How Are Porcelain Veneers Placed?

What are porcelain veneers? If you are looking to straighten, cover up, whiten, or reshape your teeth, porcelain veneers offer a cosmetic dental solution for enhancing your smile to look just how you want. Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of tooth-like porcelain that are bonded to the front surface of your teeth. The procedure generally takes a few visits to ensure the most accurate placement. You can expect to experience the general steps outlined below:

1. Initial Consultation: At an initial consultation, your cosmetic dentist will assess your teeth and discuss your goals for your smile.

2. Tooth Preparation: In order to compensate for the added thickness of porcelain veneers, your cosmetic dentist will prepare your teeth by reducing and preparing them beforehand. If you qualify for prepless veneers, no tooth reduction or preparation is necessary since the prepless veneers are so thin they can bond directly to the natural tooth surface.

3. Temporary Veneers: After your teeth have been prepared, your dentist will give you temporary veneers to wear while your permanent porcelain veneers are being designed and made.

4. Bonding: Images and molds of your teeth are sent to our highly skilled ceramist who carefully crafts your permanent porcelain veneers to fit your smile. Once your dental veneers are complete, your dentist will bond them to the front surface of your teeth. If you choose prepless veneers, no drilling is necessary!

5. Perfect Fit: After your porcelain veneers are bonded to your teeth, your cosmetic dentist will check to make sure your bite, color shading, and tooth shape all contribute to an aesthetically pleasing smile.

To ask a cosmetic dentist about porcelain veneers, as well as additional treatment options for creating a beautiful new smile, use our Crown Council dentist locator to find a cosmetic dentist near you.

The Benefits of Teeth Whitening

Straight, white teeth are no longer just for celebrities. Advancements in cosmetic dentistry over the last several years have made teeth whitening safer and more affordable for almost anyone wanting a brighter smile. Why is having a white smile important?

According to a national survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to the opposite gender, and 74% of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success. Having a clean, straight smile that you feel confident about enhances your social and career opportunities.

While teeth whitening has become more affordable, use caution when choosing a teeth whitening system. When it comes to treating your teeth, the quality and safety of the treatment can be the deciding factor between damaging your teeth or enhancing their look. Several do-it-yourself remedies are available, but the safest teeth whitening treatments are overseen by your cosmetic dentist.

Many cosmetic dentists offer both in-office and take-home teeth whitening systems to effectively brighten your smile. The in-office whitening system can whiten your teeth several shades in just one visit. Teeth whitening at home usually takes a little longer, but can also brighten your teeth to your desired shade.

To find out how you can brighten your smile with cosmetic dental teeth whitening, contact a Crown Council general dentist today to schedule an initial consultation. To find a dentist near you, use our Crown Council locator at the top of this page.

Smile Makeovers for More Youthful Smiles

Liking your smile plays an important part in self-confidence and how you present yourself to others. If you have always wished your teeth where longer, straighter, or whiter, consider a smile makeover from a cosmetic dentist. A cosmetic dentist is trained in the art of crafting beautiful smiles that fit with a person’s face shape and features. You can finally have the smile you have always wanted!

Your cosmetic dentist chooses from a variety of techniques to create a treatment plan unique for your smile. The following are just a few of the cosmetic dentistry procedures that your cosmetic dentist might choose from:

Are Cosmetic Dental Treatments Painful?

One of the first questions that some patients ask their cosmetic dentist before a smile enhancing procedure is how much it will hurt. Cosmetic dentists work hard to make cosmetic dentistry treatments a comfortable, pleasant experience for each patient. Some cosmetic dentists offer massage chairs, your choice of music, or a DVD selection to help make your stay more relaxing.

In addition to comfort amenities available in individual cosmetic dental offices, many cosmetic dentists provide sedation dentistry. Dental sedation allows you to feel calm during a dental procedure, and relaxes muscle tension for greater comfort in the dentist chair. In fact, with dental sedation you can leave your appointment with no remembrance of the experience! Ask if your cosmetic dentist is a certified sedation dentist.

How do I Choose a Cosmetic Dentist?

Your smile is one of your most prominent features, and one of the first things people notice about you. If you are looking to change an aspect of your smile with cosmetic dentistry, you don’t want to entrust such an important feature to just any dentist. When selecting a cosmetic dentist, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Because cosmetic dentistry often draws on orthodontic, prosthodontic, and restorative dental procedures, a cosmetic dentist must be highly trained and experienced in several dental techniques to effectively reshape smiles. While many general dentists advertise as cosmetic dentists, be sure to double check that they have been specifically trained in cosmetic dentistry techniques.”

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Worth the Investment?

Visiting a cosmetic dentist means more than just spending money for a beautiful smile. Paying to restore and beautify your smile is an investment in your long-lasting physical appearance, your chewing and talking capabilities, and your self-confidence. Social and career possibilities can even expand when you have a confident smile that helps you express yourself.

What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on enhancing the aesthetics of each smile. By visiting a cosmetic dentist who can craft your smile to best express you, your social and professional possibilities can greatly expand. Straight, nicely shaped, whitened teeth can make a striking first impression that positively affects your confidence.

Cosmetic dentistry often includes orthodontics, prosthodontics, and restorative dentistry as part of its smile makeover toolset. A cosmetic dentist usually offers procedures such as dental implants, porcelain veneers, dental crowns, Invisalign clear braces, and teeth whitening to magnify the natural beauty of each smile. While cosmetic dentists focus on aesthetics, they also work on restoring tooth functionality and oral health.

There are wide ranging benefits from visiting with a cosmetic dentist. If your teeth are dulled, crooked, or deformed, cosmetic dentistry is the answer to reshaping a beautiful smile that you love. Cosmetic dental procedures are highly effective at giving important chewing and speaking support while also enhancing the unique beauty of your smile. The most modern tooth restorations are carefully molded to match the shape and coloring of your natural teeth. Your cosmetic dentist will work with you to fashion the smile you want. There is no need to live with unsightly teeth.

Visit with a Crown Council Dentist for an initial consultation to learn more about how you can revitalize your smile.