What can I do to change my teeth that are too small to make
them bigger?
There are a number of ways to correct this problem, including
porcelain veneers, crowns and bonding. Click on our
Before
and After photo gallery to see examples of clients with teeth
that we made bigger.
How can I correct severely discolored teeth from tetracycline?
Tetracycline is an antibiotic used to treat a number of illnesses
in adults and children. It causes severe staining in teeth
if used in growing children and sometimes with prolonged
use in the young adult. The teeth have a gray or dark brown
appearance to them and often times dark bands run across
the front of the teeth. Typically these teeth do not respond
well to whitening procedures. Porcelain veneers are a truly
beautiful answer to this problem. A once dark and unattractive
smile can be a brilliant and beautiful white one.
I have a
gap between my two front teeth. How can it be closed?
There are a number of ways to correct this problem, which
may include one or more of the following: orthodontics,
porcelain veneers, crowns and bonding. Click on our
before
and after photo gallery to see examples of clients with
gaps in their teeth that we corrected.
I have buck teeth that
stick out. Is there anything that can be done?
Absolutely. And sometimes the solution may be
as simple as recontouring and reshaping the teeth which will
take one
painless visit to complete. Some situations may require braces
with Invisalign to correct. Many instances of buck teeth
have been corrected with porcelain laminates. In rare instances
we may to do a combination of Invisalign repositioning of
teeth and porcelain veneers if the shapes of the teeth are
not harmonious with each other and the facial proportions.
Since each situation is unique, we’ll have a better
idea what is necessary after a cosmetic consult.
How do I know if I cosmetic dentistry will help me?
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? Does the thought of having to meet new
people and smile make you anxious? If you answered "
yes" to
any of these questions, then cosmetic dentistry may be for
you.
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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.
Can I preview what a smile makeover would look like in my face?
Absolutely. Without any vision of what the end result will
be, the journey is very treacherous.
What we do in our office is listen to your wishes and based
on our knowledge of facial forms and tooth size proportions
we determine what smile works best for you. Then with cosmetic
imaging we get a preview of the end result. Then we create
a waxup of the teeth to our specifications. This is the ultimate
blueprint which is lifelike.
Are porcelain laminates from one office different than the
next?
We truly believe that cosmetic dentistry is a seamless
blend of science and art. One is completely dependent on the
other.
Not having knowledge of science or the education needed for
the foundation of every cosmetic case is a situation waiting
for disaster. Porcelain can be very different from one office
to the next. But more importantly, the expertise and artistry
is what can be very different from one office to the next.
Here are a few examples that we believe make porcelain laminates
from one office superior over another;
These are just a few examples
of what is important to not overlook. We encourage you to visit
our office for a consult
to see what sets us apart. We believe you’ll find us
to be the right office for your cosmetic needs. We also encourage
you to view our portfolio of before and after cases and to
speak to our clients who have already had cosmetic dentistry
done in our office.
I’m worried you’re going to cut
my teeth to prepare for veneers?
Porcelain veneering is unlike preparing teeth for
crowns. Only a thin layer of enamel, anywhere from .5-.8 mm is
removed
to make room for veneers. This small reduction of teeth allows
us to create a smile that is natural and not too bulky and
sticking out. You probably have seen people who have had bulky
veneers placed and it looks like Chicklets. The genius of a
beautiful smile design is that no one can tell what was done
but they know your faces looks better. Many of our clients
have told us their friends have noticed a change but are unable
to determine what the change comes from. Their friends ask
them “what did you have done, you look great?!”
I don’t
want braces; can I still have a beautiful smile?
We
get this question asked a lot. More than likely, yes. There
are times where we had no choice but to resort to both options.
If teeth are so misaligned we must first move them gently into
position before veneering them. Only with careful analysis
of tooth proportions and jaw dimensions are we able to determine
that for certain. We have been able to help so many people
who had absolutely refused braces without compromising the
end result. Braces is not for everyone either. For various
reasons sometimes braces would not even be the right choice
to make a smile beautiful.
How many teeth need to be veneered
for smile design?
A lot depends
on how broad the arch is when smiling or how broad we would
like the arch to appear to make a dramatic result.
In this makeover design, at least 8-10 veneers need to be placed.
Often times veneers are placed to correct a problem on one
or two teeth and the rest of the teeth in the arch are absolutely
perfect and all we need to do is match the new veneers to the
existing smile. This is actually one of the most difficult
tasks which require a high level of understanding of science
and art to blend the two dissimilar situations seamlessly.
How
will my teeth feel after I have porcelain veneers placed?
Normally,
there is some sensitivity to be expects, hot and cold and
biting pressure. This will be a short period of time
when the teeth are adjusting to the new environment and it’s
absolutely normal to feel that. After veneers are placed we
have you come back in one week to make a few minor adjustments
and finalize the polishing.
How do I take care of my veneers?
Porcelain veneers, when properly
contoured feel so natural and smooth that most clients say
that their teeth feel so much
smoother. There is a good reason for that. Porcelain does not
scratch very easily and the good part is that plaque does not
adhere well to porcelain like it does to natural teeth, so
the gums look and feel really great. As far as diet restriction,
there are none. A normal diet poses no problem on veneers.
It is important to avoid crushing ice between teeth or chewing
hard candy as it would be with natural teeth. The gentler the
chewing forces, the longer the veneers can last. As far as
home care, we recommend Oxyfresh products to rinse and brush
with. Oxyfresh is non-abrasive and effectively polishes the
laminates, maintaining their luster and brilliance. We also
recommend night guards after veneers are placed, especially
if the bite forces are high or there is grinding of teeth at
night.
What is the difference between bonding and a veneer?
Bonding
is tooth colored plastic material that is placed over missing
parts of teeth or when trying to close gaps on front
teeth. A porcelain veneer is a strong porcelain lab fabricated
restoration. Bonding is also an ideal filling material for
back teeth for small cavities or replacing small metal fillings.
One of the problems with bonding is that it can change color
and requires more frequent replacement. Because bonding is
a plastic material it is easier to break and chip. The advantage
of bonding is that it can be done in one visit and is less
costly than placing porcelain veneers. Veneers on the other
hand never change color so it can permanently stay the same.
They are extremely strong and durable. They become seamlessly
integrated with the tooth. Porcelain veneers repel plaque better
than natural teeth so the gums look extremely healthy. The
whole make-up of the smile can be completely changed to enhance
and complement the unique facial characteristics.
What can be
done to fix rotated, misshapen or chipped teeth?
The long term restoration of choice is porcelain veneers. A
less expensive but less dramatic option in certain cases
may be bonding. Done properly, both veneers and bonding can
be applied; color matched and shaped to make your teeth appear
natural again. 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 gum line or crowns to achieve the desired results.
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.
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
lo
As we age:
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Teeth get short. |
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Teeth get crooked, especially
on the bottom. |
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Teeth get very dark and stained. |
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Gums recede and, we
start seeing spaces forming in between teeth. |
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The amount of bone around
teeth thins out. |
With these changes to teeth we see important changes
in muscle tone:
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The muscles around lips begin to sag, giving a sunken-in
appearance. |
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The skin around the lips begins to wrinkle since the
support mechanism is lost. |
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The lip tissue flattens out and may curl over shortened
teeth. |
What can be done:
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Wrinkles can be reduced if lips are plumped out with
collagen, a procedure that must be repeated throughout
your lifetime every few months if you wish to maintain
a certain look. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Teeth can be instantaneously straightened with paper
thin veneers that will create symmetry to crowded and
crooked teeth. |
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Teeth can be permanently whitened to any shade you
desire with shaded veneers that will never stain or darken
with age. |
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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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I don't like my crooked teeth, what are my options?
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.
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.
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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Can anything be done to correct a gummy smile or uneven gumline?
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 of 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
pain free without a full set of teeth to balance musculoskeltal
and dental forces.
What is better, a bridge or an implant?
They each have advantages and disadvantages. We are not advocates
of one treatment over another. Since any cosmetic situation
that involves a missing tooth presents its own challenges
and circumstances, careful and well thought out plans will
give the best outcome. The advantage of an implant is that
it will permanently replace a tooth since it’s anchored
in the bone with a crown placed on top of it. A disadvantage
of implants is that it can take at least 6-8 months to complete.
Bridges are not anchored into the bone like implants are,
but they are anchored to adjacent teeth. This will require
preparation of teeth for crowns. If you have teeth that do
not have any fillings in them or they are minimally restored
you might not want to put crowns on them for a bridge. In
this case it would be better to do an implant. But, the advantage
of having a bridge as opposed to an implant is that it is
fairly quick and can be completed in a few short weeks. Bridges
can be done with an all porcelain system so that they can
look beautiful. If the adjacent teeth are getting weak from
poor bone support or excessively large fillings, having a
bridge in place will give the teeth more support. With the
all porcelain systems, teeth can be prepared for bridges
more conservatively than before. Another disadvantage of
having a bridge is that the teeth that are anchoring the
bridge can no longer be flossed. An implant supported crown
is a separate unit and is flossed like your own teeth.
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What is the difference between porcelain fillings and composite
fillings?
Porcelain fillings also known as inlays and onlays, are laboratory
processed and therefore require two visits to complete. They
are extremely strong and durable and they seamlessly blend
with the tooth. Composite fillings on the other hand are
placed directly over a tooth and won’t require a 2nd
visit. They are the perfect filling material in a replacement
of a small metal filling or small cavities. They are also
less costly than porcelain inlays and onlays. However, since
they are plastic mixture filled with small glass particles
they cannot withstand heavy biting forces or in replacement
of large metal fillings. They can chip or fracture in these
situations. If this is the case the best filling material
would be porcelain inlays and onlays since they have improved
fracture toughness and are more capable of withstanding daily
chewing forces.
What are a cap and a crown and what is the
difference?
A cap
or crown are they same thing. They refer to complete coverage
of the tooth. They are generally necessary when
teeth have gotten weak from previous large fillings to
protect them from fracturing or teeth that have fractured
and now they need support. Crowns are also placed on top
of implants or on teeth that have had root canal treatment.
Crowns are placed to make a bridge.
I have a crown that
has a black line around it and it looks awful. Why is that?
This is caused by the underlying metal
lining of the crown which makes the tooth look artificial
and fake. Contemporary
cosmetic dentistry affords us to completely avoid this
unsightly problem. When it is absolutely unavoidable to
use crowns we prefer to use all porcelain crowns. The strength
of this crown is similar to the metal lined porcelain crowns
and some even suppress that. All porcelain crowns allow
light to pass through just like the enamel on teeth does.
When the porcelain is artistically layered to fabricate
a crown it will look natural and no one can tell a cap
was placed over the tooth. When the tooth is prepared properly
and the correct ceramic is used for the all porcelain crown,
teeth will not only look real, they can actually look better
than the original shape and color.
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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 (but are not limited to) 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 touchups may be needed anywhere from 2-5 years. If you want to make a permanent change to the shape, position or color of your teeth, porcelain veneers are 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.
How white should I make my teeth?
As we get older, our teeth pick up stains and become discolored. Many people are choosing shades that are whiter than in the past. A true sign that someone has undergone some form of cosmetic dentistry is when you see very opaque white teeth. In our office, we strive to give you the look you want without looking "done". You will attain a beautiful white esthetic outcome, but it will look real and complementary to your face. We feel it is important to gain a sense of realism with every improvement and not artificiality.
How can I prevent discoloration?
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Have professional cleanings at the recommended time interval (every 3 to 6 months) |
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Drink beverages with high stain potential through a straw |
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Avoid abrasive toothpastes, which can wear down enamel and expose yellow dentin below it |
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Brush immediately after eating or drinking foods with a high stain potential |
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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. |
Which bleaching method is the most effective?
Our experience has proven that a combination of in-office supercharged laser bleaching along with take home bleaching trays to be the most effective method. We start with the in-office power bleaching for a quick change to the appearance and luster of the teeth. The longer the teeth are exposed to the power bleaching, the more dramatic the results.
Will bleaching harm my teeth? Is it safe?
Studies have shown that bleaching causes no harm to teeth when used under direct dental supervision. Some people experience temporary sensitivity during the bleaching process, which will subside typically from anywhere between a few hours, up to 48 hours later. Normally, people do not experience any long-term 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 they use trays that are not individually fitted and as a result are ill-fitting, increasing the risk of burning gum tissue. These trays may also cause bite problems.
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