Sowhen does the situation call for composite veneers????
1. Child or young adult with peglaterals.  These adolescents typicallywait until done growing to get porcelain veneers.
2. An individual that needs onlyone or two teeth covered, typically this is also someone with peg laterals.
3. Someone with existingcomposite veneers that doesn’t want to change to porcelain ones.
4. Someone who cannot afford the porcelainveneers.

Some doctors love doing composite veneers and have a lot of their patientsget them instead of the porcelain veneers.  I am not one of those.  Iknow the downside of the composite veneers outweighs any temporary benefits. I do, however, use them when the situation calls for it.  Examples of when I use composite veneerswould be numbers 1-3 listed above.  Icould maybe be talked into #4 by someone, but it hasn’t happened yet.

The major disadvantage of composite veneers is that they wear away and startto literally break down.  They are alsonot as strong as porcelain and composite will stain.  They do cost less initially, but over the course of alifetime actually cost more because of the maintenance costs involved.  The main advantage in my eyes of compositeveneers is that the doctor has total control of the look of them and can easilymake changes immediately.  When a labmakes porcelain veneers for just one or two teeth, trying to get a perfect matchis very difficult and maybe impossible in some cases.  With composite veneers the doctor can fairly quicklymake a great match to the neighboring teeth. Of course, if you are doing all your teeth this matching is irrelevant.

Here is an example of a woman that had her teeth whitened and realized that her old composite veneers were now much more yellow than her natural teeth.  So without her even being numb I was able to redo them and make everything match again.

If you or someone you love is considering a smile make-over give us a calland come on in and see us for a complimentary consultation.  I have spent a lot of time and effort ensuring that I have the best productsand techniques in existence so that I can give you the best smile available.  Check our website or check me out at the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists.  Besides the free esthetic consult we also offer complimentary orthodontic consults with my wife, Dr. Danielle Bauer.  Call us at630-665-5550 we would love to help you!
Bryan Bauer DDS

• Support treatment with only saline nasal irrigation, decongestants, antihistamines, and expectorants are appropriate for at least 5 days and a maximum of 10 days for patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms.
• Sinus infections are commonly caused by viral infections, which do not respond to antibiotics. Antibiotics may cause bothersome side effects (such as diarrhea or upset stomach) and also may contribute to your becoming resistant to antibiotics in the future.
• Antibiotics are not helpful for patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms, so they should not be prescribed for at least the first 14 days. 

• A broad-spectrum antibiotic (one that can eliminate a wide range of bacteria) may be helpful. Some patients benefit from prolonged therapy.
• A corticosteroid nasal spray. Some doctors also recommend oral corticosteroids (such as prednisone) for patients who do not respond to nasal corticosteroids or for those patients who have nasal polyps. Prednisone is also used for patients who have allergic fungal sinusitis.
• Saline nasal irrigation is often needed on an ongoing basis.
• If the condition dramatically improves after 1 – 2 months, antibiotics are stopped. The patient should continue with both the steroid and saline nasal solutions. If there is no improvement after this time, surgery may be considered. For some people with chronic sinusitis, however, the condition is not curable, and the goal of treatment is to improve the quality of life.
• A thorough diagnostic work-up should be performed to rule out any underlying conditions, including but not limited to allergies, asthma, any immune problems, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, and structural problems in the nasal passages. If a primary trigger for chronic sinusitis can be identified, it should be treated or controlled if possible.

• Drinking plenty of fluids and getting lots of rest when needed is still the best bit of advice to ease the discomforts of the common cold. Water is the best fluid and helps lubricate the mucus membranes. (There is NO evidence that drinking milk will increase or worsen mucus.)
• Chicken soup does, indeed, help congestion and aches. The hot steam from the soup may be its chief advantage, although laboratory studies have actually reported that ingredients in the soup may have anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, any hot beverage may have similar soothing effects from steam. Ginger tea, fruit juice, and hot tea with honey and lemon may all be helpful.
• Spicy foods that contain hot peppers or horseradish may help clear sinuses.
• Inhaling steam 2 – 4 times a day is extremely helpful, costs little, and requires no expensive equipment. The patient should sit comfortably and lean over a bowl of boiling hot water (no one should ever inhale steam from water as it boils) while covering the head and the bowl with a towel so the steam remains under the cloth. The steam should be inhaled continuously for 10 minutes. A mentholated or other aromatic preparation may be added to the water. Long, steamy showers, vaporizers, and facial saunas are alternatives.

• Lean over the sink with your head tilted to one side.
• Insert the spout of the neti pot in the upper nostril.
• Slowly pour the salt water into your nose while continuing to breathe through your mouth.
• The water will flow through the upper nostril and out through the lower nostril.
• When the water finishes dripping out, blow your nose.
• Reverse the tilt of your head and repeat the process with the other nostril.

• Most acute sinusitis cases clear up on their own.
• Antibiotics generally help only a very small number of children with persistent nasal discharge for at least 20 days. Even when antibiotics are helpful, benefits are modest in reducing duration of the infection.
• The intense and widespread use of antibiotics (not only for sinusitis but also for ear infections and other upper respiratory tract infections) has led to a serious global problem, which is bacterial resistance to common antibiotics.

• Fever greater than 39° C (102.2° F)
• Facial pain or headache
• Severe swelling around the eyes

• The standard first-line antibiotic treatment for acute uncomplicated bacterial sinusitis is a 10 – 14 day course of amoxicillin. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is an alternative choice.
• For more complicated illnesses (chronic illness, chronic sinusitis, symptoms lasting longer than 30 days, children in day care or younger than 2 years old, smokers, recent antibiotic use, or unresponsiveness to initial antibiotic course), the doctor may prescribe a different type of antibiotic, such as amoxicillin-clavulanate, cephalosporin, or a macrolide.
• If the patient does not respond after 21 – 28 days, the doctor may switch to another broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefuroxime, or cefpodoxime. Other choices include clarithromycin or azithromycin (macrolides) or levofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone).

• The most common side effect for nearly all antibiotics is gastrointestinal distress.
• Antibiotics double the risk for vaginal infections in women. Taking supplements of acidophilus or eating yogurt with active cultures may help restore healthy bacteria that offset the risk for such infections.
• Allergic reactions can also occur with all antibiotics but are most common with medications derived from penicillin or sulfa. These reactions can range from mild skin rashes to rare but severe, even life-threatening, anaphylactic shock.
• Certain drugs, including some over-the-counter medications, interact with antibiotics; patients should inform the doctor of all medications they are taking and of any drug allergies.

• Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. Nasal spray corticosteroids (commonly called steroids) are important for reducing the inflammatory response in the nasal passages and airways. They are important in the treatment of asthma and are now considered to be the most effective measure for preventing allergy attacks. Leukotriene-antagonists are also useful for sinusitis symptoms.
• Antihistamines. Antihistamine tablets relieve sneezing and itching and can prevent nasal congestion before an allergy attack. Many brands are available by prescription and over the counter. Because they thicken mucus and make it harder to drain out from the sinuses, they should not be used for sinusitis.
• Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy, commonly referred to as allergy shots, may be considered for patients with severe seasonal allergies that do not respond to treatment. Immunotherapy is the only treatment that affects the cause of allergies.
• All drug treatments have side effects, some very unpleasant and, rarely, serious. Patients may need to try different drugs until they find one that relieves symptoms without producing excessively distressing side effects.