Cosmetic Dentistry

This can be anything done to correct imperfections in the appearance of the teeth, gums, and mouth.  Anyone who is unhappy with their smile can have it fixed.  The upper teeth show, usually when smiling, while the lower teeth remain hidden.  This is reversed when talking, the upper teeth remain hidden while the lower teeth show.  The color, alignment, spacing as well as regularity of the teeth are the chracteristics that give the overall appearance.  Any of these can be repaired to give a stunning look to the mouth.

Our skilled and knowledgable dentists offer a wide variety of cosmetic options.  Some of these options are whitening, smile design, recontouring of the shape of the teeth, veneers, bonding, and all ceramic/porcelain crowns.

Whitening

This is the procedure of making teeth whiter, and therefore restoring a youthful and more attractive smile.

In our office, we recommend the at-home tray method of whitening.  This method involves having an impression made of you teeth from which a laboratory fabricated custom vinyl trays are made.  A carbamide peroxide gel is placed in these trays and the clear trays with gel are worn while you are sleeping.  The entire process takes 2-4 weeks.  There are several differents strengths of carbamide peroxide gel that may be used, however the higher the strength the greater the likelihood of tooth sensitivity.  Your dentist will help you decide what strength is right for you.  For maintenance of your whitened teeth the trays and gel can be used once every several months.

The end result whether using trays at home or doing in-office whitening (such as Zoom!) is the same.  The cost of the tray method is about half compared to Zoom!, and there is usualy less post-treatment sensitivity

Veneers/Bonding/Crowns

Veneers are a dental procedure in which a covering is placed over the outside (visible area) of the tooth.  Veneers are usually only done to the part of the teeth that are visible when talking or smiling.  The procedure can be direct or indirect.

The direct technique involves placing composite resin on the outside of the tooth using bonding.  This method is usually referred to as bonding or composite veneers.

The indirect technique usually involves fabricating a stronger more natural, porcealin veneer.  This requires two appointments because the veneers will be fabricated at a dental laboratory by a skilled dental ceramist.  At the first appointment the teeth are prepared by your dentist, impressions taken, and the teeth are given a temporary covering.  In two to three weeks the veneers are back from the laboratory, and the temporaries are removed and the veneers are bonded to the teeth.  This laboratory fabricated veneers are usually made of porcelain and are very esthetic.

The advantage of veneers versus crowns is that much less tooth material is removed, and the procedure is generally less uncomfortable.  Crowns can be recommended for teeth that have large fillings, little tooth structure, or are poorly aligned. 

Clear Aligner Orthodontics

Looking for an alternative to metal braces? ClearCorrect is the clear and simple choice. No wires. No brackets. Just clear, convenient comfort—every reason to smile.

With ClearCorrect, your dentist can straighten your teeth using a series of clear, custom, removable aligners. Each aligner moves your teeth just a little bit at a time until you eventually get straight teeth.