cosmetic dentistry
For a beautiful smile, you need a true cosmetic dentist.
Once upon a time people would come to the dentist to have a tooth problem fixed or cleaned. Today people come to enhance their appearance, spending a few sessions in a dentist's chair can give the smile of your dreams.
An important part of a smile makeover includes a careful examination and analysis of the factors that are important to long term health and success for you and your teeth. We want you to have not only a beautiful smile, but full mouth health.
Dentures
If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat and speak—things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.
There are various types of complete dentures. A conventional full denture is made and placed in the patient’s mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed which may take several months. An immediate complete denture is inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. The dentist takes measurements and makes models of the patient’s jaws during a preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.
Even if you wear full dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque.
Crown & Bridge
Crowns and bridges are two restorative techniques that repair damaged or missing teeth. They restore tooth function and appearance. The use of crowns and bridges also avoids shifting teeth that can happen after a tooth is lost. By maintaining or restoring the patient's bite and their smile the effects of the tooth damage or loss are reversed.
A crown is recommended for anyone who has a tooth that is beyond repair with a filling, inlay or onlay. Damage due to decay, accident, wear, or grinding can be repaired with crowns. It should be noted, however, that more conservative techniques in cosmetic dentistry, such as veneers, inlays, onlays, bonding, and bleaching have replaced some of the instances when crowns were used in the past to achieve esthetic goals.
A bridge is recommended for anyone who has a tooth missing. Like crowns, bridges are also being used less often, as implants are becoming a very popular means of replacing one or more lost teeth. However, for your particular situation, a crown or a bridge may be the best and most cost efficient method of getting back a functional, attractive smile after tooth damage.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements used to counter tooth loss. The procedure is categorized as a form of prosthetic (artificial replacement) dentistry, though it also falls into the category of cosmetic dentistry as well.
Although you have a number of restorative options for the treatment of missing teeth, none have proven to be as functionally effective and durable as implants. In many cases, dental implants may be the only logical choice for the restoration of all necessary functionality of the teeth and supporting structures.
Tooth Loss
- Tooth decay
- Root canal failure
- Gum disease (Periodontitis)
- Trauma to the mouth
- Excessive wear and tear
- Congenital defects
People who have lost teeth might feel too self-conscious to smile or talk. Additionally, biting irregularities caused by tooth loss can have a negative effect on eating habits and this can lead to secondary health problems like malnutrition. Regardless of the nature of problems related to tooth loss, dental implants may provide a simple remedy with proven results.
Advantages of Implant Dentistry
Dental implants are stronger and more durable than their restorative counterparts (bridges and dentures). Implants offer a permanent solution to tooth loss. Additionally, implants may be used in conjunction with other restorative procedures for maximum effectiveness. For example, a single implant can serve to support a crown replacing a single missing tooth. Implants can also be used to support a dental bridge for the replacement of multiple missing teeth, and can be used with dentures to increase stability and reduce gum tissue irritation.
Porcelain Veneers
A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that fits over a damaged, discolored, or misshaped tooth. This procedure has several advantages over other tooth restoration procedures. Porcelain is an extremely durable material with a color, translucence, and texture that is similar to tooth enamel. It is not susceptible to decay and resists staining while maintaining a natural appearance. Porcelain veneers can effectively close diastemas (gaps between teeth), lengthen and reshape teeth, repair chipped, broken, or misshapen teeth, and cover stains and discolorations.
If you're considering porcelain veneers, the following information will provide you with a good introduction to the procedure. For more detailed information about how this procedure will help you, we recommend that you consult a cosmetic dentist with experience in applying porcelain veneers.
In general, the best candidates for porcelain veneers:
• Enjoy good oral health
• Want to improve their appearance
• Are well informed in regard to the procedure's outcome
• Have realistic expectations
The above is only a partial list of the criteria that your dentist will consider in determining whether or not this procedure is appropriate for you. Be sure to ask your dentist if he/she considers you an ideal candidate for porcelain veneers.