The goal of cosmetic dentistry is to transform an average smile into a terrific smile! To accomplish this goal, we analyze every aspect of a smile and then correct the problem. Terrific smiles have several things in common. The teeth are straight, evenly spaced, and are white. The top teeth show when you smile and the edges of the top teeth smoothly follow the curve of the lower lip. All of these goals can be achieved with cosmetic procedures, such as whitening, veneers, white fillings and all porcelain crowns.
Over time, your teeth darken as minerals penetrate their outer enamel layer. This darkening can be caused by foods, beverages and tobacco products. The natural aging process can also cause your teeth to darken. A home whitening system will safely lighten these stains, giving you a whiter, brighter smile. A specially formulated whitening gel gently forces oxygen through the enamel of your teeth, without damaging your tooth enamel or your gums.
Silver fillings can really darken a smile. New research has resulted in the development of tooth colored filling materials that are attractive as well as durable and long lasting. These materials, porcelain and composite resin, can make a difference in your appearance, especially if the filling is visible when you smile.
Veneers can be used to close spaces between teeth, lengthen small or misshaped teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth and even straighten slightly crooked teeth. Veneers are thin shells of porcelain that are custom made in a dental laboratory. A porcelain veneer generally covers only the front and top of a tooth. When teeth are chipped and beginning to wear, veneers can protect and strengthen them.
A porcelain crown is the best way to strengthen a weak tooth and provide excellent esthetics. In the past, porcelain crowns were always built upon a metal core. That was the only way to have enough strength to withstand the biting forces that are exerted on teeth. The metal core is what creates the dark blue line at the edge of many crowns. Recent breakthroughs in the development of porcelain allow us to make crowns entirely out of porcelain. All porcelain crowns maintain a translucency that makes them hard to tell from natural teeth. Without the metal, the problem of a dark line at the edge of the gums is eliminated.
