What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Who doesn't want to look younger, fresher or healthier? Cosmetic Dentistry can help you achieve all these goals. By restoring broken or missing teeth, filling gaps or whitening dingy teeth a cosmetic dentist can help you to have a beautiful smile that can roll back the years.
Talk with Dr. Hedge about the options available to create the smile you envision. Even very subtle changes can make a big impression. Porcelain veneers, tooth whitening and tooth shaping are all conservative methods that can produce a real WOW effect.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are used to fix chips, gaps, cracks, deep staining or teeth that are misaligned. They are thin shells of porcelain that are placed on the surface of your natural teeth. Because porcelain is a glass-like material these veneers have a transparancy and lustre that matches your natural teeth.
The dentist will remove a very thin layer of your natural tooth enamel and than make impressions that will be sent to an outside laboratory that will design your veneers. In the meantime, the dentist can place temporary veneers until your permanent ones arrive. Your new veneers will be bonded on to your teeth permanently.
Veneers are an instant makeover for your teeth. They are stain resistant and durable and should last for about 15 years.
Tooth whitening
Tooth whitening is a very popular cosmetic treatment. It's an easy and affordable way to completely change the look of your smile. There are many different options available today both in-office and at-home.
At-home treatments include whitening toothpastes, strips, pens and bleaching gels with trays. Each of these methods will relsult in a certain amount of success. If you are diligent about following the procedures outlined for these products you can generally lighten your teeth up to 3 shades whiter.
In-office methods can include the use of a laser or bleaching gel and trays. Laser whitening is the ultimate way to go. It can produce dramatic effects such as lightening your teeth up to 9 shades whiter in about an hour. The bleaching gel used by the dentist is of a higher concentration that you can buy over the counter and so will produce a whiter result. Dr. Hedge will often start this treatment in the office and give you a follow-up kit to use at home.
Tooth-shaping
This procedure can correct a horsey or wolfy smile. By removing very thin layers of the tooth Dr. Hedge can shorten teeth that are too long, or even out teeth that are too pointed. The finished over-all effect is a softer, more pleasing smile.
Dr. Thomas Hedge - Providing services in cosmetic dentsitry, teeth whitening, invisalign, veneers and tmj treatment to the areas of West Chester, Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio.
