Cosmetic dentistry uses a number of ways to enhance the appearance of your teeth. Treatments are available to make crooked teeth look straighter, to improve the appearance of teeth and to make discoloured teeth look whiter.
A porcelain veneer is a technical term for what is really a “finger nail” for a tooth. If we want to change the shape or colour of a tooth, or group of teeth, we can do so dramatically with this minimally invasive procedure.
By a process of selective removal of tooth tissue and then the careful build up of porcelain at the laboratory, we can eliminate twists and turns in the tooth, teeth placed in the incorrect position, close unsightly gaps and when working on groups of teeth we can re-model the patients entire smile. This allows us to give greater lip support, thereby taking away tell tale lines and make everything look much younger. Teeth that are stained, for whatever reason, antibiotics and fluoride are the most common, can be made to look uniform and natural again.
Veneering teeth is a two appointment process, three if you include the initial consultation. Most of the work is carried out on the preparatory appointment, the second of the three appointments. The teeth are selectively adjusted and a mould taken and sent to the laboratory. About this point we will fit temporary veneers and the change will be dramatic. The temporaries are a “dry run” for the permanent veneers so that you are able to check all the important points, shape, size, speech etc, before making the final veneers. These will be fitted, usually about 10 days later in a manner that they, as well as improving the appearance of the teeth, often improve the strength in many cases.
Due to this tooth adjustment and strong bonding, veneering is a permanent procedure but the most minimal.
If a tooth has been broken, or weakened by a lot of decay or a large filling, a crown (or cap) can be fitted to strengthen it. Crowns are shaped like natural teeth. For teeth near the front of the mouth crowns are usually made of porcelain-like materials. Crowns on back teeth may be made of porcelain or gold.
A local anaesthetic injection is often given to numb the tooth. Your dentist shapes the tooth so that there is room for the new crown. A mould is taken in a putty-like material so that the laboratory can make a crown that fits the tooth perfectly.
The laboratory work often takes a week or two, so a temporary crown is fitted until the second appointment. At the second appointment, your dentist will take off the temporary crown and cement the gold or porcelain one in place.
Inlays and onlays are similar to fillings. However, like crowns, they are made in a laboratory and then glued to the tooth with special adhesive. This process requires two visits to the dentist.
During the first visit, the dentist removes the old filling or decay and makes a mould of the tooth in a putty-like material. A temporary filling is placed to protect the tooth while the laboratory uses the mould to make the inlay or onlay. On the second visit, the temporary filling is removed and the inlay or onlay glued in place.
Inlays and onlays are very strong and, in some circumstances, may be more durable than ordinary fillings. They are suitable for the grinding surfaces of the molar teeth and can be made out of gold, porcelain or composite material.
Station Road, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, SL8 5QF Telephone - 01628 523353, Fax - 01628 531586
