Contrary to the opinion of some, teeth do not need to be super white to look good. In fact the desired shade should be determined by holding a shade guide next to a patients lips and seeing which shade looks best. Some people’s complexions can make overly whitened teeth look unaesthetic
July 5, 2009
Not everyone who is unhappy with the appearance of their smile needs them. There are other affordable options. Sometimes some tooth whitening and some simple bonded additions are all that is needed. If teeth are crowded, Invisalign braces can be another alternative option. Sometimes a combination of all three provides a natural looking solution.
July 7, 2009
Often small defects in the teeth can be fixed with the addition bonded composite. Minimal preparation is often needed and no local anesthetic is necessary. These small additions can both protect and improve the appearance of your teeth. Where ever dentin is exposed, it tends to erode and further undermine the surrounding enamel. Over time, this accelerates the loss of surrounding enamel and tooth structure.
July 8, 2009
No smile can be truly esthetic without healthy gingiva. If you desire a beautiful smile, an indispensable foundation is gingival health. Insure your gums continued health by sticking to the basics. We strongly recommend you start by using a Braun Oral-B rechargeable electric toothbrush to our patients. Patients using a manual brush have more of a tendency to miss some part of the mouth, which can lead to a localized gingivitis.
July 9,2009
When whitening your teeth eating foods or drinking liquids with certain dark colors may slow down the process.. , Avoid drinks that might stain your teeth such as Coca Cola, Black teas, Pomegranate juice or red wines. Instead substitute beverages that are clearer colored such as Sprite, White grape juice, Green tea or white wine. If you must have your coffee have one or two cups per day, but make sure you lighten it with cream or milk. These diet modifications should continue during the entire bleaching ;process and for two weeks after completion. At that point you may eat and drink what you want!
July 10
Often patients focus on one tooth that is slightly out of place. They zero in on that ‘imperfection’ and worry that their smile is unattractive. Actually their smiles are beautiful. The big picture is that others viewing their smile do not feel it is unattractive. Most people viewing a smile look it as a whole and do not notice small imperfections. Sometimes after a cosmetic consultation some patients are reassured and often choose to have some minor bonding alterations rather than more extensive and costly cosmetic dental procedures. Another solution often turns out to be Invisalign , a treatment that can be a wonderful way to enhance a smile and correct minor tooth crowding
July 11, 2009
As teeth wear, often enamel can become perforated either on the biting surface or near the neck of teeth. This is a perfect place to apply bonding to cover and seal these defects. The repairs can be extremely cosmetic and natural looking. The required preparation for these repairs can be minimal and often requires no anesthesia. The bonding material becomes in effect ‘artificial enamel’.
July 12, 2009
Many patients ask ‘What is the most esthetic type of material for veneering or crowning a tooth. It is clear that bonded feldpathic porcelain restorations are the most esthetic. When they are not highly opacified they look and feel like natural enamel. They are translucent in and natural looking. There are many different material used for crowning or veneering teeth. Some are more accurately fitted, some are tougher, but none look better!
July 13, 2009
Treat your smile to a tan? Although tanning is not good for your skin, it does tend to highlight a smile and make it look brighter. Probably the summer is not the best time to touch up your bleaching. Sometimes tans and freshly bleached teeth provide a smile that looks unnaturally white. It’s better to wait until your tan fades to touch up bleaching.
July 14, 2009
Wondering about having your smile improved? Cosmetic mock ups can be a great way to preview different looks. The dentist places composite directly on your teeth, simulating proposed changes. Since not acid etch is used the bonding comes off easily, but allows a patient to see proposed changes prior to actually committing to a treatment plan.
July 15, 2009
Want to have an attractive smile? Be Happy and think happy thoughts. A real smile is more attractive than any forced smile, no matter how well shaped or aligned the teeth are. Attractiveness truly comes from within. Happy people have a natural attractiveness that can not be faked or imitated. When we are happy we seem ageless, and project an appealing energy. Our vitality draws others to us. Let a smile be your umbrella, walk on the sunny side of the street!
July 16, 2009
Teeth that have been whitened do tend to fade slowly over time.Touch ups can be easily accomplished in as little as two or three nights using custom made whitening trays. These trays are recommended even for patients undergoing light assisted in office whitening procedure such as Zoom , to allow for additional whitening and eventually needed touch-ups.
Many patients use these trays as their initial method of tooth whitening and the results can be comparable to the results of Zoom, Bright Smile, or Rembrandt light assisted tooth whitening treatments. In my experience at home tray bleaching usually provides excellent results in about three weeks.
July 17, 2009
After completing a smile make over it is recommended that patients wear a clear retainer or night guard while sleeping. This will protect cosmetic dentistry from any grinding or bruxing during sleep. It also will prevent a gradual shifting of teeth that can occur over time. Teeth can shift slowly over time if allowed and this can allow unplanned and unaesthetic changes to occur in a smile.
If made properly these retainers can double as bleaching trays to night or day whiten a patient’s smile. Since retainer can be made similarly to bleaching trays, they can be ised to brighten your teeth as well!
July 18, 2009
Most people who smile, primarily show only the 6 front teeth upper anterior teeth from cuspid to cuspid. Their bicuspids tend to be slightly recessed as compared to the more prominent cuspids. Many celebrities have a broader smile that shows more teeth. Most have had some help from a dentist to achieve this effect. Hollywood smiles usually feature ten teeth from second bicuspid to second bicuspid. Cosmetic dentists can create this look by making the’ bicuspids appear more prominent either by adding bonding, placing porcelain veneers or using Invisalign. If you are interested ,this Hollywood smile can be previewed at a cosmetic dental office. There, a dentist can place composite on the surface of your bicuspids and create the look temporarily. If it is only placed on one side and not the other you may be able to better see the difference by looking rapidly back and forth at both sides.
July 19, 2009
Often simple changes can improve the way a patient’s teeth and smile looks. Sometimes, even changing one filling can make a difference. Silver fillings can oxidize over time an can impart a gray color to teeth. I find that when they are removed and the preparations that housed them are lightly prepared with a fine diamond, most, if not all grey stains can be removed. When tooth colored filling are then placed the teeth can look renewed. If you have a tooth that doesn’t look good due to a black filling and grey stain, consider replacing the filling.
July 20, 2009
Smoking is not only bad for your health, it’s bad for your smile. Besides staining your teeth with black nicotine stains, smokers teeth tend to become more yellow with time.They also seem to be a a greater risk for periodontal disease and also seem to experience more gingival recession. Often long smokers have intraproximal loss of the papillae between their teeth. This loss gradually happens over time, but can ruin what had been a beautiful smile. The ‘black holes’ that are left between the teeth are unesthetic and can be hard to fix. Bonded composite can added to teeth intraproximally to’ minimize the size of the black holes’.
