There are many cosmetic procedures available to help you enhance your smile. Whiter, more radiant smiles can happen with options ranging from a simple 1 hour tooth whitening to a full mouth makeover. Below is information on whitening, esthetic bonding, lumineers, and traditional veneers.
TEETH WHITENING: Bleaching lightens teeth that have been stained or discolored by time. Whitening may be done in office or at home. We offer the most popular whitening system on the market- Zoom! Advanced Power whitening. This is a one hour procedure where your gums are protected and a bleaching gel is applied to the teeth with a special light used to enhance the effects of the gel. In office whitening is very popular as you can usually acheive in one hour the equivalent of a week bleaching your teeth overnight at home.
Home teeth whitening is performed by having a custom formed mouthguard (tray) created from a mold of your teeth. A bleaching gel is placed in the tray and worn either twice a day for 30 min or overnight while you sleep. Unlike bleaching strips or trays bought at a drug store, trays from the dental office are custom made for your mouth and help prevent burning from gel on the gum tissue or uneven distribution of the whitening bleach on the teeth. It usually takes several weeks to achieve the desired results depending on the degree of staining and desired level of whiteness.
A: It is not unusual for teeth to be sensitive during the whitening process and for a week after. Whitening does not cause damage to teeth as long as the patient has had an exam to rule out large cavities in the teeth prior to bleaching. Bleaching does not weaken the enamel.
Q: Is it better to do the one hour in-office whitening or at home whitening?
There are pros and cons to each option. Actually, the best whitening results occur when patients do an in-office treatment followed by a week of at-home bleaching. The main advantage to in-office whitening is that it is quick and simple. Many patients decide to do 10 days of whitening at home, but then forget to wear the trays every night or simply don’t like sleeping with the trays in.
The main advantage to at-home whitening is that once you pay for the trays to be made, it is very inexpensive to re-bleach your teeth every six months. As long as you don’t loose your trays, you can just purchase fresh bleach from our office for a nominal fee each 6 months. Another advantage of at-home whitening is that for people with sensitive teeth, they can request a lower concentration bleach from our office. This provides the same results with less sensitivity, you just have to whiten for more days.
AESTHETIC BONDING: Bonding is the placement of tooth colored composite resin to a tooth to fill in gaps, replace a chipped area, or reshape the tooth. The resin is then shaped and polished to blend in with the tooth.
Q: I want to change the appearance of my front teeth, should I get bonding or veneers done?
A: Veneers, unlike bonding, cover the entire front of the tooth. Veneers are a better aesthetic choice to lighten discolored teeth or for significant changes in the shape or alignment of teeth. However, bonding is much less expensive than veneers, also has a great cosmetic result, and is a good option if you are happy with the color and general shape of the teeth, just want some spacing, chipping, or gaps filled in. The two main advantages to bonding in comparison to veneers are 1)cost and 2)conservation of tooth structure. Usually veneers require removing a surface layer from the front of the tooth whereas bonding rarely requires any tooth removal.
Before
After
*bonding done by Dr. Jeppson
PORCELAIN VENEERS : Veneers are thin, tooth-colored porcelain shells that are bonded to the fronts of teeth to idealize the shap of the front teeth or lighten them. Veneers are beautiful and usually yield the greatest smile enhancement. Veneers can make rotated teeth appear straight, mis-shaped teeth to appear proportional, and discolored teeth to appear white and free of blemish.
Before
After
*veneers done by Dr. Jeppson
*veneers done by Dr. Jeppson
Q: What’s the difference between veneers and Lumineers?
A: Lumineers are a type of veneer that is ultra-thin and usually performed with little or no removal of tooth structure. Which option is better? That depends on patient preference and the inclination and shape of your teeth before treatment. Lumineers main advantage is that it is a veneer that does not require you to remove tooth structure- it is conservative. Because Lumineers are bonded to the front of your tooth without removing tooth structure first, they can appear slightly bulky. Because they are very thin, not as much modification of tooth color can typically be achieved.
Traditional veneers allow the dentist more freedom to modify shade and build depth and translucency into the veneers. However, veneers do require the dentist to remove a thin layer of tooth structure from the front as well as the edge of each of your front teeth, removing what is to be replaced by the porcelain of the veneer.
In summary, Lumineers and traditional veneers both result in wonderfully enhanced smiles. Which is the best option depends on what is important to the patient and the angle of the teeth prior to treatment.