Cosmetic dentistry offers many types of procedures, from porcelain veneers to teeth whitening or bleaching. Whether you are doing something more involved, like a restorative dental bridge and crown treatment, or something more straightforward, such as veneers, you should know what lies in store for you as you pursue your smile goals.
You should begin by talking to your cosmetic dentist. This is the time for you to be honest with your dentist about any changes you’d like to see in your smile. Don’t be embarrassed to discuss your true feelings; your cosmetic dentist is here to help you achieve your dream smile. If you are healthy overall, virtually nothing can stand in the way of you and your ideal look if you are in the hands of a skilled cosmetic dentist.
If you are getting your teeth whitened or are receiving veneers, you will need to clean your teeth beforehand. Removing the plaque and bacteria from the surface of the tooth is extremely important toward achieving even whitening results. Veneers that trap bacteria beneath them are perfect environments for infection. Having a thorough cleaning ensures that your veneers will be properly bonded to the tooth surface and you can enjoy your new look with confidence.
Many cosmetic dentistry therapies are achieved through some kind of oral surgery. In order to have the best possible experience, follow all of the instructions given to you by your surgeon. Make arrangements for someone to take you home following surgery, as you will not be able to drive safely. Have your medications ready and begin taking them as soon as recommended. Eat only foods recommended by your surgeon as your mouth heals.
Braces also require a full check-up and thorough cleaning. After the braces are applied or following any adjustments, your mouth may be sore. Have ibuprofen on hand to help with the swelling and specialized orthodontic wax to protect your sensitive soft tissues.
Talk to your cosmetic dentist about your procedure to see what recommendations are best for you and your treatment.
Our dental office is located in Shreveport
Most people are not born with a perfect appearance. Some people turn to cosmetic surgery to correct or enhance the things they find unappealing about their looks. However, if cosmetic surgery is not on your agenda, cosmetic dentistry offers many procedures and treatments to quickly and successfully improve your appearance. Because your smile is usually the first impression you make on the world, fixing stains, cracks, gaps, and other imperfections can make a dramatic impact.
While many cosmetic dental procedures can be performed by your general dentist, a cosmetic dentist has a distinct advantage when you are seeking to improve your smile.
A cosmetic dentist makes it their business to have extensive knowledge and training in the treatments specific to improving the appearance of your teeth. Just a few of the procedures and treatments provided by a qualified cosmetic dentist include:
- Dental implants
- Dental crowns
- Dental bridges
- Porcelain veneers
- Teeth straightening
- Composite bonding
- Teeth whitening
- Dentures
In cooperation with a qualified cosmetic dentist, you can elect to have one or a combination of cosmetic dental treatments to perfect your smile. You may just need whitening to brighten and beautify your discolored teeth, or you may need whitening as well as bonding for gapped or chipped teeth. You may even need clear braces or veneers to straighten a crooked smile. A cosmetic dentist will have the knowledge to coordinate treatments to achieve the desired result with the least amount of time, discomfort, and complications. With the help of an experienced and qualified cosmetic dentist, you can improve not only your smile but the overall appearance you present to the world.
We look forward to seeing you in our Shreveport dental office
Special occasions like class reunions and weddings where photos are going to be taken are important. You will want to look your best, especially when you look back on the photos in years to come. When you look in your mirror, are you noticing that your smile seems less than its best? Could your look use some refreshing?
As time passes, our smiles age. Whether you realize it or not, your teeth are discoloring a little bit every day. Discoloration can come from the food we consume, such as blueberries, beets, blackberries, balsamic vinegar or soy sauce. Drinking tea, red wine, coffee or dark soda can also affect the brightness of your smile. Smoking leaves teeth looking yellow and dingy.
As well as discoloring, our teeth slowly wear away. The outer, whiter layer of enamel will thin with age, revealing the yellower layer of dentin underneath. The length of a tooth is also reduced with age as teeth wear away with natural, everyday use. Short, discolored teeth send a signal of old age whether we intend them to or not.
Composite bonding, porcelain or composite resin veneers and dental crowns can help you achieve a brighter, whiter, more even smile. Veneers can even correct gaps and hide chipped or malformed teeth. Dental implants can be an excellent solution to a missing tooth. A smile that is badly misaligned might require braces or some other kind of orthodontia to achieve optimal results.
Your cosmetic dentist can work with you to determine what steps should be taken to address your particular smile concerns and rejuvenate your smile, making you look younger and more refreshed. You will begin to see the positive responses from people who will be able to see you at your youthful best, allowing you to be your most confident, most comfortable self. The changes you make now can change your smile for years to come.
Our dental office is located in Shreveport
Are you unhappy with your smile? Do crooked, gapped or missing teeth affect you socially and professionally? Do you wish you had received braces as a child? Do you desire a brighter, whiter smile? Have you been dreading some upcoming special occasion, worried about how you’ll look in the photos or in person? If you have any insecurities about your smile, talk to a cosmetic dentist. How you feel about your smile can change.
There are so many “little” reasons to take steps to improve your smile, but you may need a bigger occasion, something very special, to help you take that first step. Is there a class or family reunion coming up? Nothing erases the years like restoring your youthful, attractive smile. Leave them doing a double-take as they realize who you are and how good you look!
Are you about to get married? At no point in your life are you likely to have as many photos taken of you as you will on your wedding day. These photos are often cherished for generations, and should represent the best you possible.
Even occasions like job interviews or first dates can warrant having your smile spruced up. Your smile is a huge part of the first impression you make on the people you meet, and with a brighter, whiter, more even smile, you will meet those people with confidence, unafraid to eat, drink, talk or laugh in public.
Your cosmetic dentist can talk to you about bonding, which allows the dentist to restore the shape of the original tooth using tooth-colored resin composites. Cosmetic contouring reshapes your teeth to correct overlapping, chipped or cracked teeth, and teeth whitening can be used to brighten your smile. Dental veneers can be used to cover gaps, discolored or stained teeth, and missing or broken teeth.
Do you have a mouth full of metal fillings? Your cosmetic dentist can remove this unsightly metal and replace it with a cosmetic filling that matches the surrounding tooth. No one will know you have fillings!
Don’t wait to begin your journey with a cosmetic dentist. You can face that special occasion with confidence and an attractive smile.
Schedule your appointment at our Shreveport dental office
CEREC digital technology is a revolutionary method of restoring damaged teeth in one dental visit. It delivers fillings, crowns, or veneers to make your smile beautiful and stronger. In just a single appointment, the dentist can diagnose and prepare your bad tooth, create an impression of it, and use CEREC to create a restoration that will be bonded right away to your existing tooth.
The state-of-the-art technology involved with CEREC employs digital equipment to create a 3D impression of your tooth. Instead of the physical impressions that dentists used in the past, the digital imaging replaces it with a modern replica. CAD software is used to design the details of your restoration with a high level of accuracy. It allows customization of the restoration for your exact needs.
One of the greatest benefits of CEREC is that the restoration is milled right there in the office using the precise design specifications. In only about 15 minutes, your ceramic restoration is ready to be placed in your mouth. It is fitted, bonded, and polished so your tooth is restored and you can be on your way.
CEREC is used for several types of dental restorations. Popular choices include:
Crowns – a cap may be placed over a tooth to improve its strength, shape, size, or appearance. CEREC develops an attractive crown using material similar to enamel so that it looks and feels like your real tooth. It is accomplished in one visit, avoiding the messy impression, temporary crown, and subsequent dental appointment customary with traditional crowns.
Onlays – fillings can be achieved using a tooth-colored, smooth replacement of tooth material due to a cavity. Onlays cover a large area of chewing surface of your tooth, and may be similar to a crown except typically not covering the full tooth. CEREC onlays look and feel very natural and provide a durable restoration. This metal-free solution provides an attractive result for a filling in one visit.
Inlays – typically smaller than onlays, CEREC inlays are similar to their onlay counterparts. The inlay serves as an attractive and comfortable tooth filling in a smaller portion of your tooth, created with the CAD technology to ideally restore your tooth.
We treat patients from Shreveport and the surrounding area
CEREC is a system for fabricating ceramic dental restorations in a single office visit. A permanent, comfortable, attractive restoration is yours after only one trip to the dentist. The most common restorations that CEREC is used for include crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays. This thrilling technology means patients experience less messy impressions, fewer injections, less drilling, and reduced time out of their schedules for dental treatment.
Most dental restorations require multiple visits to the dentist. The first visit typically involves an injection of anesthesia, tooth preparation, impressions, and temporary restoration placement. The next appointment a week or two later means another injection, removal of the temporary restoration, and placement of the permanent one. CEREC avoids all of these hassles!
With CEREC, special computer technology allows the creation of a 3D impression of your mouth that is highly accurate. The exact impression is used to create your restoration right there in the dentist’s office with a milling machine. Your restoration can be placed immediately and you’ll be on your way with a comfortable and appealing result.
Not only is CEREC convenient, it restores your teeth to their natural beauty, function and strength. The ceramic materials used match your tooth structure, so that eating hot or cold items does not damage your restoration. The material is bonded securely to your tooth, saving as much of your healthy tooth as possible. The tooth-colored ceramic makes your restoration go unnoticed in your smile.
There is no reason to waste time and energy at multiple dental appointments when you can achieve beautiful and fully functional results through CEREC technology. Ask your dentist if this innovative restoration method is available to enhance your smile.
If you live in the Shreveport area contact us today
