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Cosmetic Dentistry
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A smile can be the most eye-catching feature of your face. Even a subtle change can make a big difference in the way you look and feel. Techniques like bleaching, bonding, enamel shaping, veneers, and white fillings allow us to create a beautiful smile with, at times, only minimal changes to existing teeth.
BLEACHING
Teeth become discolored for a variety of reasons, including frequent consumption of coffee, tea, sodas, or red wine. Trauma, tobacco products, aging, and even some antibiotics, can also contribute. Bleaching (Whitening) is a process that restores stained or discolored teeth to a healthy, natural color. It is safe when used appropriately and can be very effective. The time it will take depends on the original color of your teeth, how discolored they are, and how frequently the treatment is applied. Many see immediate results! Others may need 2-6 weeks to completely restore the white color. Most people will require a "touch-up" every 6-12 months.
We offer both in-office and take-home teeth whitening options utilizing Opalescence products and are happy to assist you in selecting the option that best suits you.
Some patients may experience heightened tooth sensitivity to cold, or mild tooth or gum irritation during treatment, but these symptoms are only temporary and disappear within a few days. |
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| Bleaching (together with bonding)
not only brightened, but completely
transformed this patient's teeth! |
BONDING
Bonding is a procedure
where tooth-colored composite resin material is placed
to "fill in the blanks." One of the most
frequent uses of the bonding technique is to fill
in a gap between front teeth.
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ENAMEL SHAPING
Enamel Shaping (Contouring) is the process of shaping natural teeth to improve
their appearance. Shaping can be used to correct minor
cases of crowded or overlapping teeth, smooth rough
edges, or make small adjustments to the shape of a
tooth. |
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| For this patient, bonding,
together with gingival contouring,
gave her a brand new smile. |
VENEERS AND CROWNS
Veneers and crowns are made of porcelain and fabricated in a laboratory. Veneers are porcelain facings that are bonded to the front surfaces of teeth to whiten, close spaces, straighten teeth, or repair chips or wear. Veneers are only about 1 mm thick (the thickness of a fingernail). That same thickness is "shaved" off the natural tooth surface so when the veneer is bonded to the tooth, the tooth doesn't feel or look thicker. Caps, or crowns, are full-coverage restorations. These may be recommended for teeth with fractures, large fillings, or large areas of decay. For porcelain restorations, we offer custom shade matching. |
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Full coverage porcelain crowns on the lateral incisors, as well as some bonding
on the front tooth, really gave this patient something to smile about! |
WHITE FILLINGS
Our dentists place white composite resin fillings using high-quality material. These restorations can blend seamlessly with natural teeth, unlike traditional silver fillings, and keep your smile bright! |
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