COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Procelain Veneers

Veneer is a layer of material placed over a tooth either to enhance the aesthetics of a tooth or to protect the tooth’s surface from damage. Veneers are made up of two types of materials: composite and dental porcelain. Full veneer crown is defined as a restoration that covers all the coronal tooth surfaces.

Simply put, Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain used to regain the natural look of teeth while providing strength and resilience comparable to natural tooth enamel. Porcelain veneers are ideal for people looking to make slight position alterations or change tooth shape, size and color.

Porcelain laminate veneers consist of several thin ceramic layers which replace original tooth enamel and adhesive layer. In order to apply a veneer, a small amount of original tooth enamel must be removed. This will create room for the porcelain veneer to fit in the mouth and restores natural tooth function while creating a better appearance than the original tooth.

The bond between tooth and porcelain veneer is important as it not only provides the desired esthetic perfection but also a strong bond that is essential for correct veneer function. And, light sensitive resin is placed between the original tooth and the veneer and then hardened using a special light.

Porcelain veneers works well in many cases where the tooth has poor color, shape and contours. It is a good choice for fractured teeth, gaps between the teeth and in some cases where the tooth position should be altered. In some cases, superficial stains do not respond well to tooth whitening or bleaching. Porcelain veneer is the best options for such cases.

Dental Bonding

Adhesive dentistry deals with adhesion or bonding to the natural substance of enamel, teeth and dentin. On the other hand, direct composite bonding uses tooth-colored dental composites to repair various tooth damages such as cracks or gaps.

Dental bonding is a process in which a tooth-colored resin material is applied and hardened with a special light, which bonds the material to the tooth to restore or enhance person’s smile. This improves the overall appearance of teeth. Tooth bonding techniques have various clinical applications, which includes operative dentistry, preventive dentistry, cosmetic and pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, and orthodontics.

Who should opt for Dental bonding?

• Decayed teeth
• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Discolored teeth
• Spaces between teeth
• Teeth shaping
• People who need amalgam fillings

Tooth bonding procedure

Anesthesia is not required unless the bonding is being used to fill decayed tooth. Dentists will use a shade guide to select a composite resign color that closely matches the color of tooth. Then, the surface of the tooth will be roughened and a conditioning liquid applied.

These procedures will make the bonding material adhere to the tooth. . The tooth-colored, putty-like resin is then applied, molded, and smoothed to the required shape. An ultraviolet light is used to harden the material. Once the material is hardened, the dentist will shape and polish it to match the sheen of the rest of the tooth surface. Dental bonding takes around 30 to 60 minutes per tooth to complete.

Tooth bonding benefits

Teeth bonding is the easiest and expensive cosmetic dental procedure. The composite resin used in bonding can be shaped and polished to match the natural teeth. Mostly, bonding is used for cosmetic purposes to enhance the appearance of a discolored or chipped tooth. It can be used to fill spaces between teeth and make teeth longer to change the shape or color of teeth. In some cases, bonding is used as a cosmetic alternative to fillings or protects a portion of the tooth’s root which has been exposed due to gum recession.

Smile Correction

Your front teeth cover your gums, then you are having gummy smile. Gummy smile may not only look unappealing but also make you feel uncomfortable. There are a number of treatments to reduce the length of the gums and balance the gum tissues so as to shape the size of upper lip and make the teeth look better.

Traditionally, oral surgery is performed to correct the gummy smile. But, this type of surgery is not preferable as it may increase the risk if bleeding, infection and discomfort caused while carrying out the procedure. Most dentists are opting for Laser Gummy Smile Correction procedure to correct the gummy smile these days. This procedure is painless and safe.

Pre-procedural assessment

Before carrying out the treatment, you should consider the following conditions:

• Reasons for seeking treatment
• Assessing health and habits
• Height and symmetry of face
• Thickness and length of lips
• Smile line
• Condition and dimension of teeth
• Width of keratinized GINGIVA
• Facial and lingual bone levels, thickness of alveolar

Laser Gummy Smile Correction cauterizes and removes additional tissues to avoid bleeding in patients. Besides these, the pain and infection is also very less when compared to traditional surgical procedures. Additionally, patients will experience sore or swollen gums for few days that will diminish automatically.In laser treatment, dentists will use laser and re-shape the gum tissues, without compromising the biological width. Laser gummy smile correction is ideal for patients with minor effect of gummy smile, whereas, for serious cases surgery is often recommended. The targeted tissues are treated with laser beam and surrounding gums and teeth are left untouched. The gums are re-shaped to expose the additional tooth structure, thus shaping your gums and teeth. Even a correction of 1-2 mm of gum shaping can bring in beautiful smile.

Teeth Whitening

You want to restore your natural tooth shade or want to whiten your yellowish teeth, tooth whitening is the perfect option for you.

Restoration of the underlying, natural tooth shade is possible by removing the surface stains and calculus. This can be done by cleaning teeth through various oral hygiene methods. Calculus is difficult to remove without a professional clean.

In order to whiten the tooth shade, beaching is required. Techniques include bleaching pen, bleaching strips, bleaching gel, and laser tooth whitening. Bleaching methods use carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Increased sensitivity of teeth and irritation of the gums are some of the side effects of bleaching. Some people also develop an unhealthy obsession with whitening similar to body dismorphic disorder.

Causes for Tooth discoloration

Teeth may be darkened by forming surface stains (extrinsic staining) and tooth may be discolored (intrinsic staining) in few people. The following are a few causes of Tooth discoloration:

Causes of extrinsic staining include:

Dental plaque: Accumulation of bacteria such as Actinomyces species.

Calculus: If plaque left untreated it will eventually calcify and form a hard deposit on the teeth, particularly around the gumline.

Tobacco: Tar in smoke from tobacco products forms a yellow-brown-black stain close to the necks of the teeth above the gumline

Certain foods and drinks: Foods including vegetables that are rich in carotenoids or xanthonoids can result in tooth discoloration.

Topical medications: Chlorhexidine binds to tannins. Consumption of coffee, tea or red wine can result in extrinsic staining.

Causes of intrinsic staining include:

• Dental caries
• Dental trauma
• Enamel hypoplasia
• Hyperemia
• Fluorosis
• Dentinogenesis imperfect
• Amelogenesis imperfect

Teeth whitening procedures is categorized into two types: Vital whitening is performed on teeth that have live nerves and non-vital whitening is done on a tooth that had root-canal treatment and no longer has a live nerve.

Dental Jewellery

Nowadays, people are becoming more conscious about their appearance and smile. They are looking for alternative methods to get desired aesthetic appearance. Among all the cosmetic dental treatments, Dental Jewellery is ideal for people who want a dazzling smile. The advantage is that it is temporary, painless procedure and does not involve any invasive treatment on the tooth like drilling holes.

Types of Dental Jewellery

Tooth gems are crystals glass built on a thin foil of aluminum to create the attractive spark available in various colors. Skyce are clear and sapphire is white and blue crystals.

Brilliance tooth jewelry is available in 3 colors: crystal clear, sapphire blue, ruby red. Rainbow crystals are least expensive in tooth Jewellery. Twinkles are pure gold and precious stones like diamonds, rubies, and sapphires are available in various shapes like star, diamond, triangle, drop and round shapes.

Laser Dentistry

Laser dentistry is an effective way to carry out various dental procedures. Laser dentistry can be used to enhance dental procedures and control the duration of exposure on the tissue allowing the highly specific treatment without damaging surrounding tissues.

Laser dentistry is an effective way to carry out various dental procedures. Laser dentistry can be used to enhance dental procedures and control the duration of exposure on the tissue allowing the highly specific treatment without damaging surrounding tissues.

Is laser dentistry safe?

If the dental laser is used as per the accepted practices, then it is safe as other dental instruments. Nonetheless, you should wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from exposure to the sun. Your dentist will wear special eyeglasses to protect your eyes from the laser.

What are the benefits of Laser dentistry?

• Treatments carried out using soft tissue dental lasers do not require stitches
• Some laser dentistry procedures do not require anesthesia
• Minimizes bleeding as the high-energy light beam helps in clotting of exposed blood vessels, thus lowering blood loss
• Bacterial infections are minimized as the high-energy beam sterilizes the area on which treatment will be carried out
• Surrounding tissues damage will be minimized
• Wounds heal faster and regeneration of tissues takes place

Hard Tissue (Tooth) Laser Dentistry Procedures

Cavity Detector

Low intensity soft tissue dental lasers is used to detect cavities by providing a reading of the by-products by tooth decay

Dental Fillings/Tooth Preparation

Hard tissue dental lasers may eradicate the need for a local anesthetic injection and the turbine dental drill. Lasers will kill the bacteria in a cavity, which improves long term tooth restorations. But, dental lasers are not apt for replacement of amalgam fillings, onlays or crowns.

Tooth Sensitivity

Dental lasers are used to seal tubules that are responsible for hot and cold tooth sensitivity, In addition to these, Soft Tissue (Gum) Laser Dentistry Procedures are also performed based on your tooth conditions.