What is the Process Behind Veneers?
Dental veneers are bonded to the front of the teeth in order to change their appearance. They can make gaps appear smaller, change the color of the teeth, adjust the look of the size of the teeth to make them appear more normal in both width and length. They can be made of either porcelain, the most common, or resin composite materials. Porcelain seems to reflect light more like a natural tooth and that is why it is used more often.
If your teeth are worn, chipped, discolored, not quite in alignment but not necessarily bad enough for braces, or if the tooth has an abnormal shape such as grooves or bulges, veneers can help you achieve that movie star smile quicker than going through multiple treatments or braces.
If you choose to get veneers on your teeth, be aware that it will take three trips before you are finished. The first trip is just a consultation to go over what needs to be done and what the costs are going to be. Your teeth will be examined at this point and a plan will be established if veneers are found to be a good choice for you.
The second trip to the dentist is to prepare the teeth for the veneers, and to measure them. It will take anywhere from two to three weeks for the veneers to be completed before you go back to the dentist for application. During this visit, the dentist may need to numb you with a local anesthetic as he removes part of the enamel off the teeth in order to measure a proper fit.
The third and final visit is the actual application of the veneers. The dentist will clean and etch the teeth before applying the veneers so they will stay on firmly for many years. Once he has adjusted the fit and color, he cements the veneer to the tooth. A special light is then used to cause a chemical reaction in the cement that will make it bond permanently to the tooth. A quick cleaning to remove all spare cement and make sure your bite is still good and you are set to go. Your dentist will want to see you in a couple of weeks just to check your gums and make sure everything is as it should be.
Veneers are a relatively quick process to having a beautiful smile. They can repair years of cosmetic damage to give you nice, white, even teeth.
Are Mini Implants As Good As Traditional Implants?
The mini implant was originally designed for use as an alternative to the regular implants to build up bone deterioration before inserting the larger implants. However, it has been found that the bone mass that is built up around the mini implant is actually greater than around the traditional implant making the mini implant almost impossible to remove.
Upon learning this, many dentists have gone on to study the mini implant. The knowledge learned has been astounding. Not only is the mini implant sturdier in the bone, but also it is much less invasive to the patient, and even those patients with traditional dentures can walk out of the dentists’ office with a mini implant in less than an hour.
There is no cutting of the gums when mini implants are placed. They are simply drilled into the bone, usually four to six of them, and the old dentures are retrofitted to work with the mini implant system. This not only saves time, but a lot of needless pain and money.
It has been found, although it is not certain exactly how long this procedure will last, that a mini implant can be a good alternative to the loss of a single tooth by using it as a supporting structure for a crown. It seems the concerns are toward the weight bearing limitations of such a device. Many dentists do not recommend it for replacements that will get a large amount of force to prevent it from failing. Yet many dentists are also employing the practice with astounding results. This would definitely be something to talk to your dentist about.
Mini implants can even be used in patients that have had traditional dentures for many years, even with loss of bone tissue. After the removal of teeth, the bone begins to dissolve. There is no reason for it to be there if it doesn’t have anything to do. However, the mini implants can be drilled into thinner bone than traditional implants and they work very well. This is due directly to the size of the mini implant. They are much more narrow than traditional posts and there is no need for building up the bone, or even bone grafts for most of these implants.
If you are thinking about implants, for one tooth or even several teeth, talk to your dentist about mini implants. Being able to walk out of the dentists’ office with a bright smile that stays put in a little over an hour is a wonderful feeling.
Smile Design Dental Spa offers a variety of options for whitening your teeth, including:
KOR whitening:
Developed by internationally renowned cosmetic dentist and bleaching expert Dr. Rod Kurthy, the KOR Whitening Deep Bleaching System is used by thousands of dentists worldwide. It is considered to be the most reliable and effective bleaching system ever developed.
So, if you're too embarrassed to smile, have dark-stained teeth, or just simply want a whiter smile, the superiority of KOR Whitening is just what you need.
Zoom whitening:
As seen on ABC's Extreme Makeover, offers the best cosmetic teeth whitening available. Of all the dental whitening treatments (laser teeth whitening, whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, whitening gel and trays, and more), nothing whitens better or faster. Get an average of 8 shades whiter in just 45 minutes with Zoom!'s innovative teeth bleaching system. Zoom! has been clinically proven to be safe and effective and many dentists consider whitening the safest cosmetic dental procedure available.
Who is a Good Candidate for Invisalign?
Invisalign is a relatively new way to straighten teeth without the traditional appearance of braces. Using a set of clear trays that move only selected teeth at a time, the work of “tin grins” is done within a short amount of time without anyone knowing a thing. One of the most remarkable aspects is that the trays easily come out of the mouth enabling you to brush and floss like normal unlike traditional braces that are difficult to brush around, impossible to floss, and usually requires the use of a waterpik, or something similar, to clean between the teeth. Quite often, before traditional braces are removed there are some gum problems just from the lack of ability to keep the teeth and gums clean.
Invisalign is generally only recommended for people who are over fourteen years of age. The patients who usually choose this way to straighten their teeth are working professionals who have concerns about how they may be viewed having traditional braces. With Invisalign, no one is wiser. The clear trays cannot be seen as they do their work to make your smile more beautiful than ever.
Another consideration to Invisalign is how much straightening needs to be done to your teeth. Invisalign is not for everyone. If you have teeth that need to be severely moved in order to be straight, most likely this is not an immediate option for you. It could be an option at a later date, however. Also, if you have a bad overbite or underbite, Invisalign will not be able to help you with that. You will have to have other appliances used to correct such problems that cannot be used with Invisalign.
If you want a nicer smile with straighter teeth, Invisalign may be what you want. Not only will you not have the look of braces, but also as your teeth straighten you will continue to have healthy gums and white teeth. You won’t have the traditional worries about oral hygiene. Not a single person will know that you have begun the process to straighter teeth and a more beautiful smile, even when you smile.
How are lumineers applied?
Lumineers are a relatively new breakthrough in cosmetic dentistry that can give you a more perfect smile without the expense and harshness that getting veneers will require. They are thin porcelain veneers that are remarkably strong and can correct most cosmetic problems with teeth such as discoloration, unevenness, chips, crookedness, and even gaps.
Lumineers generally only require two appointments to have them created and applied versus veneers that require at least three. Temporary veneers are not required with them, which also make them attractive to certain individuals. Another advantage to lumineers is that the natural tooth is not damaged in any way to apply them. They are placed directly on the cleaned tooth with special cement that is bonded with a light. Traditional veneers require that part of the enamel of the tooth be removed before they can be bonded to the tooth.
Many people like that fact that the natural tooth does not have to be damaged in order to have lumineers applied. Because of this, it makes the lumineers able to be removed if you should decide that you no longer want them for some reason.
There is no pain to the application process, no shots that need to be given, no grinding down of the teeth prior to having them bonded to the teeth. Just clean teeth and a little time. There is at no point going to be a week or two where you will have to be seen in public with part of your teeth ground down, which can show more stains and damage to your teeth than before the process was begun.
Simply go to the first appointment for an exam and to find out if lumineers are right for you. If they are, a mold will be made from your teeth and sent off for the lumineers to be created. At your next appointment, providing you had no other forms of dentistry to be done such as fillings and the like, your lumineers will be bonded to your teeth right then and you will be leaving with a whole new smile.
