Cosmetic Services

COSMETIC SERVICES – If you are unsure of the different ways to improve your smile or the cost involved, please book a Cosmetic Consultation at our office. We hope that we can makes things clearer for you on what is required to create a ‘nicer smile’.

Whitening (Teeth Bleaching)

Unlike 30 years ago, we are able to whiten (or bleach) teeth quite effectively. There are a myriad of products available, ranging from store bought over-the-counter whitening kits to in-office one hour power whitening.

The important thing to remember is that not everyone’s teeth will ‘whiten’ effectively. It depends on the cause of the discoloration and the location.

As a general rule extrinsic (or surface) staining will whiten effectively. Intrinsic, or deeply embedded staining will not.

Extrinsic staining can form by tobacco use, tea, coffee, red wine, berries and plaque accumulation. Sometimes these can be just cleaned away in our office while getting a professional cleaning. In these instances, no whitening is required. However if a more effective result is desired, teeth whitening is required.

Intrinsic staining is staining of the deep underlying areas of your teeth (the dentin). This can be caused by drug related discoloration (tetracycline, minocycline) or mineralization related discoloration (fluorosis, calcium). As well, systemic or general health conditions can cause this. Trauma or “pronounced blows” to your teeth can also make your teeth look greyish. All these types of stain do not usually respond well to whitening.

We can usually tell if your teeth will respond well to tooth whitening in advance of prescribing this procedure.

We offer two general ways to whiten your teeth.

1. In –office power whitening. This procedure is done in our office and requires you to sit with the whitening gel on your teeth for about an hour
2. At – Home kits. We provide a customized mouthguard that fits your teeth exactly. You wear this mouthguard (with the whitening gel) for an hour each day for about two weeks.

Veneers

Dental veneers are thin shell-like pieces that are glued to the front of your teeth. This masking of the teeth will improve the look of your teeth instantly. Dental veneers can improve any of the following conditions.

1. Stained or discolored teeth
2. Teeth that are spaced apart
3. Teeth that are moderately rotated or crooked
4. Broken or chipped teeth

Dental veneers can either be made of Porcelain or Composite Resin

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers have become a very effective and common procedure to improve one’s smile.

Porcelain veneers are very durable. These veneers can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years.

Since porcelain veneers are a ceramic they can mimic the look of teeth very effectively. The translucency, brilliance and texture of real teeth can be replicated very closely.

Porcelain veneers are stain –resistant and usually will not dull, stain or crack during their lifetime

Porcelain veneers are much more conservative than having a crown (cap) done. Only 0.5 to 1.0 mm of tooth structure is removed and this only on the front of the tooth.

Composite Resin Veneers

Resin veneers are usually about one third the price of porcelain veneers. They are not as durable or as like-like as porcelain but are good substitute in some cases.

Unlike porcelain, resin veneers can be repaired if they chip or break. As well they can be re-polished every few years.

Resin veneers are made while you sit in the dental chair and not in a lab. Therefore only one visit is required to place them unlike porcelain veneers, which require two.

Crowns

When dealing with badly broken down or discolored teeth, sometimes the treatment of choice is to place a crown (or cap) over the tooth. This will strengthen the tooth as well as change the esthetics of the tooth in a favorable way. Today crowns can be made completely of porcelain with no metal at all underneath. This gets rid of the grayish shadow that appears over the crown and also gets rid of the black line at the gum level that was evident on so many crowns in the past. There are many different types of all-ceramic (all-porcelain) crowns. We can guide you on what would be the best type for you.

Gum Recontouring

Sometimes smiles with perfect teeth don’t look great because the gums are the issue. Some people smile and show too much gum, which may make perfect teeth not as esthetically pleasing. Sometimes the gum levels or shapes on different teeth are not the same. This can make some teeth look longer than others. We work in conjunction with different periodontists (gum specialists) in the city to address these issues before focusing on teeth.

Orthodontics

If you have perfectly shaped teeth that are of the right color but are crooked then in some cases, you will need braces. Minor tooth adjustments or spacing can be corrected with veneers or crowns but major adjustments require orthodontics. We work with different orthodontists to utilize the team approach to correcting your smile.