Cosmetic Dentistry

Improve your smile, self-esteem, and overall appearance with cosmetic dentistry! Let us develop a personalized plan for smile enhancement with sensitivity to your needs and budget.

The information that follows will help you become familiar with the primary cosmetic dentistry services provided by our practice and how these procedures can help you achieve the smile you desire. Don't worry about understanding the details, though! We'll tell you as much or as little as you want to hear. Our sedation dentistry services are the perfect solution for those who want the results of cosmetic dentistry but dread the implementation.

Veneers and Cosmetic Bonding

Veneers are thin shells made of porcelain that are custom shaped and then cemented to the front of the tooth. These can beautify your smile by covering imperfections such as bleach-resistant stains, chips, slight tooth crookedness, or gaps between teeth.

Cosmetic bonding is used in similar situations on the front or other broken or chipped surfaces of the tooth. It is a quicker and more conservative treatment that involves the application of tooth-colored material (composite resins), rather than a porcelain shell. While bonding is appropriate in some situations, and usually lower in cost, it does not offer the durability and longevity available with porcelain veneers. Bonding cannot overcome some of the defects that are more appropriately treated with veneers. (More information from the Academy of General Dentistry)

Teeth Whitening in Our Office or at Home

In-office teeth-whitening services offer faster results. Protective material is used to shield the gum and other oral tissue prior to the application of a bleaching agent. An ultraviolet (UV) light may be used to further enhance the effect of the bleach; however, we take care to expose only the teeth and not the other tissue that might be harmed by UV exposure.

Our at-home teeth whitening treatments begin with producing a custom mouthguard that fits your teeth exactly, unlike over-the-counter products. At home, you'll place a whitening gel in the mouthguard to perform the whitening procedure. Your customized plan for in-office or at-home whitening will help you understand both the appropriate treatment plan and recommended frequency. We are careful to use systems, equipment, and devise treatment plans that help to minimize the possibility of irritation or damage to oral tissues and teeth.

Composite/Tooth-Colored Fillings

A composite filling is a mixture of tooth-colored material that can be used as an alternative to traditional silver fillings to repair decayed teeth. In cosmetic dentistry, composites are also used in reshaping the teeth or altering their color to enhance your smile. The composite filling is applied in layers, with the final step being the smoothing and polishing of the surface area. (More information from the Academy of General Dentistry)

Crowns and Bridges

A crown (sometimes referred to as a "cap") is used to repair a tooth that has been broken, cracked, or damaged in such a way that a filling is not an option for restoration. Crowns can also be used to keep weak teeth from breaking, and to improve the look of badly shaped or severely discolored teeth. To put on a crown, we shape the tooth and reduce its size so that a crown can fit over it. We then create impressions of your teeth that will allow us to create a customized crown especially for your tooth. While the crown is being made, we place a temporary crown over the tooth. On your next visit, the temporary crown will be removed and the permanent crown will be cemented in place. A fixed bridge is a false tooth that is fused between two crowns to fill in the gap where a tooth is missing. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth. It cannot be removed from your mouth like dentures could be. An increasingly popular alternative to a bridge is a dental implant. Our smile gallery shows before/after views of a front-tooth dental implant (More information from the Academy of General Dentistry)

Orthodontics

We offer both traditional braces and invisible braces (Invisalign) to our patients to help improve their smiles and overall facial appearance. With proper orthodontics, we can treat overbites, underbites, and crooked or crowded teeth. Traditional braces use brackets (metal, ceramic/tooth-colored, or clear plastic) that are bonded to the teeth. Wires are then attached to the brackets and are used to adjust the position of teeth.

Increasingly popular invisible braces (Invisalign and other similar types of systems) use a series of aligners that are transparent, customized, removable inserts that aren't visible to others while you're wearing them. Being able to remove them while eating, brushing, and flossing your teeth helps to avoid the trapping of food and plaque that can become an issue with traditional braces. Each aligner is typically worn for about two weeks before being replaced with the next one. Invisible aligners are generally not a good choice for young people who are still waiting for permanent teeth. Our commitment to you is to recommend the orthodontic method that is best suited to dental health, improving your smile, and containable within your budget or payment plan.

While orthodontic problems are often more quickly and simply resolved while the head and mouth are still growing (between ages of 10 and 14 years), braces are no longer just for kids! We go out of our way to help you, as patient/parent/guardian, to understand the options. That includes how often you'll have to return for visits, and things you can do (before, during, and after the braces) to help you achieve the best short-term and long-term improvements to your smile, appearance, and dental health. (More information from the Academy of General Dentistry)