Secrets Of a Super Smile

By David J. Schlactus, DMD

Why is it that some people have a naturally perfect smile, while the rest of us don't have to look too far to find fault with our tooth color, shape, or alignment? Look again and you may find that the only difference between “them” and “us” is that they have taken advantage of some of the wonderful new cosmetic dentistry options available today.
Cosmetic dentistry used to be reserved for the rich and famous, but today's easy and affordable techniques now allow anyone with the desire for a “movie star smile” to treat themselves to their choice of cosmetic improvements. Everyone can benefit from the increase in self confidence and self esteem these enhancements provide.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to brighten your smile is to use professional whitening. Whether you're interested in quick, in-office whitening or a take-home teeth whitening kit, you'll want to hear about our dentist-supervised, professional options for people looking for a safe and effective alternative to drugstore bleaching. Let us help you make the best decision for your individual situation.
If your teeth are chipped, cracked, worn or uneven, be assured that today's dentistry has the solution that's right for you, whether it's with bonding of composite resins, porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns. Using tooth-colored materials, we can close spaces between teeth, even-out chips in teeth or even replace the old metal fillings with a “white” alternative.
Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin porcelain shells that are bonded onto the front side of individual teeth to cosmetically correct a number of different tooth imperfections, such as size, shape and color. Minimally invasive, easy and attractive, sometimes a few veneers are all you need to create a “perfect” smile!
Dental crowns are designed to cover the whole visible surface of a tooth, to become the tooth's new, perfect outer surface. Newer all porcelain crowns can replace old all metal crowns, old porcelain fused to metal crowns which now show dark shadows along the gum line, and larger amalgam restorations that have caused fracturing in the surrounding tooth structure.
If it is the absence of one or more of your teeth that's bothering you rather than the condition of a tooth, you'll want to find out about all the wonderful advances in dental implants. A dental implant literally replaces a missing tooth by installing an artificial tooth root where the missing root was. A new tooth is manufactured and anchored to the root to result in a completely natural look and feel. Dental implants are the best option to take care of not only the cosmetic desire to fill a gap, but also the dental necessity of preserving the underlying bone and ensuring that the position of the remaining teeth does not change.
Today's dentistry has the solution to whatever smile improvements you're looking for.