Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are wafer thin custom made shells of tooth coloured porcelain designed to cover the front surfaces of teeth to improve your appearance.
Veneers are used to fix:
• Teeth that are stained
• Teeth that are worn or broken
• Teeth that are misaligned, uneven or of an irregular shape.
• Teeth with gaps between them.
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.
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 15 years or more 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 three-quarter 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.
Teeth Whitening
Who doesn’t like a bright smile? An assortment of teeth-whitening systems is available, including toothpastes, over-the-counter gels, strips and trays, and whitening agents obtained from a dentist. But whitening isn’t for everyone. It’s ideal for people who have healthy, unrestored teeth and gums. Individuals with yellow tones to their teeth — as opposed to gray tones — respond best. Talk to your dentist to find out if whitening is right for you.
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.
Implant
Many people suffer tooth loss, mostly due to tooth decay, gum disease, or injury. Dental implants — replacement tooth roots which are made of titanium (shown at far left) — provide a strong foundation for the attachment of permanent or removable artificial teeth (crowns). Instead of individual crowns, some patients may have attachments on their implant that support a removable denture.
Denture
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissue. There are two types of dentures — complete and partial. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some of the natural teeth remain.
Bridges (fixed partial dentures)
A fixed (permanent) bridge replaces one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth either side of the gap, and attaching artificial teeth to them. The “bridge” is then cemented into place. A cantilever bridge is used when there are teeth on only one side of the open space. Maryland bonded bridges have porcelain teeth supported by a framework.