As published in the September Addition of the Dallas Beauty Book
WE KNOW WHY A SMILE IS IMPORTANT. It is your most memorable feature. When the smile is attractive, it adds to your overall beauty and allure. For some, a smile means confidence. For others, it means finding love or landing a dream job. Having an attractive smile is no longer a luxury meant for the wealthy. It is a must that is affordable to most anyone. Today, you can have a beautiful smile quickly, conveniently, and affordably.
The details of an attractive smile go beyond the color of the teeth. The gum shape must be pleasing to the eye as well, and the size, shape, and position of the teeth are critical. Most cosmetic dentists are trained to evaluate each of these areas in order to guide you toward having a better smile. The practice of cosmetic dentistry has evolved where we can give our patients improved smiles with the latest in proven technology.
Whitening is the No. 1 cosmetic dental service today. New to the market is Kor deep bleaching. Unlike some of the other bleaching treatments on the market today, Kor offers a more permanent whitening effect with very little, if any, sensitivity. The most exciting aspect about Kor is the ability to whiten even the most challenging dental bleaching cases. Kor can even brighten teeth with tetracycline or dark staining. This product who thought veneers were their only option for a whiter smile.
Dental veneers remain one of the best ways to make a permanent change to your smile when whitening is not enough. Today’s dental veneers are stronger and can be made thinner with improved cosmetics. They are used to change tooth color, alignment, and size. The ceramics of the 21st century are natural in appearance, with the translucency and whiteness of natural teeth.
Porcelain crowns are now metal free. In almost every area of the mouth, we can use crowns that contain no metal. This avoids the dark lines and poor matching you see with old-style porcelain crowns. Another advantage is a more natural look with crowns that are virtually imperceptible. The crowns blend with your other teeth as if they’ve always been there. EMAX and Zirconium are new options in porcelain crowns that offer these advantages. Dental implants have improved significantly and remain a great option in helping create an ideal smile. If you are missing a tooth, the best solution is a dental implant. The most ideal way to make dental implants look and feel like natural teeth is with the use of zirconium connectors which can be custom designed and made using computer-guided CAD CAM technology.
What The Dentist Knows
(and you should, too)
+ Most cosmetic dentists will tell you their smile results are only as predicable as the dental laboratory they use. The closer the cosmetic dentist works with a lab, the more ideal your smile will be. A qualified and experienced technician and dentist will work together to help you attain the smile you want.
+ Most cosmetic dentists have photographs of their work in their office or on their website. Evaluate their work, as pictures are truly worth a thousand words. This will help you and the dentist communicate about your smile.
+ Will you need to see a specialist for dental implants, gum treatment, or braces? Ask your dentist about each referral and why the specialist is recommended. Also, find out what to expect when you see the specialist.
+ Not all porcelains for veneers and crowns are created equal. Some are stronger and more natural looking than others. Ask your dentist about the type of porcelain veneers they offer. Typically, the stronger porcelains last longer, but are more expensive. The weaker porcelains are less expensive and don’t last as long.
+ Many people use the term “dental implant” as a generic term, much like a crown. An implant is a permanent change to your body. There are hundreds of implant types and brands, and only a few are widely used. Talk to your dentist or go online to educate yourself before having implants placed, and choose from reputable brands.