Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures in the 21st Century

Today, you can enjoy the …smile of your dreams� thanks to the latest in new technology, equipment and procedural knowledge. Due to 21st century advancements, a beautiful, healthy mouth can be more than wishful thinking. The following are some of the procedures available:

Complete Smile Makeover - Selected procedures to functionally and aesthetically perfect the teeth. Each smile makeover is a customized combination of procedures based on your wants, dental needs, and budget. It would be planned by your and your cosmetic dentist ahead of time. Most people who have smile makeovers are transformed in their appearance, and enormously pleased with the outcome.

Invisalign® - A patented method of straightening teeth with a series of clear, unobtrusive, removable oral appliances (aligners). It can usually be completed in a shorter time period than required by traditional braces. The aligners are convenient, as they can be removed for eating, cleaning, and even for special occasions.

Porcelain Veneers - Very thin sheets of dental porcelain bonded to the front surfaces of teeth. they can hide a multitude of small defects, such as small chips and gaps, surface cracks, stains, and slight crookedness. They provide a new, bright look to your smile, in a very short time.

Instant Orthodontics - Another name for porcelain veneers.

Tooth Whitening - A tooth bleaching procedure. It can be done in your cosmetic dentist's office, or at home using a take-home kit your cosmetic dentist will give you. Although there are many over-the-counter tooth whitening kits, none will give you the satisfying and dramatic results of a professional treatment. Whether you choose the one-hour in-office treatment, or the more gradual at-home treatment, your results will be very comparable, and enormously gratifying.

Crowns and Bridges - Fixed (non-removable), dental restorations. Crowns cover an entire tooth to give it a new surface and prolong its life. Bridges fill the gap left by a missing tooth, or two missing teeth. Crowns on the neighboring teeth are part of a bridge, being the way it is attached and supported.

White Fillings - A procedure in which tooth-colored dental composite is used to fill cavities. The composite, also called dental bonding, matches the color of your natural teeth, so that it is not visible as a tooth filling. It looks like a natural part of your tooth.

Dental Bonding - The use of dental composite to repair and restore damaged teeth. This is the same dental bonding used for white fillings. It can be sculpted to close gaps and to protect exposed roots due to receding gums.

We are so much luckier than our grandparents were! We can prevent dental problems which they could only live with, or at best, try to address after they happened. Modern cosmetic dentists have sophisticated equipment which can detect decay much earlier, and can make dental procedures faster, virtually painless, and very gratifying in their improvements to our smile.