Dental Dentist

By Matthew Candelaria

Over the course of a day, we smile involuntarily when we are happy, but someone who feels self-conscious about his or her smile has that happiness squelched by a domineering shame about exposing uneven or discolored teeth. If your smile is not all you wish it could be, there are many techniques that can be used to make your smile as bright and beautiful as anyone's. Virtually no smile cannot be restored, and full restoration is the goal of a cosmetic dentist's program of extreme dental makeover. What exactly is an extreme dental makeover? I will tell you.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth or smile whitening procedures such as Zoom Tooth whitening is one of the easiest ways to go from an embarrassing to a brilliant smile. If your teeth are not as white as you would like them to be, this treatment can lighten your teeth by as many as 9 shades in as little as an hour with no surgery and no side effects other than a possible sensitivity to heat and cold in your teeth. It is also good to have this done first so that the rest of your restoration can be color-matched to your new brighter shade.

Ceramic Veneers

Ceramic veneers are thin porcelain sheets that fit over the front of your teeth, presenting a bright façade every time you open your mouth. If your teeth are healthy, but are slightly uneven in shape or have very minor gaps, this can be a great solution, as it simultaneously whitens and reshapes your teeth. These generally require two visits, one for the taking of an impression of your teeth, and a second to fit the veneers in place.

Metal-Free Crowns

If you have some decay on your teeth, you may need metal-free bonded restorations or even Non-Metal Dental Crowns. These high-tech ceramic crowns provide a natural-looking surface for your teeth while sealing them against future decay. Because they have no metal, they blend perfectly with your other teeth, and there's no concern that if your gums recede in the future (as they tend to do), they will reveal the unsightly margin of the crown.

As another option, crowns, veneers, and restorations can all be custom-crafted in a single visit using the advanced CEREC restoration system.

Missing Teeth?

If damage to your smile has progressed to the point that one or more of your teeth is either missing or is weakened beyond restoration, your smile makeover can make up for this as well. In place of your natural teeth, there are two significant options: metal-free bridges or dental implants. Either of these restorations will correct the gap in your smile, but they are significantly different in their nature. A dental bridge is a series of prosthetic teeth bonded to the adjacent healthy teeth. Dental implants on the other hand, are prosthetic teeth that are attached by means of a synthetic titanium root to your jawbone. Both of these are essentially permanent solutions, but their indications are different. Consult a cosmetic dentist to find out which one might be right for you.