Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments And Trends

By Author: Paul Epstein
Total Articles: 2
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What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

This can be anything done to correct imperfections in the appearance of the mouth. Anyone who is unhappy with their smile can have it fixed. The upper teeth show, usually, only when smiling, while the lower teeth remain hidden. This is reversed when talking, with the upper teeth remaining hidden while the lower teeth show. The color, alignment, spacing as well as regularity of the teeth are the characteristics that give the overall appearance. Any of these can be repaired to give a stunning look to the mouth.

Drdentalhealth.com offers a wide variety of Cosmetic Dentistry Options in Burlington, MA. Some of these options are whitening, smile design, re-contouring of the shape of the teeth, veneers, bonding, and all ceramic/porcelain crowns.

Whitening

This is the procedure of making teeth whiter, and therefore more attractive. Our office uses passive tray whitening which will whiten your teeth as well as any method and allows you to control the degree of the whitening process.

The tray method involves ...
... having impressions taken from which laboratory fabricated custom vinyl trays are made. A carbamide peroxide gel is placed in these trays and the trays with gel are worn for about 2-4 hours, or overnight. The entire process takes about 2 weeks of daily use. Three different strengths of gel may be used, however the higher the strength the greater the likelihood of reactions or tooth sensitivity.
The tray method is recommended for badly stained teeth, such as tetracycline staining, and it may take several months of use to see significant color improvement. For maintenance of whitened teeth the trays should be used every several months.
Veneers
Veneers are a dental procedure in which a covering is placed over the outside (visible area) of the tooth. Veneers are usually only done to the part of the teeth that are visible when talking or smiling. The procedure can be direct or indirect.

The direct technique usually involves placing composite resin on the outside of the tooth using bonding. This method is usually referred to as bonding.

The indirect technique usually involves two appointments because the veneers will be fabricated at a dental laboratory. At the first appointment the teeth are prepared, impressions taken, and the teeth are given a temporary covering. In two to three weeks the veneers are back from the laboratory, the temporaries are removed and the veneers are bonded to the teeth. The laboratory fabricated veneers are usually made using porcelain or pressed ceramic, and are very esthetic.

CROWNS
A crown covers an entire tooth and are usually done to support a tooth that has large fillings. Crowns may be fabricated out of all porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold.
It takes two appointments to restore a tooth with a crown. In the first the tooth is shaped to accept the crown. Then an impression is made of the tooth for use in fabricating a crown. Between the two visits the laboratory fabricates the crown and during this time a temporary crown is worn. In the second visit this temporary is removed. Then the permanent crown is adjusted as needed and then cemented or bonded in place.
The crown or veneer color is matched to the color of the surrounding teeth by use of a shade guide, photography and in some cases, custom coloring.Drdentalhealth.com Burlington, MA aim for natural esthetics to achieve a life-like appearance.