Cosmetic Dentistry
For that Dazzling Smile
Slightly misshapen, misaligned or discolored teeth can make you feel you have an unattractive smile – even if you teeth are otherwise healthy, you may still feel embarrassed to smile. At CareDental we understand how you feel and with our Smile Makeover treatment, you can get that unique confident smile you’ve always wanted.
Depending upon your goals, expectations and some diagnostic data, a plan is carefully crafted by us to achieve your desired result in harmony with your other facial features and the image you’d like to project.
Some of the popular cosmetic dental procedures for a Smile Makeover are:
- Teeth Whitening
- Dental Bonding
- Porcelain Veneers
- Dental Crowns & Dental Bridges
Teeth Whitening
Do you have stains on your natural teeth caused by coffee, tobacco or aging? If yes, then Teeth Whitening can make your smile shine through and boost your confidence. The degree of whiteness achieved varies from patient to patient, depending on the composition of the tooth structure, cause for discoloration and individual response to the whitening agents.
First, we’ll determine the health of your teeth and gums before we start whitening your teeth. The cause of your tooth discoloration also needs to be assessed in order to determine whether tooth whitening will work for you. To ensure you have a pleasant and pain-free experience at CareDental, we need to examine and evaluate, if you have cavities or exposed root surfaces, as placing bleaching agents on damaged teeth can be quite painful. Once it has been determined that teeth whitening can work for you, we will take an impression of your teeth in order to make your custom fitted whitening tray. Whitening procedures in our office are performed under expert supervision to ensure the correct level of brightness and prevent any damage to the enamel of the teeth.
Bonding
Chipped tooth due to damage or decay? Crooked or gapped teeth? No problem! Dental Bonding, also referred to as composite resin or tooth colored fillings, involves using a tooth colored filling material to evenly restore tooth structure that was lost to decay or other damage. It is then shaped and polished to resemble your natural teeth. Dental bonding is relatively inexpensive and can be completed in a single visit. If it chips or breaks, it may be repaired in certain cases or replaced. Dental bonding can also be used to change the size and shape of teeth in cosmetic dentistry and smile makeovers.
Veneers
Dental veneers are thin shells of tooth-colored, translucent porcelain or composite resin, custom made to fit over teeth and improve their color, shape and overall appearance. Placement of dental veneers can dramatically improve your smile and appearance and are also referred to as “instant orthodontics” because they can be used to cover a variety of dental problems involving teeth in the “smile zone” including:
- Spaces between the teeth.
- Poorly shaped or crooked teeth.
- Broken or chipped teeth.
- Permanently externally stained and/or internally stained teeth.
- Unsightly or stained fillings.
Dental veneers can improve the appearance of the teeth but they cannot realign the jaw.
Porcelain veneers are very durable. Although porcelain veneers are very thin, usually between 0.5 – 0.7 mm and becomes very strong once bonded with a healthy tooth structure. They usually last 10-15 years, if you take good care of them using good oral hygiene and avoiding using them to crack or chew hard objects like ice or hard nuts.
Composite Veneers are quick to accomplish in one visit and are less expensive than Porcelain. Composite Veneers can also be repaired if damaged, while Porcelain need to be replaced.
Both have their own features and we recommend a discussion with your Dentist to help you make the right choice.
Bridges
If you are missing a tooth or some teeth between other healthy teeth then a dental bridge may be just what you need.
When a tooth or teeth are lost, the teeth around it move toward this new empty space. This shifting of the teeth alters the direction of force applied to the remaining teeth, their roots and the jaws during chewing. These misdirected forces accelerate this undesirable tooth movement. Dental bridges can correct an altered bite and improve your chewing ability. The bridge is also beneficial to the gum. With the bridge in place, the gums will not tend to shrink away as fast as if the teeth were still missing.
Since each case is unique, after careful study of the teeth, Dr. Wadhwa will discuss your options vis-à-vis the type of bridge – Traditional, Maryland or Cantilever and the material used to fabricate the bridge.
Remember, dental bridges require regular and consistent home and professional care to prevent decay at the tooth-dental bridge junction. Always clean the area beneath the dental bridge. We will instruct you on proper care of your bridge to help ensure the health of the teeth supporting your new dental bridge and a quick evaluation will be a part of your periodic check.
Crowns
A crown simply is a cap over the entire tooth for dental restoration and is required when there is excessive damage due to decay, fractured, chipped teeth, root canal treatment or aesthetically compromised tooth.
Usually a crown is fitted in 2 visits. During the first visit, depending upon the health of your teeth, we’ll shape the tooth / clean the decay, take measurements and fit a temporary crown while your customized crown is being fabricated. In the second visit, we’ll remove the temporary crown and fit the final crown. Your dentist will work with you, if any tweaks are required and once you are comfortable with the fit and approve it, we’ll cement the crown in place.
