Having a perfect smile is a great asset, and various cosmetic dentistry services are available for you to achieve that. When you don’t know where to start, read on to learn more about the different cosmetic dental services in London, Ontario.
Different cosmetic dentistry services
Dental implants
Implants are dental screws inserted into the gums to act as artificial roots, providing a durable replacement for lost teeth. Patients with missing teeth and want to avoid wearing removable dentures can opt for these restorations. However, they need to have enough bone density to host the cosmetic dental implants. The implants fuse with their gum tissues and become part of their body. They prevent further bone loss and sagging of facial supporting tissues that cause the patient’s premature aging. The screws are made of either zirconium or titanium. After the implant surgery is completed, the patient’s gums are expected to heal within four to six months. During the healing period, the patient will have scheduled visits to ensure the dentist monitors the proper healing of the gums. Thereafter, a dental crown is placed to cover the implant and completely restore the patient’s smile and the tooth’s functions.
Teeth whitening
One of the popular cosmetic dentistry services is teeth whitening. Luckily, patients can either choose to have it through an in-office laser treatment, or have take-home dental trays.
Laser teeth whitening
Most cosmetic dental clinics perform this treatment to give patients an instant whiter teeth. The Zoom teeth whitening systems works as fast as 45 minutes to break down the stains on the patient’s teeth. The cosmetic dentist carefully exposes the patient’s smile area and applies hydrogen peroxide solution directly to the patient’s teeth. The laser light speeds up the whitening process as it strikes to the smile area for 15 minutes. The same procedure is repeated three times to achieve the best results. An important note though, cosmetic dental implants and crowns do not respond to laser treatment or any other whitening procedure.
Custom-made teeth whitening trays
Meanwhile, patients can skip laser whitening and request for take-home trays from their dentist. This way, they can perform teeth bleaching at home, however, they still follow the dentist’s instructions. Prior to the treatment, the dentist takes dental Impressions of the patient. He sends the impressions to the dental laboratory, and whitening trays are sent back to him after two weeks. The dental trays are custom-fitted to make sure that the whitening solution only touches the teeth, not the gums. Unlike in laser treatment, the solution is placed on the tray, and the patient puts it on for 30 minutes. The treatment session is within a 2-week period, or more, depending on the severity of teeth discoloration.
Veneers
Today, dental veneers are becoming more popular in cosmetic dentistry. These thin porcelain shells are perfect coverings for badly-shaped, discolored, or damaged teeth. Dentists bond each shell onto the surface of the tooth to enhance its aesthetics and function. Patients need to understand that not all their teeth need veneers, hence, they don’t have to worry about the cost. Furthermore, if only a portion of the tooth needs enhancement, then the cosmetic dentist needs to make partial veneers. In most cases, the procedure takes at least two trips to the dentist’s office.
Procedure in applying veneers
On the first appointment, the dentist removes a portion of the tooth after administering anesthesia to prevent any sort of discomfort. Next, takes a dental impression to be used in making the veneers. The impressions are sent to the laboratory and veneers are made within two weeks. Meanwhile, the dentist applies temporary veneers to let the patient have a “trial smile”. Within a week, the patient comes back and provide feedback on his experience of the trial period. The dentist may need to make adjustments and take another impression to be sent to the laboratory.
During the second appointment, the dentist is ready to place the final veneers. First, he removes the temporary ones, then cleans and air-dries the teeth. Meanwhile, he etches and applies a bonding solution to every veneer, and fits it to the tooth that needs enhancement. Thereafter, he uses a curing light to the tooth’s surface for 60 seconds to secure the bond. He removes any extra cement on the surface and in between the teeth.
Indeed cosmetic dental implants, teeth whitening and dental veneers are your finest choices in improving your smile. Talk to your dentist and share your smile goals so he can design the best treatment plan for you.