The Components Of Smile Design
Your beautiful, new smile is waiting to be uncovered by you and the dental professionals at Dentistry for All ages. But what will getting that great smile entail? Generally speaking, that all depends on your unique needs, but there are specific procedures that are used most commonly among many patients looking to get a better, brighter smile.
Although there are other procedures that may be used, these are the six “power players” that have leading roles in many customized smile design treatment programs:
Crowns
Crowns are thin shells of tooth-colored, hard material that are used to completely encircle a tooth, helping to protect it while at the same time hiding imperfections like cracks or chips. They’re also used to protect teeth that have been weakened by damage or large fillings, and they can provide a strong, stable surface for the next “power player”: bridges.
Bridges
A bridge is a device that spans the gap that occurs when a tooth is extracted or lost due to damage or decay. Bridges attach to the teeth on either side of the gap and include a replacement fake tooth to fill the gap, prevent neighboring teeth from leaning inward and achieve a healthy-looking smile. They often serve in place of a partial denture and can be designed to be removable or permanent.
Implants
While bridges and dentures were once the only options for people with missing teeth, today dental implants have grown to become extremely popular, especially among younger patients. Implants look just like a “real” tooth and are implanted into the jaw. Over time, the bone fuses with the implant, making it stable for years of regular, trouble-free use.
Veneers
Veneers cover the surface of a tooth to hide imperfections like pits, cracks, chips or fissures or edge irregularities. They’re created of hard material that’s tinted to appear like your natural teeth.
Invisalign®
The popularity of the Invisalign® orthodontic system has soared in recent years as patients from teens to adults have sought a more convenient way to get straight teeth without the hassles of traditional braces. Using a series of removable trays, Invisalign® lets you get beautifully straight teeth while allowing you to remove the straighteners to eat, brush and floss your teeth, or to attend social events where braces would make you feel self-conscious. The trays are clear, which means they’re hardly noticeable.
Whitening
The crowning touch, the icing on the cake, the cherry on the sundae – whatever you want to call it, whitening puts the finishing touches on your beautiful smile. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to wait until the other procedures are completed before your teeth can be whitened. Whitening can be done at any time, and it can be just what you need to get that boost of confidence that keeps on track in your journey to your ideal smile. At Dentistry for All Ages, we recommend a whitening treatment that’s one in our office to get the best results in the least amount of time. Called Zoom!, the treatment uses UV light that reacts with a special gel applied to the surface of your teeth to bleach away stubborn stains and general discoloration.
Smile design was developed to be as unique as each patient, and that means your treatment will be unlike anyone else’s. Beginning with your initial evaluation, including a complete dental exam and evaluation with the Dawson Diagnostic Wizard, Dr. Freano and the staff at Dentistry for All Ages will be committed to helping you design the series of treatments and procedures you need to get the smile of your dreams.
To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling 859-296-9711 today.