"A dazzling smile can ignite a room, projecting an image of self assurance and high personal esteem. It glows with embers of delight from an explosive source of pride. That magnificent smile is no longer a fantasy. Now it can be yours! Recent advances in techniques and materials offer modern practitioners of esthetic Dentistry many alternatives in the creation of brilliant smiles, bursting with energy and radiating enthusiasm. We have not yet discovered the magic wand, but we are getting closer. There are many exciting options."

Since no single approach serves the needs of every patient, careful evaluation of alternative or combined approaches is essential to a pleasing and lasting result.

When Dentists promote Cosmetic/Esthetic Dentistry they are generally including the following services:

• Veneers
• Porcelain Crowns
• Recontouring/Reshaping of the teeth
• Bleaching and Microabrasion
• Bonding
• Complete and Limited Orthodontics
• Periodontal Resculpting...Tooth Lengthening
• Treatment Blending

Offer the most exciting and revolutionary advancement in Aesthetic Dentistry. Dynamic results can usually be achieved within a week or ten days to correct somewhat misaligned, broken, discolored or misshapen teeth. Veneers are quite suitable as an alternative to minor orthodontics, but not recommended in cases of severe crowding or misalignment of teeth or malocclusions. Customarily, veneers are preferable to full crowns when there is adequate remaining tooth structure to support the restoration. The approach requires less reduction of healthy tooth structure than full crowns, without compromising the periodontal health. It is a blend of art and science that enables a skilled practitioner to achieve a sensational effect.

For many patients, unhappy with their smiles, porcelain veneers may be a dream come true!

Crown & Bridge Dentistry

While porcelain veneers offer dazzling aesthetic results, they require adequate remaining tooth structure for their support. With a minor loss in cosmetic appeal, porcelain fused to metal crowns offer greater strength and durability than veneers. These restorations are stationary and are customarily indicated for teeth that have sustained significant loss of structure, or to replace missing teeth. Crowns and bridges may be placed on natural teeth or dental implants.

Esthetic Recontouring

In some instances, simple reshaping of the front teeth, even without anesthesia, may produce a dramatic result to correct jagged, chipped or slightly uneven teeth. The dental sculptor becomes the maestro of art, employing sanding discs and creativity, in tandem with nature.

Bleaching and Micro Abrasion

Have your teeth become darker and yellowed over the years? Dental researchers have discovered a simple, safe, and inexpensive technique to manage discolored teeth, when used in indicated circumstances. A customized tray is fabricated for the application of gentle bleaching agents at home. Even intrinsic blemishes may be improved with the select utilization of microabrasion. A professional evaluation of the causes of the discoloration is indispensable to a predictable outcome.

Dental Bonding

was one of the first and most promising techniques developed for "instant" smile enhancement. It is still suitable in many circumstances to correct broken or misshapen teeth, but is neither as durable as porcelain veneers, nor as spectacular in addressing more complex cosmetic concerns. Once again, prudent employment of our skills yields the best and happiest endings in our quest for excellence.

Orthodontics

Many orthodontists claim that upwards of fifty percent of their practices include adult patients. The use of clear brackets, dental insurance benefits and higher disposable income affords an opportunity for many dental patients to realize the value of adult orthodontic care, once considered elective.

Periodontal Resculpting

With the use of modern periodontal "plastic surgery" techniques and the employment of synthetic bone, very pleasing aesthetic outcomes may be achieved, in selected instances, with periodontal surgery. Usual the surgery is simple and can be accomplished with simple electrosurgery.

It is possible to use a combination of methods listed above to achieve the best possible results. An example of this is bleaching the teeth before placing veneers or bonding so that the lightest shade may be used. Another possibility is to have orthodontic care (braces), before attempting veneers, crowns or bonding.

Material on this page was contributed by Jeffrey L. Wissot, DDS-FAGD & dentisty.com