Anyone who is unhappy with their smile can have it fixed. Color, alignment, spacing, and the regularity of the teeth are the characteristics that give a smile its overall appearance — and any of them can be repaired to give a stunning look to the mouth.
Cosmetic dentistry is anything done to correct imperfections in the appearance of the mouth. Here is an interesting detail: when you smile, it is usually only your upper teeth that show; when you talk, the reverse — the lower teeth do the showing. A good plan accounts for both. We offer a wide variety of cosmetic options.
Our office uses two whitening methods: passive tray whitening and professional-strength white strips. The tray method is the workhorse — here is the whole process, start to finish. For badly stained teeth, such as tetracycline staining, the tray method is the recommended approach, though it may take several months of use to see significant color improvement.
We take impressions of your teeth, from which a laboratory fabricates custom vinyl trays that fit you exactly.
A carbamide peroxide whitening gel is placed in the trays, and the trays are worn for about 30 minutes per day.
The entire process takes three to four weeks of daily wear. The change is gradual, controlled, and even.
To keep whitened teeth bright, the trays should be used again every several months. You keep them — maintenance is easy.
A veneer is a covering placed over the outside of the tooth — usually only the part visible when talking or smiling. There are two techniques, and the right one depends on the tooth.
Composite resin is placed on the outside of the tooth using the bonding technique, sculpted and polished in a single visit. This method is usually referred to simply as bonding.
One appointmentAt the first appointment the teeth are prepared, impressions are taken, and a temporary covering is placed. In two to three weeks the finished veneers return from the laboratory — usually porcelain or pressed ceramic, and very esthetic — and are bonded to the teeth.
Two appointmentsWhy choose a veneer over a crown? Much less tooth material is removed, and the procedure is generally less uncomfortable. Veneers are recommended for teeth that have large fillings or little remaining tooth structure. If a tooth needs more coverage than a veneer can give, an all-ceramic or porcelain crown is the next step up — we will tell you honestly which one your tooth needs.
One doctor, one office on Summer Street, and a front desk that answers. Call and we will find a time that works.