What is a smile lift?
Much like a "face lift" a smile lift is a dental equivalent of dental cosmetic surgery. If you read through the Q&A below you will gain a better understanding of what it takes to achieve the smile you are after.
Why is it important to replace a missing tooth?
Spaces left by a missing tooth will affect the rest of your teeth. Adjacent teeth will shift out of place with will then change your bite. It will be harder to clean the teeth, increasing the potential for tooth decay and gum disease. The smile will also be less attractive. By replacing a tooth, your appearance, teeth, gums and jaws will be much healthier.
What is full mouth treatment ?
In situations where ones dental condition is in a state of a serious disrepair, ie multiple missing and/or broken and/or worn teeth possibly combined with other problems- a full mouth treatment or as we call it "reconstruction" is indicated. This combines a variety of treatments together. See the before and after photos under full mouth treatment.
What is a fixed bridge?
A fixed bridge is a permanent way to replace one or more missing teeth. The design of a fixed bridge involves one or more replacement teeth attached to the natural teeth on either side of the space. A bridge is often made of metal covered by porcelain. This results in a very esthetic, yet strong structure to replace missing teeth.
What is a crown?
A crown (also referred to as a cap) is a restoration that covers a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size. This helps to strengthen a tooth and improve its appearance. A crown is recommended for:
a) teeth that have cracks and are broken down…this way all of the cracks are sealed so that the damage does not get worse
b) teeth that have large fillings…the crown supports large fillings when there is not enough natural tooth remaining
c) root canal treated teeth which are often weak and brittle
d) badly shaped and discolored teeth
How is a crown placed?
On the first visit, we will prepare a tooth for a crown by reducing its size so to make room for the crown to fit over it. An impression of the teeth and gums is taken and then sent to a lab so that the crown can be designed. We will make a temporary crown for the patient to wear, until the permanent crown is ready. On the second visit we will remove the temporary crown and cement the permanent one. The permanent crown will look very natural with the color and shape customized for the patient. It will be made of either metal covered by porcelain, or entirely porcelain.
What is a dental implant?
Dental implants can be thought of as artificial tooth roots. Implants are small titanium posts that are inserted into the jawbone where teeth are missing. While they come in a large variety of designs all implants follow the same general principles. During a healing period, the bone attaches to the implants making new, permanent "roots", and giving us sites to which crowns or dentures can be anchored.
How can a dental implant help if I am missing all of my teeth and wear complete dentures?
Help is here! A large number of people have lost all of their teeth at a young age and have put up with a loose lower denture that just won't stay in place even with the help of messy denture adhesives. A certain number of implants can be placed during a simple and short surgical procedure done under local anesthetic. The denture is then relined so that it can snap onto the implants. This will help you to regain the comfort and satisfaction of normal chewing.
How long does implant treatment take?
After implants are placed in the mouth they must be allowed to heal for a period between 10-20 weeks. Once the healing is completed then crowns, bridges or dentures can be placed onto the implants. In more complex cases treatment can take longer depending on the individual circumstances.
A bridge replaces a missing tooth or teeth and it uses the adjacent teeth for support and retention. A bridge is permanently cemented in place. An implant, is also a permanent solution to tooth replacement, but it does not rely on the adjacent teeth. It is like an individual natural tooth. Implant treatment is more conservative in nature and more lengthy but the final result is more natural. Bridge treatment is a lot faster, as there is no healing period involved, but it is more aggressive in nature. Both treatments depending on the individual indications can be very good, long-term treatment options.
What are veneers?
To improve a smile's appearance, veneers are a wonderful option, as they can conceal teeth that are stained, broken, misshapen or poorly aligned. Veneers can also be used to cover dark spaces between teeth.
Veneers are thin custom made coverings that cover the front and side surfaces of your teeth, much like an artificial fingernail. They are often made of porcelain which is held in place by a resin which adheres the back of the veneer to the prepared tooth. Although veneers are thin, they are extremely strong and durable. With veneers, major esthetic changes can be achieved without the need to reduce the size of the tooth significantly, and the procedure can be completed with little or no discomfort.
Could you describe the veneer procedure?
The first visit involves preparing the teeth. The preparation for veneers is very conservative which is a big advantage to this procedure…only a thin amount of enamel is removed from the tooth. We will then take impressions so that the lab can design the veneer. Temporary veneers are placed. After a few days, the patient returns and the temporary veneers are removed with the permanent veneers bonded with a laser to secure their position.
Can veneer treatment be completed in one day?
Although we can not guarantee it but in some straight forward cases we can prepare your teeth and place the final veneers on the same day.
How long do implants, crowns, bridges or veneers last?
All these treatment options are very long lasting. Potentially they can last a lifetime.
What is cosmetic bonding?
If you are self-conscious about your teeth because of chips, stains or the shape, there is a quick and easy solution. With cosmetic bonding, tooth colored resin is bonded to your teeth and then sculpted to the proper shape. Composite resin is made up of liquid resin and tiny particles of glass. It can be polished to match the shine of your natural teeth. Although bonding is very useful, it is not suitable if a large portion of the tooth surface is damaged. Veneers or crowns may be better suited for these situations. With bonding the majority of tooth surface is left intact, so the procedure is not painful and often does not require any local anesthetic or tooth preparation. In a single visit the resin can be added to the teeth and an attractive result achieved.
How long does bonding last?
Bonding does not last as long as porcelain veneers. Repairs and replacements however are usually quite simple.
What are some advantages of tooth-colored fillings over the mercury (silver colored) fillings?
The most obvious advantage is the appearance of white(tooth-colored) fillings. The composite resin material comes in a variety of shades so that it can match the existing tooth making it appear natural. White fillings are quite different than mercury ones in that they are bonded to the teeth. This bonding effect helps to support the tooth, making it less likely to break. With mercury fillings, there is no bonding, as they depend on undercuts made into the teeth to hold the metal inside. This eventually weakens the tooth, making it more prone to fracture. White fillings are also more conservative in terms of the tooth structure that needs to be removed. With white fillings only the decayed portion of the tooth is removed, whereas with metal fillings some of the healthy tooth must be removed to allow for enough bulk of mercury/silver.
Are tooth-colored fillings as strong as mercury/silver fillings?
Modern tooth-colored filling materials have similar wear rate to that of natural teeth. In properly selected cases these offer a great advantage over old-fashioned mercury/silver fillings.
What are inlays/onlays?
These are custom made fillings that are crafted by a dental laboratory technician. Inlays and onlays offer a superb fit, color match and durability compared to chair-side regular fillings.
What are the different ways of whitening teeth?
The most popular method is "home whitening". We would make you custom fitted trays that will sit over your upper and lower teeth. You will then have to wear these, with special whitening solution inside, for up to two hours per day until desirable results are achieved. It generally takes 3-4 weeks to achieve a nice result. The other method of whitening teeth is "chairside whitening". This is an in-office procedure that takes approximately one hour. A special whitening gel is applied to your teeth and the whitening action is then initiated with a special light. The whitening effect is usually obvious at the end of the procedure.
How much can my teeth whiten?
We can never exactly predict as to how much your teeth will whiten, as every case is highly individual. Generally speaking from our experience we have not come across any patient that was not satisfied with the outcome.
Can my existing crowns, bridges or cosmetic bonding be whitened?
No, they can not! Usually they will have to be redone in a lighter shade.
Are there any side-effects to tooth whitening?
We have never encountered any permanent side-effects. Some side-effects may include temporary tooth and gum sensitivity that resolves very quickly. Teeth are in no way damaged by the whitening.
What is the difference between professionally done whitening and store-bought whitening kits?
Store-bought whitening kits, although a lot less expensive than professional whitening do not offer the same results for the simple reason that there is no professional supervision and advice associated with their administration and the products themselves are not the ones that we as professionals use. Professional whitening products can not be purchased over the counter, they can only be administered by a licensed dental professional.
How much do these procedures cost?
It would be extremely misleading on our part to publish all the fees that we charge for the cosmetic and implant dental treatment we offer, as these fees vary depending on the individual needs of each patient that we treat. If you are seriously interested in cosmetic or implant dental treatment do yourself a favor-do not look for a "deal". A serious treatment of this nature will have a tremendous impact on your life and the results can potentially stay with you for a lifetime. It is the expertise, knowledge and value of the services that you should be "shopping" for! Our fees are set based on the complexity, level of responsibility, individual patient demands and the time involved. For illustration purposes only allow us to say that cosmetic and implant dental procedures can vary in cost between under $1000 and over $50000. Again the cost varies tremendously based on the individual case. We can only give you a true and accurate estimate if we can meet and examine your case in person.
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