By Dr. Matthew Weekes
December 4th, 2013 Edition
The main focus in the practice of cosmetic dentistry is to create a beautiful, pleasing smile in both the eyes of the patient and beholder or enhance the existing smile.
Bright smiles are like stars on a dark night. They seldom go unnoticed. To be blessed with such a facial attribute gives one a feeling of wellbeing, confidence and access to limitless opportunities. This is a valuable asset to have if your career involves social interaction.
When patients seek a smile makeover, a consultation is necessary to address their needs and expectations, the different treatment options, limitations to treatment, cost and time frame for the transformation. We attempt to focus on the chief concern first and how best the desired result can be accomplished. If there are no obstacles to treatment and motivation is high then a comprehensive treatment would yield the best results.
Your dentist can advise you which treatment is best for you.
The options may range from whitening, bonding, veneers, crowns and bridges, implants, partial and full dentures, orthodontic treatment, and orthognatic surgery.
If the candidate for treatment is a pre-teen or teenager and has crooked teeth and a deformed mouth then orthodontic intervention would be the treatment of choice.
Front teeth with spaces can be quickly converted into normal looking teeth with no spaces and lighter shades by bonding. This treatment also works well on underdeveloped teeth such as peg shaped lateral incisors, often seen as a congenital developmental anomaly of the upper front teeth.
Veneers provide excellent esthetics. They are thin porcelain shells that are attached to the outside surface of natural teeth with a cement bond. The outside visible surface of the tooth is ground down prior to cementation. However over time a veneer may fracture or get dislodged and would have to be replaced with a new one.
Crowns and bridges provide excellent durability and esthetics. Implant supported restorations also produce excellent results if the requirements for use, such as excellent health and adequate healthy bone exist.
Partial dentures will restore a smile that was lost as a result of missing teeth or injury. Full dentures are often the treatment of choice for the elderly with no natural teeth.
We will be happy to discuss your concerns.
