Dental Bonding
Dental bonding makes use of a flexible dental prosthetic made of composite resin. This resin can be applied on any part of the tooth to protect, cover or reshape it. The resin is very pliable and can be formed into any shape. The color can be blended to match the tooth or whiten it. Bonding is often used to fill in gaps between teeth, whiten discolored teeth, and fix small imperfections.
Contouring and Reshaping
For patients who have cracked, chipped, crooked or misshapen teeth, contouring and reshaping can be done to restore or improve the appearance and alignment of teeth. This procedure involves the use of a rough sanding tool that abrades the tooth to achieve the desired shape and size. Once sanding is finished, the tooth will be polished and smoothed out to restore its natural texture.
Porcelain Crowns and Bridges
Porcelain crowns are used to restore single teeth that have been severely damaged but have enough structure left to support it inside the mouth. This is often an alternative to extracting a tooth for some patients. Crowns are made of porcelain, and doctor can perfectly match the color of the material to the patient’s natural tooth color so restorations blend seamlessly with existing teeth. They are often used to restore root canal-treated teeth, but doctor can use crowns to restore teeth damaged from extensive decay, wear or trauma. The procedure involves cleaning the tooth of decay, cutting down the shape to make room for the restoration, and cementing the crown in place once doctor receives it from the dental lab.
Bridges, just like crowns, are porcelain replacements for lost teeth, particularly one or two right in a row. The bridge consists of a pontic or false tooth that is cemented between two crowns. Doctor attaches the crowns to the adjacent teeth to keep the false tooth in place. Bridges are best used if the adjacent teeth also have some form of damage that can be corrected or covered up by the crowns.
Dental Veneers
Porcelain veneers are made from high-grade medical ceramic. Their color can be adjusted to match or whiten the patient’s natural teeth. Veneers are very thin prosthetics that are cemented onto the front surface of the tooth. Using veneers, patients can cover up or protect a severely decayed, crooked, misshapen or damaged tooth. Veneers are ideal to use on the incisors because of their very natural aesthetic effect.
Gum Recontouring or Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is performed on patients who feel that their teeth are too small or short for their age or mouth. Some patients’ permanent teeth still look like deciduous teeth because they are very small, but other patients simply have gummy smiles. In a crown lengthening procedure, doctor removes some of the excessive gum tissue covering the teeth to expose more of the crown, giving an optical effect that the teeth are longer and bigger than before. This procedure, also known as a gingivectomy, makes use of laser dentistry or a regular cutting tool to trim tissue.
Professional Teeth Whitening
Extrinsic tooth discoloration is one of the most common problems that patients want to resolve with cosmetic dentistry. Luckily, with the latest teeth whitening technologies, patients can now achieve up to six times whiter teeth in less than an hour inside clinic. The basic procedure involves a light activated whitening gel applies directly to your teeth. It goes to work against stains while you sit back and relax. Usually after three 15-minute applications the treatment is complete and you can leave the office with a whiter, brighter smile. But whitening isn’t for everyone. Be sure to ask doctor about various whitening methods, such as dental trays, bleaching and laser whitening so you can decide which whitening treatment will give you the best results..
Smile Makeover
For patients who have multiple problems with the aesthetics of their smile, doctors provides smile makeover treatments that involve a comprehensive plan to fix all of the patient’s cosmetic problems in multiple steps. The smile makeover may take several weeks or months to complete depending on the amount and extent of the corrections needed. Smile makeovers may involve any of the following procedures: bonding, orthodontic treatment, veneers, crowns and bridges, dentures, dental implants, teeth whitening, contouring and reshaping, and crown lengthening.