2 Cosmetic Services Offered By a Dentist

Dentist Blog

There are some dental procedures that aren't performed based solely on oral health, but are more focused on beautifying your smile. This type of work is known as cosmetic dentistry, and if you are thinking about fixing your teeth in a manner that makes your smile more radiant, here are two services that these dental professionals can offer you:

Veneers -- Veneers are one of the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures. Chipped teeth can ruin your smile, especially if the damage is on your front teeth. Veneers are a dental filling material that are made from porcelain or composite resin. Veneers are a thin layer of material that are shaped like your teeth, and are custom made through a process in which a dentist takes an impression of your teeth, then sends off the hardened mold to a lab that builds the veneers.

Dentists place veneers over your teeth and bond them to the enamel, which protects your chipped teeth and makes them look perfect. In some instances, if three or four of your front teeth are yellow but the rest of your teeth are white, a dentist will use veneers to whiten your teeth without using the standard hydrogen peroxide gel whitening method.

Teeth Whitening -- If your teeth have become more yellow than you like, and you want to restore a dazzling white smile, your dentist can offer you professional teeth whitening. Two methods are commonly used for this process:  in-office and at-home. The in-office whitening process is performed with the application of a strong hydrogen peroxide gel to your teeth, followed by laser light that is directed at your teeth.

The laser light triggers the gel to work immediately, and your dentist typically applies three coats of gel during the in-office whitening process. This is the fastest and most effective way to whiten your teeth, with immediate results after about an hour, but it is also expensive. If you're on a budget, the at-home whitening method is a better option because it's cheaper and still quite effective, though your results will take several weeks instead of an hour.

After taking an impression of your teeth, your dentist will make a dental tray that you take home, and on which you apply the gel every night to wear for 20 minutes. Within a few weeks, you will see your teeth whiten.

One thing to keep in mind is that veneers are teeth whitening are considered a cosmetic procedure and are not covered by dental insurance. So if you want to improve your smile, you will have to do so with your own money.

Share

29 June 2015

Unraveling Dental Myths about Children: A Blog for Parents

When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.