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FAQ's |
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 How do I know if I need cosmetic dentistry? |
| Are you happy with your smile? Could your teeth be whiter or straighter?
Do you have chipped or broken teeth? Do any of your teeth appear too small
or too short? Do you see black margins around your existing crowns?
Do you refrain from smiling in photos? If you answered "yes" to any of
these questions, then cosmetic dentistry may be for you. |
| How can I make my teeth whiter? |
We find that many of our patients are displeased with the color of their
teeth. While enamel is the strongest substance in our body, it is porous
and can stain. Culprits include coffee, tea, cranberry juice, red wine,
soda, berries, soy sauce and smoking. Trauma to the teeth, tetracycline,
nerve degeneration or simple aging can change the color of teeth.
Whitening toothpastes are effective surface stain removers but they won't
brighten your teeth. Some contain titanium dioxide, a white pigment in
paint, giving a temporary appearance of lightening. They also consist of
abrasives and may wear down enamel and expose yellow dentin, the vital
tooth structure that lies beneath the enamel. With long-term usage, this
may actually then give the appearance of yellowing teeth.
Bleaching whitens teeth by placing a bleaching solution on the enamel to
remove deep stains. If you have natural teeth and are pleased with their
shape and position, bleaching may be your best option. The results are
not permanent and depending on your diet and lifestyle habits may need
touchups anywhere from 2-5 years. If you want to make a permanent change
to the shape, position or color of your teeth, porcelain veneers can be
ideal. If you have existing crowns that need to be whiter, you can upgrade
to whiter, all-porcelain crowns. If you have bonding or tooth color fillings
you may need to change them once you have completed bleaching. |
| Which bleaching method is the most effective? |
| Our experience has proven that a combination of an in-office supercharged
laser bleaching session along with take home bleaching trays to be most
effective. We start with the in-office Zoom! laser power bleaching for a
quick change to the appearance and luster of the teeth, generally 6-9 shades
lighter. The longer the exposure of the teeth to the bleaching, the more
dramatic the results. So, we send our patients home with a custom fabricated
mouth tray with scallops along the gumline to avoid getting bleach on gums
and irritating the tissue, and with enough bleaching gel for 7-10 applications.
We have found and recommend products with a 10% hydrogen peroxide to be
effective in 90% of discolorations.
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| Will bleaching hurt my teeth? Is it safe? |
| Studies have shown that bleaching gels cause no harm to teeth when used
under direct dental supervision. Some people experience temporary minor
sensitivity during the bleaching process but typically people do not
experience any side effects. As with any cosmetic procedure, patients
need to exercise judgment in how they go about whitening their teeth.
Patients should avoid over the counter alternatives since these use trays
that are ill-fitting and cannot be individually fitted, increasing the
risk of burning gum tissue. They may also cause bite problems.
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| What are porcelain veneers/laminates? |
Porcelain veneers or laminates are thin shells of porcelain bonded over
the front surface of the teeth. They are long lasting, stain-resistant
and the most natural looking type restoration. Porcelain is very versatile;
it can lengthen, widen and whiten existing teeth. Porcelain looks very
similar to a tooth's natural enamel. They are the least invasive type of
restoration. We customize the color, saturation and gradation, shape,
anatomy and degree of whiteness to whiten and brighten teeth naturally,
painlessly and in as little as two-four days.
Porcelain veneers can be placed on misaligned crooked teeth to give the
appearance of perfectly straight teeth- instant orthodontics. Porcelain
veneers can cover stained, discolored teeth or be applied to whiten and
brighten the entire smile. We can bond longer porcelain veneers to worn
or chipped teeth to make them look younger and stronger. Or they can be
made to match the surrounding existing teeth, too.
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| How can I change the shape of my teeth? |
| The shape of the face affects the shape of the teeth. For example, if a
patient has a round face, we create long square-shaped teeth that give
the illusion of a longer face, thus a slimming effect. Porcelain veneers
are ideal for changing the shape of teeth, and you can lighten the color at the same time.
If you have existing dental work or very misaligned teeth you can still
change the shape of your teeth but you may need orthodontics, a reshaping
of your gumline or crowns to achieve the desired results. |
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Is it possible to change the shape of my teeth without veneers or crowns? |
| Reshaping or cosmetic contouring is an ideal treatment for very small
fractures or chips or to simply reshape what nature has given you to a more
esthetically pleasing smile. Anesthesia is not necessary since we use
sandpaper discs and polishing wheels to reshape teeth with a minimal loss
of tooth structure. Contouring can change the smile line. If one front
tooth is a little longer than the other, contouring can make them the
same size. We can round off sharp corners of teeth or pointed canines, to
soften their appearance. Smile symmetry can also be achieved with cosmetic
contouring. |
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My teeth look short, they used to be longer when I was younger? |
| When teeth look short, it is often the gumline that is the problem. Gum
quantity, shape and color greatly influence the cosmetics of your smile.
Since your lips frame your smile they too play an important role in your
smile's appearance. If they come up too much, it may give you a gummy
smile making your teeth appear too short. We use something called the golden
proportion to measure the ideal, more esthetic length your teeth should be.
The solution is to reshape the gums to reveal more of your teeth. If the
gumline is not the problem, porcelain veneers can add length to short worn
teeth, making them look younger and stronger. The golden proportion is
used to measure the ideal length your teeth should be made.
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I don't like my crooked teeth, what are my options?
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Orthodontics for adults is very common today. Approximately 30% of our
adult patients are currently receiving orthodontic treatment. You can move
teeth to align them with traditional metal braces, or ceramic braces or
with the invisible Invisalign system. Removable orthodontics is also available
for certain cases.
Another option for giving the appearance of straight aligned teeth is to use porcelain veneers
or laminates. The veneers will fill in spaces, giving an impression of perfectly aligned teeth.
We refer to this as instant orthodontics. Whereas traditional orthodontics may take 1-2 years
to complete, instant orthodontics can take as little as 1-2 visits.
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How can I prevent discoloration? |
Have professional cleanings at the recommended time interval.
Drink beverages with high stain potential through a straw.
Avoid abrasive toothpastes, which can wear down enamel and expose yellow
dentin below it.
Brush immediately after eating or drinking foods with a high stain potential.
If you aren't able to brush right away, rinse with lots of water or eat
something crunchy like fruits or vegetables that will clean teeth naturally. |
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What is instant orthodontics? Is there pain involved? |
| With modern dental technology, uneven teeth can be reshaped and laminated
with high tech ceramics. We call this instant orthodontics, using veneers
or laminates instead of braces to make teeth look straight. It can close
large gaps and correct overcrowding in as little as 1-2 days. It is typically
a pain free procedure requiring only the use of local anesthetics. You are a
candidate for this if you would like your teeth to look straighter and
cannot commit to the time for conventional orthodontics. The extent to
which this approach can be used depends on how crowded and crooked the teeth
are to begin with. Sometimes a combination of limited traditional orthodontics
and ceramic enhancement may be the best choice. |
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What are porcelain inlays/onlays? Do they replace a crown or cap? |
| Porcelain inlays and onlays are custom lab fabricated restorations that
are placed in teeth that are too broken down for a filling to be placed.
They are extremely esthetic and natural looking and help hold a badly
broken down tooth together, actually strengthening it. In some cases they
can be used instead of a crown or cap as a more conservative approach to
restore a broken down tooth. |
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What if I don't like the way my gums look? |
| Gum quantity, shape, symmetry and color greatly influence the cosmetics
of your smile. Since our lips frame the smile they too play an important
role in your smile's appearance. The lips and gums should be in harmony.
If your lip comes up too much it may give you a gummy smile. The solution
is to reshape the gums to reveal more your teeth. Artistic sculpting of
gum tissue can make a dramatic improvement in one's smile. The healing time
is very rapid and predictable. |
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What if I have missing teeth? |
| There is no reason to live with missing teeth. A full set of teeth improves
self esteem, speech, digestion, and sense of taste. It makes all the other
teeth last longer by reducing the stress on the remaining natural teeth.
Those patients who suffer from temperomandibular disorders (TMD) often
are unable to become painfree without a full set of teeth to balance
musculoskeltal and dental forces. |
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What really happens when we age? |
Most people don't realize
that teeth are so important to maintain a youthful look.
The intricate and complex relationship (interplay) between
teeth, bone and muscle tone is rarely discussed. Healthy
long teeth have strong bone surrounding them and strong
muscle tone and always maintain a youthful look at any
age. Many people have had facelifts and other corrective
facial surgery to help them look younger. But if the
smile with a rejuvenated face reveals discolored, crooked,
chipped or fractured teeth, the youthfulness created
by the plastic surgeon will be lost. A well-maintained
smile is a necessary part of a better, younger look.
As we age
- Teeth get short.
- Teeth get crooked, especially on the bottom.
- Teeth get very dark and stained.
- Gums recede and, we start seeing forming in between
teeth.
- The amount of bone around teeth thins out.
With these changes to teeth we see important changes
in
muscle tone:
- The muscles around lips begin to sag, giving a sunken-in
appearance.
- The skin around the lips begins to wrinkle since the
support mechanism is lost.
- The lip tissue flattens out and may curl over shortened
teeth.
What can be done?
- Wrinkles around the lips can also be reduced when
the upper portion of a normally paper thin veneer is
thickened. We build out the veneer and, as a result
the facial area above the veneer is pushed out, thereby
smoothing upper lip wrinkles while causing lips to appear
more full and pouty and give a Kim Basinger pouty look.
- Longer veneers can be placed to lengthen teeth and
give that youthful Halle Berry look and actually push
out the lower lip, reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
- Teeth can be instantaneously straightened with paper
thin veneers that will create symmetry and crooked teeth.
- Teeth can be permanently whitened to any shade you
desire with shaded veneers that will never stain or
darken with age.
- If you smile and all you see are your six front teeth,
none of the back teeth, then your upper jaw is so narrow
that back teeth are hidden. This of course can be corrected
with invasive jaw expanding surgery or you can place
veneers that widen the width of back teeth giving the
appearance of an expanded jaw instantaneously and conservatively.
This will improve the support and muscle tone of your
cheeks and give you that Julia Roberts' smile.
All of this can be accomplished in 2 painless visits.
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