Cosmetic Dentistry Directory Blog

While the layer of enamel covering your teeth is very hard and durable, there are limits to the protection it can provide. Biting down on hard substances, sustaining a strong blow to the face, or falling and landing hard on your face can cause a tooth to chip. Fortunately there are many ways to repair your chipped tooth.

If the chipped piece of your tooth is very small, your cosmetic dentist can repair the damage using dental bonding. Dental bonding is a conservative treatment that can be completed in just one office visit. First, your cosmetic dentist will prepare the tooth to accommodate the bonding material, which is made out of composite resin. Next, he will apply the bonding material to your tooth and shape it to match the dimensions of your neighboring teeth. Finally, a special light is used to harden the bonding material. The color of your dental bonding restoration can be matched to the shade of your natural teeth, restoring a beautiful smile.

For larger chips, a dental crown may be necessary to cover the tooth and protect it from additional damage. Your dental crown procedure can be completed in two office visits. On your first visit, your cosmetic dentist will prepare the tooth to accommodate your new crown. An impression of your tooth will be made and sent to the lab for use in creating your new dental crown. A temporary crown will be placed on your tooth to protect it from further damage while your permanent one is constructed. Once your dental crown has been made, you will return to your cosmetic dentist’s office to have it placed.

When a front tooth is chipped, porcelain veneers are an excellent way to cover up the damage and restore a beautiful smile. Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain which get bonded to the front surface of your teeth. This procedure can also be completed in two office visits. On your first visit, your cosmetic dentist will prepare your tooth and take an impression which will be sent to the lab. Once your porcelain veneer has been constructed, you will return to your dentist’s office to have it bonded to the surface of your tooth.

Please contact a cosmetic dentist near you to learn more about solutions to repair your chipped tooth.

There are many options available to help brighten your smile. However, not all tooth whitening systems are created equal, and the product you use will have a significant impact on the results you achieve.

While over-the-counter tooth whitening products will save you some money compared with professional tooth whitening sessions performed by your cosmetic dentist, you should be aware that you get what you pay for. The results, safety, and comfort achieved with professional tooth whitening systems are certainly worth the additional cost.

Professional tooth whitening treatments delivered by your cosmetic dentist use a stronger concentration of bleaching gel, which improves the results that can be achieved by your procedure. Your cosmetic dentist will also use custom-made trays that are designed to fit your teeth properly. This ensures a more even distribution of the whitening gel across your teeth, eliminating the risk of blotchy results that are often associated with over-the-counter whitening products. These custom-fit trays also prevent the bleaching gel from coming into contact with your gums. This increases the safety of your treatment and reduces the risk of gum irritation.

Many cosmetic dentists offer both in-office tooth whitening treatments and at-home tooth whitening systems. If you prefer to achieve your whitening results in one brief office visit, you can choose the in-office system. If you prefer to gradually whiten your teeth over several weeks, you can do so in the comfort of your own home with a take-home kit.

Please contact an experienced cosmetic dentist near you to learn more about the many tooth whitening options available.

In honor of the NY Giants winning the Super Bowl last weekend, it seems only fitting that we do a special blog highlighting a cosmetic dental flaw affecting one of the most iconic Giants defensive players of all time – Michael Strahan. For about 15 years, Strahan wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks, racking up sacks at a record pace (he still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single season). He will undoubtedly make the Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility, as he ranks among the best defensive ends of all time.

I’m sure Strahan will be grinning from ear to ear on the day he is finally enshrined in Canton. And when he does, he will flash that signature smile containing a rather large gap between his two front teeth. Over the years, that gap-toothed smile has become legendary. While Strahan clearly has the money to correct the issue, he has curiously chosen not to. Perhaps that gap-toothed smile has become his calling card.

But if Michael Strahan were to choose to correct this issue before his induction into the Hall of Fame, what would he do? He has many options at his disposal to close the gap between his front teeth, including:

• Dental bonding
• Porcelain veneers
• Invisalign

Which of these would deliver the best results for a Hall of Fame defensive end who wants to put forth his best smile on his big day?

Since the gap between his teeth isn’t very large, it can easily be corrected with dental bonding. This would provide the most conservative solution to the problem. However, it is also the shortest-lasting method to fill the gap. Eventually, Strahan would either need to have the bonding procedure redone or opt for a more long term solution. Also, the bonding material may be susceptible to staining over time, marring his newly revamped smile.

Porcelain veneers are a common option to close gaps between teeth. The procedure involves having a thin porcelain shell bonded to the front surface of your teeth. Dental porcelain mimics many of the qualities of natural tooth enamel, ensuring a beautiful result.

Invisalign provides an excellent alternative to traditional orthodontics. The procedure uses a series of clear, removable plastic aligners to gradually straighten your teeth. Invisalign would be a much better option for Strahan than traditional braces since he currently works as an NFL analyst for FOX, and he probably doesn’t want to flash a mouth full of metal for the camera every week.

So which of these options would be best for Strahan on his big day? I think the clear-cut choice would have to be porcelain veneers. Dental bonding is less durable, can eventually stain, and must be redone more quickly than veneers. While Invisalign provides the best long term solution, the aligners may impact his speech. This could be a liability during FOX broadcasts on Sunday mornings, and it could subject him to needless ridicule from Jimmy Johnson. And there’s no way any self-respecting Giants legend is going to open himself up to ridicule from a former Cowboys coach. Therefore, we are left with porcelain veneers, which deliver beautiful aesthetics and are resistant to stains. Since Strahan is a rich former NFL player, he can get a whole set of porcelain veneers to cover all of his upper teeth. This way, he will be able to flash a beautiful Hollywood smile as he gets inducted to the Hall of Fame.

Of course, we are talking about Michael Strahan, a man who has embraced his gap-toothed smile with pride. So I think it is pretty unlikely that he will seek out any of these options in the near future. But it is fun to speculate, especially in light of the fact that his former team is once again Super Bowl champs.

Please contact an experienced cosmetic dentist near you to learn more about your options for correcting gaps between your teeth.

If you have minor cosmetic issue with your teeth that you’d like to correct, you might want to consider dental bonding. This versatile cosmetic dentistry procedure is an effective way to correct:

• Small chips
• Mild crookedness
• Cavities
• Stains or discoloration that has been resistant to tooth whitening
• Gaps between teeth
• Unevenly sized teeth

Dental bonding can be completed in one office visit. Your cosmetic dentist will apply a tooth-colored resin to your teeth. A special light will be used to harden the resin material, bonding it to your tooth. Your dentist will then polish the material to give it a beautiful shine.

You will experience several important benefits by choosing dental bonding to address your cosmetic dentistry needs:

• There is no need for your restoration to be fabricated in a dental lab, enabling the procedure to be completed in just one office visit
• Less natural tooth structure is removed than with other restorations such as dental crowns or porcelain veneers
• No anesthesia is required
• It is the easiest and most affordable cosmetic dentistry option

For these reasons, dental bonding is often included as part of a smile makeover.

Please contact a cosmetic dentist in your area today to learn more about dental bonding.