from such fillings is responsible for a whole host of chronic health issues and diseases. The American Board of Dentistry’s official position is that amalgam fillings are not harmful. We do not pass judgment on the allegations on Dr. Oz’s show or the position of the ADA, however, our office chooses not to place amalgam fillings. In fact, we remove a whole lot of amalgam fillings and replace them with beautiful tooth colored (white) composite fillings. Additionally, our office uses only materials made in the USA.

Many times dental insurance companies will only pay to have amalgam fillings placed instead of the slightly more expensive tooth colored composite fillings. We take our patients health very seriously and do not allow any insurance company to dictate what material is best for your tooth.

Dr. Carol F. Morgan, DDS is a Virginia Beach Dentist. I you have questions about fillings feel free to call us at 757-412-1400.

We saw a patient recently who did not like the shape or the color of her teeth. I discussed with her teeth whitening, teeth recontouring, gum recontouring, cosmetic porcelain veneers and the concept of a comprehensive smile design. We spent over 20 minutes in a consultation explaining her options and discussing smile design. She learned that smile design is incredibly complex and takes into consideration many factors such as skin tone, eye color, facial geometry, lip shape and position (at rest, smiling and while talking) and the patient’s teeth among other factors. We were trying to determine what smile design would best fit her face and meet her esthetic desires. Based on this patient’s specific needs, we decided porcelain veneers would be her best treatment plan.
Porcelain veneers are hand-made wafer thin veneers of porcelain that are bonded to the existing teeth modifying them to the desired color, shape and position based on the smile design. Veneers allow patients an opportunity to design a smile of their dreams which may not have been possible with their natural teeth.

After the patient and I decided on a design and plan, I explained that I will have the case designed in wax and let the patient come for a second consultation to evaluate the wax smile design before we proceed with preparing her teeth for beautiful porcelain veneers. The patient is extremely excited about her new personalized smile.

Dr. Carol F. Morgan, DDS is a Virginia Beach Dentist and had been designing smiles for cosmetic needs for over 17 years. She completes a significant amount of extra hours of continuing learning education to stay at the top of the latest products and procedures.

A patient came in and had a large gap between his front teeth. He indicated the gap had been getting bigger over the years and he thought it appeared unsightly. He also had some crowding (crooked and turned) of his lower teeth. He came in to see what we could do about the gaps and crowding.

These conditions can be corrected with traditional orthodontics (wire and bracket) or Invisalign, a clear plastic alternative. Invisalign is a series of clear trays that you wear to move your teeth. The patient changes to a new tray every two weeks. We will have all the trays made to complete the entire treatment plan. Invisalign is nice because a patient will take them out to eat, brush and floss. Another nice point is that most people will not even know the patient has them on their teeth.

The patient did not want to have wire and brackets on his teeth as he was a professional and did not want to look like a teenager. Invisalign was a great alternative and determined that it would take about 6 months to close the gap and about 9 months to correct the crowding. The patient liked the ease and versatility of Invisalign and began the process that day.

Invisalign cannot fix all occlusal irregularities, however, it may be a great alternative for you compared to traditional wire and bracket orthodontics.

Dr. Carol F. Morgan, DDS is a Virginia Beach Dentist and is a Certified Invisalign dentist providing all levels of Invisalign products.