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A smile can be the most eye-catching feature of your face. Even a subtle change
can make a big difference in the way you look and feel. New techniques like
bleaching, bonding,
enamel shaping, veneers,
and white
fillings allow us to create a beautiful smile with minimal changes to
existing teeth.
Bleaching
(Whitening) is a very popular procedure in cosmetic dentistry. It
is a simple, effective, permanent technique for obtaining a dazzling, whiter
smile at home in a matter of days.
Bonding
is simply adding a little tooth-colored material to "fill in the blanks."
One of the most frequent uses of the bonding technique is to fill in a gap
between front teeth.
Enamel
Shaping (Contouring) is the process of shaping natural teeth to improve
their appearance. Shaping can be used to correct minor cases of crowded or
overlapping teeth, smooth rough edges, or make small adjustments to the shape
of a tooth.
Veneers
are custom, porcelain facings that are bonded to the front surfaces of teeth
to whiten teeth, close spaces, straighten teeth, or repair chipped or worn
teeth. The veneers are only about 1 mm thick (the thickness of a fingernail).
That same thickness is "shaved" off the natural tooth surface so
when the veneer is bonded to the tooth, the tooth doesn't feel or look "thicker".
Caps
(Crowns) are rarely used for cosmetic correction any more, since the
advent of veneers, but in some cases a crown may be necessary for a particular
tooth. A tooth with a bad fracture or a large
filling that is breaking down, or has decay around
it, may be a candidate for a crown instead of a veneer. This patient has veneers
on top, but one of the front teeth had a large filling and had to be crowned.
White
fillings replace silver or gold fillings with a more natural looking
tooth-colored material. Since teeth are translucent, dark fillings cause the
whole tooth to appear darker when viewed from the side. Replacing older dark
fillings with white fillings will keep your smile glowing!
Orthodontics
is no longer just braces. Arch
expanders can sometimes be used in younger children to prevent or minimize
any need for braces. A patient that needs braces
now has a choice of silver or white/clear brackets. Retainers may be used
to help maintain straight teeth. Adults now have the option of wearing an
"invisible" retainer to correct
mild to moderate crowding.
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© Copyright 2001- Dental WebSmith, Inc. and Craig C. Pettey, DDS, Inc. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: The information provided within is intended to help you better understand dental conditions and procedures. It is not meant to serve as delivery of medical or dental care. If you have specific questions or concerns, contact your health care provider.
