Cosmetic Dentistry

It's impossible to overstate the emotional, social and professional benefits that smiling with confidence can give you. If you find you cover your mouth when you smile, or even hold back your smile because you don't want to show your teeth, you should consider what cosmetic dentistry — the art of smile enhancement — can do for you.

The first step in any smile makeover is a thorough dental examination, to make sure that your cosmetic problems really are just that, and not a sign of underlying dental disease. Once your health has been established, your smile can be cosmetically enhanced in a variety of ways. The most common procedures include:

Cosmetic Bonding

Bonding uses tooth-colored materials to replace missing tooth structure or hide cosmetically unappealing minor defects in a tooth — chips, discoloration, and even minor spacing irregularities. Bonding materials are called “composite resins” because they contain a mixture of plastic and glass, which adds strength and translucency. The composite actually bonds, or becomes one, with the rest of the tooth. Tooth bonding can typically be accomplished in a single visit to the dental office.

Crowns & Bridgework

A dental crown or “cap,” usually made of dental porcelain, completely covers the visible part of a damaged, decayed or unattractive tooth. Crowns strengthen damaged teeth, allowing them to function normally again. They can also be used to create a lifelike replacement for a missing tooth. This is done with bridgework, which spans the space of the missing tooth and incorporates several crowns.

Dental Implants

Dental implants offer the longest-lasting tooth-replacement option. They also help preserve tooth-supporting bone that naturally deteriorates when a tooth is lost. The implant itself is a small, screw-shaped titanium post that replaces the root part of a missing tooth. It is placed in the jawbone during a minor surgical procedure. The implant is topped with a natural-looking dental crown. Implants have a documented success rate of over 95%, the highest of any tooth-replacement option.

Porcelain Veneers

A dental veneer is a wafer-thin layer of super-strong porcelain that convincingly substitutes for natural tooth enamel. When bonded to your teeth, veneers can create a natural-looking, beautiful new surface. That's because dental porcelain, like natural tooth enamel, is translucent and tough — but it doesn't stain like tooth enamel does. Veneers can be used to improve a tooth's color, size, shape and spacing. They come in numerous shades, from the most natural to the brightest Hollywood white.

Removable Dentures

Removable dentures offer the most affordable option for tooth replacement. Full or partial dentures consist of a gum-colored base made of plastic resin, which fits onto the remaining jaw bone and gum tissue that formerly held the teeth. The prosthetic teeth projecting from the denture's base are designed to look and function just like your natural teeth. Dentures also support the facial skeleton and the soft tissues of the lips and cheeks, which can help create a more youthful appearance.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening done under the supervision of a dentist is a safe, effective and economical way to brighten your smile. All teeth-whitening products contain some form of bleach — usually carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Professionally supervised whitening will work faster, and protect sensitive gums and tooth-root surfaces better, than over-the-counter whitening products. Depending on the method you choose, results can be dramatic: in-office whitening, for example, can lighten teeth three to eight shades in a single hour.

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings are made of a blend, or “composite,” of plastic resins and silica fillers. These substances mimic many of the qualities of natural tooth structure, such as wear-resistance and translucency. Dental composites also help strengthen teeth. Tooth-colored fillings offer an aesthetic alternative to “silver” (dental amalgam) fillings and may also allow for a more conservative treatment method that preserves more of the tooth's structure.