Procedure for fitting dental veneers

1. The first part of any dental procedure is the initial consultation and examination so that the dentist can get a feel for what you want and understand your needs and concerns. The dentist should explain the treatment procedure to you including an accurate guide to the likely costs of your treatment.

2. Before your veneers are designed your dentist will need to reshape and prepare the front surfaces of your teeth so that they can accomadate the veneers. The first stage is to numb the teeth and gums with a local anaesthic so that you do not feel anything during the procedure.

3. Using a special tool called a burr (a dental drill or file) a tiny amount of the front surface of your teeth will be shaved off. The amount removed should be equivalent to the thickness of the veneer that will sit over the top of the tooth.

4. Next an impression or mould (copy) of your teeth is taken. A special dental “putty” is placed into your mouth on a tray and pushed into your teeth so that it takes an imprint of your teeth, similar to how you would leave a footprint in sand.

5. This “impression” or mould of your teeth is then sent to a dental laboratory. The laboratory use the impression to cast an accurate model of your teeth which is used as a guide to fabricate your new veneers, this process can take between one to three weeks.

6. whilst you are waiting for your veneers to be fabricated your dentist you may be fitted with some temporary veneers to protect your prepared teeth. Not all dentists will offer temporary veneers.

7. On your second appointment your dentist will fit your new veneers to your teeth. First the dentist may just sit the teeth over your teeth to see how they look with your smile and he or she may need to trim or adjust the veneer.

8. Next your teeth will be throughly cleaned and the front surfaces etched (roughened) with a special acid gel so that they provide a good surface for the dental cement to stick to.

9. The veneers are then cemented into place and a special curing light is used to activate the dental cement so that it permanenetly bonds the veneer to the front surface of your prepared tooth. If there is any excess cement it is usually trimmed away and polished to leave a beautiful and natural looking restoration.

Treatments or problems for which veneers are used

There are a wide variety of reasons why patients opt for treatment with dental veneers:

Stained Teeth – badly stained teeth that cannot be improved by teeth whitening or prophyflex treatments can greatly be improved by dental veneers, which function to cover and “hide” any existing stains on your natural teeth.

Damaged Teeth – teeth that have either become badly worn with excessive grinding, by carbonated drinks, or have been chipped or broken in an accident can benefit from veneers. A small chip on a tooth can quickly be repaired with composite bonding or “composite veneers” which are one and the same thing. A single damaged tooth can easily be repaired with a single porcelain veneer that has the same characteristics and colour to match your surrounding teeth so that it looks natural.

Gaps – spaces or gaps (diastimas) between your teeth can be easily closed using dental veneers giving you a more uniform looking smile.

Crooked teeth – although veneers are not the ideal treatment chioce for crooked teeth and from a point of veiw of preserving your natural teeth structure orthodontics or invisalign braces would probably a better solution. However, treatments can take up to a year or longer with braces. For teeth that are not severely crooked veneers placed over thier front surface will give a straight and perfectly aligned looking smile. For this type of treatment many people refer to veneers as “instant orthodontics” since you get a similar end result in a fraction of the time.

Lumineers minimal preparation Veneers

Lumineers are so versatile that they can be placed over existing crown and bridge work, without the need too replace them. They are the perfect solution for stained, chipped, discolored or slightly misaligned teeth.

LUMINEERS are a special type of ultra-thin (comparable to a contact lens) veneers by CERINATE. Just like traditional veneers, Lumineers can reshape your smile or that perfect smile makeover. They can cover gaps between teeth and enhance the appearance of worn down and discoloured teeth.

What is the difference between Lumineers and standard porcelain veneers?

The main difference is that Lumineers are made from a special patented cerinate porcleian that is very strong but much thinner than traditional laboratory fabricated veneers. Their thickness is comparable to contact lenses, and so are often called contact lenses for your teeth. The main advantage of these ultra thin veneers is that minimal tooth prepartion is required i.e very little, if any of your natural tooth structure needs to be removed (shaved or grinded) prior to bonding the lumineers over your natural teeth. As a result the proceedure is often reversible since your natural tooth structure is left intact unlike traditional veneers where a significant amount of your teeth structure may need to be removed.

Tooth Colored Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings are a safer and more attractive alternative to older silver amalgam fillings. By precisely matching tooth-colored composite fillings with the natural color of your teeth, a skilled cosmetic dentist is able to provide you with white fillings that are virtually invisible. The removal of amalgam fillings can provide patients with white fillings that provide a more pleasing, silver-free smile.

What are White Fillings?

White fillings are made of composite resin and serve to fill cavities just like silver amalgam fillings. However, white fillings are matched to the color of your teeth and are virtually invisible. Tooth-colored fillings have become more popular over the years. As the availability of white fillings has increased and the possible dangers associated with amalgam fillings have been publicized, more and more patients are having their cavities filled with beautifully white, tooth-colored fillings.

Side Effects Associated with Silver Amalgam Fillings

Silver amalgam fillings contain about 50 percent mercury, a chemical that has been scientifically shown to be more toxic than lead, cadmium, or arsenic. The possibility of mercury leaking from amalgam fillings over time has prompted a movement toward mercury-free dentistry. The mercury in silver amalgam fillings is thought to leave the filling and enter the organs of the body in small amounts throughout life. Some medical practitioners believe this mercury is causing physical and psychological problems in patients. These include neurodegenerative diseases, birth defects, and mental disorders. The debate is ongoing but many patients are opting to remove their amalgam fillings in order to improve their appearance and ease their minds.

Way to Straighten Crooked Teeth

Jaw braces act as a support and direct the tooth or teeth to grow in the desired direction. The asymmetry or misalignment of the teeth is corrected with the use of jaw braces. Even to reduce snoring noise one can use the jaw braces, which hold up the chin to strut forward therefore reducing snoring.

In cosmetic purposes too jaw braces can be used.

If you have crooked teeth or teeth alignment gone awry contact your dentist immediately. The jaw braces would be placed professionally by an orthodontist and you would see results in a stipulated period of time. The jaw braces exert balanced pressure and help the tooth or teeth get aligned properly. They end up making the teeth look symmetrical. If the teeth are aligned right then your jaw gets the perfect shape it deserves and the one you desire. In overall physical looks, the perfect jaw makes a pretty picture.

When you first start using jaw braces the teeth will grow out towards north, east, west and south, but do not press panic button as yet. Wait it through. Patience plays a key part here. You may even find the teeth looking uglier than before, but they are of course, just teething problems.

If you still feel jaw braces stick out like a sore thumb on your physical feature then try distraction. Yes, you can go loud and crazy on making up your face with a lot of eyeliners and kohl and stuff and divert attention from this. Smile enough, just enough. Not too much. You do not want everybody to read out the maker’s name of the jaw brace, would you?

With jaw braces on, go slow on the soft drinks and colas; don’t over do it. You don’t want everything dissolve with the fluid you consume and go down your throat. A small amount is totally acceptable, but overdoing it, like anything in life, will invite discomfort.

Procedure for Invisible Braces

After a complete examination and once it is determined that this Invisible braces will work for you and you agree to begin, the dentist will take highly detailed impressions of your teeth.

After a careful diagnosis, the dentist will take detailed impressions of your teeth, and these impressions will then be scanned by computer. Using the computer, tooth movements will be planned and a series of 12 to 48 clear aligners will be manufactured and delivered to your Invisalign dentist. He’ll give you the first set, and you will snap it in.

The first thing you will notice is that it doesn’t quite fit. The reason for that is that this aligner is made to fit a new position for your teeth. For the next few days, your teeth will gradually move to this new position and the aligner will become loose. Then there is a few days’ rest while your teeth stabilize in their new position. After two weeks, you snap in a new aligner, which again won’t quite fit. This process is repeated until the teeth are moved into the desired positions.

During this process, you visit the office every four weeks or so to monitor the treatment and make slight corrections.

Invisible Braces – The Invisalign System

The Invisalign system, developed in the late 90’s, uses clear plastic “aligners”, manufactured with sophisticated computer technology, to straighten teeth, rather than wire-and-bracket braces.

And besides being practically invisible, their computer-designed precision enables them to move teeth more efficiently and comfortably than conventional wires and brackets. The average treatment time with Invisalign is twelve months, instead of the usual two to three years with conventional brackets and wires.

Invisible braces are not, however, a complete replacement for conventional braces. They cannot move teeth that aren’t fully erupted yet. They are not good for severe crowding. There are other situations where the best way to move the teeth is with conventional braces. But, because they are invisible, comfortable, and fast, patients love them. They are particular favorites with adults and older teenagers.

Cosmetic Dentistry Techniques

Lumineers Teeth Veneers

Lumineers are porcelain veneers, which are as thin as a contact lens and can be applied to your teeth without any drilling or filing of your teeth.  Lumineers veneers can cover up chipped, stained, discolored, or even in some instances misaligned teeth.   The best part is that they are completely painless to install and have been proven to last for over twenty years.  With as little as two or three visits to your dentist, an application of Lumineers veneers can have your smile completely transformed.

Invisalign

In addition to the other products on the market, Invisalign has been the biggest advancement in crooked teeth straightening technology.  Invisalign are custom fitted plastic trays, which can be worn on the teeth in the place of traditional braces to straighten teeth.  Invisalign is perfect for adults looking to have straighter teeth and a better smile without all of the metal of traditional braces.

Tooth Implants

One of the best recent advancements in cosmetic dentistry has to be the invention of implants.  Tooth implants are essentially false teeth which are permanently installed into your jaw bone to replace lost, decayed, or crooked teeth.  Implants are a permanent solution to replacing teeth, and once installed feel exactly like your natural teeth.  Implants are a wonderful alternative to traditional dental bridges or false teeth; they look better and are much easier to care for as well.

Teeth Whitening “Zoom”

Teeth whitening products have come to a point where your dentist can whiten your teeth in their office in as little as one hour.  The teeth-whitening product named “Zoom” allows your dentist to whiten your teeth up to eight shades lighter in a single hour.  Zoom also offers a “take-home” option where you can do your own teeth whitening at home.  With this at-home option, you can see results of up to six shades lighter in as little as three days.

In addition to “Zoom,” there are many other teeth whitening products on the market, which are also very effective.  Some people simply need to use specially designed toothpaste for a whiter smile, while others who require more whitening action choose options such as Crest Whitestrips, which are applied to the teeth and allowed the time to bleach out stains and discolorations.

For dental office teeth whitening, many people choose to have their teeth painted with a solution of peroxide and then hit it with the beam of a laser to remove discolorations.  This option remains the leading choice among dentists today.

History of Dental Science

Since its inception as an organized form of medicine, dentistry has gone through some major changes.  Even within as little time as the last century dentistry has moved from being a fairly barbaric way of dealing with dental ills, into a more patient-centered specialty focused on both oral health and the look of one’s teeth.

According to the American Association of Cosmetic Dentists, the growth of cosmetic dentistry procedures between 1996 and 2000 was an amazing 300 percent.  From this statistic alone, it is clear to see that as time passes and dental procedures improve, more and more people are looking to cosmetic dentistry as a way of improving their oral health and the look of their teeth and smile.

Cosmetic Dentistry Techniques of the Twenty-first Century

There are now many affordable cosmetic dentistry techniques, which can be used to improve the looks of your teeth.  Today’s patient-focused techniques offer you great results for an affordable price with quick results and very little pain, if any.  In addition, many of today’s techniques are designed to improve the oral health and smile of adults rather than those of children, as was the focus of the industry in the recent past.

Some of the most popular cosmetic dentistry techniques performed today include:

1. Teeth Whitening “Zoom”
2. Lumineers Teeth Veneers
3. Tooth Implants
4. Invisalign
5. Impacts of Bad Oral Health and Bad Teeth