How Confident is Your Smile?
If your smile makes you feel less than confident there are new advances in cosmetic dentistry that can enhance your smile and give you the pearly whites you have always wanted. Studies show that you can tell how confident a person is by the way they smile. Here are some of the procedures you can you improve your smile though cosmetic dentistry.
Veneers-Veneers are a thin layer of restorative material placed over the surface of a tooth, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth of to protect a damaged tooth surface. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer, composite and dental porcelain. A composite veneer may be placed directly placed (built-up in the mouth), or indirectly fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory, and later bonded to the tooth, typically using a resin cement such as Panavia. In contrast, a porcelain veneer may only be indirectly fabricated.
Lumineers-Lumineers are a type of veneer that is attached directly to the tooth. A very thin piece of porcelain is placed on top of the existing tooth structure.
Tooth Whitening-Professional tooth whitening done by a dentist is a common procedure in general dentistry but primarily in the discipline of cosmetic dentistry. As a person ages, their adult teeth become yellowed and stained from coffee, tobacco, cola, etc. The adult teeth also often become darker due to the changes of the mineral structure within the tooth. There are many methods to whiten teeth: whitening strips, bleaching pens and gels, laser whitening, and natural bleaching. Usually, at-home whitening is done with a bleaching gel applied to the teeth using mouth-trays. Some methods will give you more success than others but you will always receive the best results from a professional
Orthodontics-If you are experiencing crooked or gapped teeth, you may need to wear an orthodontic appliance for a few months to a few years depending on the amount of movement needed. There are several different types of orthodontic appliances.
Traditional braces-Traditional braces are metal comprised of metal brackets cemented to the teeth and then tightened with wires. Speaking from experience, it is not exactly comfortable to have a mouth full of metal. The traditional braces have seen vast improvements since they were first introduced.
Invisalign- The invisalign method came along in the early 2000s and has some advantages to the traditional braces. The first and most obvious advantage is that the invisalign is completely transparent. Also, the invisalign braces have shown to be more comfortable than the metal counterparts. Third, the aligners are removable so you don’t have to worry about having to only eat certain foods. It has also been claimed that the Invisalign method is quicker than metal bracket and wire braces. Since the aligners are removable, the speed of the process completely depends on the patients wear habits. It is ideal for the patients to wear the aligners 20-22 hours daily. The cost is somewhat higher than traditional braces, as well.