| AESTHETIC DENTISTRY -
The correction or improvement of the look, or shape of teeth and smile while including
restorative dentistry, prosthetic dentistry, and preventive dental care. |
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Aesthetic Dentistry. This has almost become a specialty
in itself. It includes the following procedures:
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| BLEACHING -
TEETH WHITENING |
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There are two techniques which
are commonly used to brighten teeth:
1) DENTIST SUPERVISED "AT-HOME" TECHNIQUE -
This technique is good for those people who simply need to lighten their
teeth. When teeth have been discolored from smoking, coffee, tea, or
simply due to aging, this is often a good option. [Often, if a single
tooth has had a root canal treatment done, it can cause discoloration
(darkening) of the tooth. If a crown is not placed to support the tooth
right away, often the tooth may be bleached at a later time instead.]
First, an impression is taken of the patient's mouth and stone models
are poured up. Then a precision fit splint is made (either by a lab
or by the dental office) which has the facial surface of the teeth blocked
out to allow room in the splint for the bleaching solution (typically
10% -15% carbamide peroxide) to stay on the teeth. This thin mouthpiece
is then worn for one to three hours per night (or in the evening) daily,
after the patient has carefully cleaned their teeth. It usually takes
about two weeks to get to the desired results if worn every night.
Advantages include: This technique allows you to do this at your own
home (or work) and on your own time. If you wish to lighten your teeth
more in the future, you can simply purchase some more bleaching solution
and use that. The cost for this procedure is generally a little less
than the IN OFFICE TECHNIQUE.
2) "IN-OFFICE" TECHNIQUE -
First, the teeth are pumiced to clean them. Then an ointment is placed
on the gums to protect them. A rubber dam (similar to a thin plastic
square with holes in it to fit around the teeth) is placed over the
teeth and the teeth are isolated to allow the bleaching solution to
work. The patient then sits in front of a special bleaching light for
approximately 30 minutes per arch. This technique usually works best
after about three sessions.
Advantages include: This is better when you have streaks of darker colors
on your teeth, or if you have crowns or other fillings on your front
teeth. Since we are able to use a stronger solution using this technique,
we feel it produces a more reliable result.
Disadvantages include: If you have sensitive teeth to begin with, this
technique can cause them to be slightly more sensitive temporarily (typically
for up to a day). In addition, occaisionally, the material can cause
minor temporary irritation on the gums near the edges of the rubber
dam.
OVERVIEW: Bleaching is a safe and effective way to whiten your teeth.
For patients who are heavy smokers or coffee drinkers, the results may
not be as long-lasting. The ADA has given it's approval on many of the
products available for bleaching (specifically the ones used at our
office.)
FOR MORE DETAILS ON DIFFERENT BLEACHING TECHNIQUES CLICK
HERE!
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| BONDING is a generic term for the cosmetic procedures that we do when we add
materials to the teeth to either fill in spaces between the teeth, to lengthen teeth,
to reshape teeth, or to change the color of the teeth. It includes composites
and porcelain veneers. These procedures can radically improve the overall
smile of a person and improve self-esteem and self-confidence. They are more conservative
than full coverage crowns. |
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| COMPOSITES are glass filled resins that are bonded
to the teeth. The materials have improved dramatically in the past twenty
years in terms of durability, esthetics, wear and use of placement. The
newer light-cured type of composite materials allow us to place the filling
in the tooth first to check the shade and then harden the material. There
are generaly about ten different shades of white, yellow and grey that
we can mix together to create a great shade match with your teeth. Most
fillings that are placed in the front teeth are composites. Since these
types of materials are bonded to your teeth and have better esthetics
than metal type fillings, and they don't have the concern of mercury or
putting extra stresses on the teeth, these are becoming more commonly
done in the back teeth in smaller areas, when indicated. In the larger
areas, porcelain inlays and onlys can be used to support
the tooth surfaces and contact areas better. |
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| CROWNS - Typically porcelain crowns are placed when
a significant amount of tooth structure is lost and when placing a filling
would jeopardize the integrity of the tooth or compromise the aethetics
or strength. Traditional crowns have gold inside of them with porcelain
bonded to the outside for aethetics. These are sturdy and durable and
hold up well to the 200 pounds of pressure put on them during chewing
function. The newer porcelain crowns are called "second-generation"
materials because they are stronger and more durable than the original
porcelain type materials that were used thirty years ago. These new materials
have more flex, better wear, more translucency to match the natural color
of your teeth and they bond better to either the tooth or the metal underneath
the porcelain on the porcelain/metal crowns. New materials, including
the OPC crowns (Optimal Pressable Ceramic) are extrememly strong and durable
crowns made completely of porcelain and bonded to the tooth. Another name
for these is Empress Crowns. These types of crowns are becoming more and
more popular because they are more aesthetic, and have NO metal underneath
which can sometimes give a "grey" or "black" margin
"shine-through" at the gumline. |
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| PORCELAIN INLAYS AND ONLAYS - |
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| PORCELAIN INLAYS AND ONLAYS - In areas where strength
and aesthetics are needed, porcelain inlays and onlays are an excellent
option. In the contact areas, along the marginal ridge (the edge between
the teeth), there is a fair amount of wear and tear. If a composite material
is placed in an area of high stress, then it tends to wear down over time.
In cases such as this, porcelain fillings are suggested due to their excellent
aesthetics and durability. When part of a cusp of the tooth is missing,
there may still enough tooth structure to support a large filling, or
for a heavy chewing surface, then inlays and onlays can be considered.
Just like the porcelain veneers, they are strong and they are bonded to
the teeth using a thin layer of resin material. Porcelain restorations
maintain their color better than do composites. They will restore 95%
of the original tooth strength. With these newer materials available today,
along with newer glass ionomer cements and techniques, these are almost
invisible when they are placed. |
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| PORCELAIN VENEERS - These new veneers are thin porcelain facings that cover
the tooth and can be used to reshape, repair, or restore a tooth back to it's original
size or even better! They are bonded to the tooth using a resin material and they
are used to fill in spaces in teeth, large chips on the teeth, and cover up discolorations
on teeth. Many people choose to have porcelain veneers placed on their teeth in cases
where wearing braces (orthodontics) is not an option. Excellent results can be created
from veneers in a matter of weeks, as opposed to wearing braces for months or years.
We call it "instant orthodontics". Sometimes veneers are done to complete
orthodontic cases where there simply isn't enough tooth structure to fill in the
spaces needed due to a large arch. To see photos of porcelain
veneers. New materials currently available allow the dentist to place porcelain
veneers that have a very similar microscopic alignment of the crystals which allows
it to mimic the reflective surfaces that our natural enamel offers, giving even more
life-like appearance. |
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[Photo at top courtesy of Visual Solutions in Vancouver Washington
(800)691-9026.] |
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