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Cosmetic Dentistry can repair chipped, broken or missing teeth with tooth-colored Bonded or Porcelain restorations! It can make yellow or gray teeth whiter with Professional Bleaching (Whitening) and/or Porcelain Veneers and can replace ugly silver fillings!
Teeth Whitening
Dental Bonding
Bonding is a procedure in which a tooth-colored resin is applied and hardened with a special light, ultimately "bonding" the material to the tooth to improve a person's smile. Among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures, bonding can repair chipped or cracked teeth, close gaps, change the shape of teeth, or be used as a cosmetic alternative to silver amalgam fillings.
Crowns
A crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that’s placed over a weak or damaged tooth to improve its shape, size, strength, or appearance. Most crowns last five to 15 years and can be made of metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic. Before a crown is seated, the existing tooth is filed down; then the crown is cemented over it, fully encasing the tooth. Onlays and 3/4 crowns cover the underlying tooth to a lesser extent.
Enamel Shaping
Enamel shaping or contouring is a quick and painless process of shaping natural teeth to improve their appearance. It is generally used to correct small imperfections such as uneven teeth or teeth that are slightly overcrowded. Results can be seen immediately. Enamel shaping is often combined with whitening, veneers, or bonding.
Orthodontics (Braces)
Braces can correct crooked or misaligned teeth, and can improve the health and appearance of anyone’s smile -- adult or child. Braces work by applying steady pressure over time to slowly move teeth into alignment. As the teeth move, the bony tooth socket changes shape as pressure is applied.
While metal braces are still used, braces can be as inconspicuous as you like. Brackets -- the part that attach to each tooth -- can be clear, tooth-colored, or multi-colored. They can even be attached to the back of the tooth so they are out of view. There are even "invisible" braces which use a series of clear, plastic molds to gradually move the teeth into alignment.
Composite Fillings
Existing fillings sometimes need to be replaced due to wear, chipping, or cracking. Many people use this opportunity to replace their silver amalgam fillings with natural, tooth-colored composites. Their reasons may be aesthetic, or concern over the safety of amalgam fillings, which contain mercury. Composite fillings tend to wear out sooner than silver fillings in larger cavities, although they hold up as well in small cavities.
Gum Reshaping
Gum reshaping can improve a “gummy” smile in which teeth appear too short, or where the gum line appears uneven. A small amount of gum tissue -- and excess bone tissue if necessary -- is removed and contoured to expose more of the teeth. This procedure can be done to one tooth to even the gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural, broad smile.
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