Cosmetic Dentistry
Whether you are looking for teeth whitening, porcelain veneers or a complete smile makeover, Drs. Jyoti Srivastava and Robert Castracane can determine the most effective cosmetic dentistry options to meet your desired outcome. With the new, enhanced smile you will be confident enough to take on the world.
Many patients desire to enhance their natural smiles with a variety of cosmetic dental treatments, including teeth-whitening, porcelain veneers, porcelain inlays/onlays, porcelain crowns and full mouth reconstruction.
If you are not happy with the alignment, color or form of your teeth, you can greatly improve your smile with laminate veneers. Laminate veneers are thin shells that are bonded onto the surface of the teeth. Although they can be made of different materials, porcelain/ceramic is generally used because of its durability and realistic appearance in aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry.
Veneers are a more conservative alternative to crowns since they require less removal of the healthy tooth structure. With veneers in place, you can expect straighter, whiter, and more even looking teeth. For optimal esthetics, multiple teeth may need to be veneered. Typically, the entire procedure is done over 3 appointments.
Many patients desire to enhance their natural smiles with a variety of cosmetic dental treatments, including teeth-whitening, porcelain veneers, porcelain inlays/onlays, porcelain crowns and full mouth reconstruction.
Whitening (sometimes called, "bleaching") is a procedure that is designed to lighten the color of your teeth. An important component of your aesthetic, or cosmetic dentistry, whitening will enhance your smile and lift your confidence.
Who are the best candidates for whitening?
Almost anyone is a candidate for whitening. Experience shows that people with dark yellow or yellowish brown teeth sometimes achieve better whitening results than those with gray or bluish-gray teeth. Multi-colored teeth, especially if stained due to tetracycline, do not whiten as well. In addition, teeth with many fillings, cavities, chips, etc., are usually best treated through bonding, porcelain veneers, or porcelain crowns.
What types of whitening are available?
In-House whitening:
This process can be done in one visit, but may require two or more visits depending on how your teeth respond to the treatment. Each appointment should take between one and one & one-half hours. Due to the strong whitening gel used in this procedure, either a resin or a rubber shield must protect your gums. Once the gums are protected, the gel is applied to the tooth surface. In many cases, a special high intensity light will be used to further activate the gel. In-House whitening can also be done to lighten a tooth that has had a root canal. In this case, the tooth is whitened both from the inside and the outside.
The advantage of in-office whitening is that we do the work for you and you spend less overall time whitening your teeth. The disadvantages include some of the normal inconveniences associated with any dental treatment, such as having to keep your mouth open for the duration of the procedure and the possibility of increased costs as compared to take-home whitening.
Take-Home Whitening:
This process can be done anywhere not just at home. It involves wearing a custom-made whitening tray that looks like a thin, transparent night guard. You fill the tray with a mild whitening gel. You then need to wear the gel filled tray for the specified period of time each day (per our instructions). This procedure must be continued over a period of time that generally extends from 2-4 weeks.
We will check your whitening progress as necessary during the period you are using the whitening gel. The advantages of take-home whitening include convenience and possibly less cost. The disadvantages include the inconvenience of wearing the whitening tray and that your results will depend on your consistent use of the tray.
Many patients desire to enhance their natural smiles with a variety of cosmetic dental treatments, including teeth-whitening, porcelain veneers, porcelain inlays/onlays, porcelain crowns and full mouth reconstruction.
Porcelain inlays and onlays are porcelain restorations used to restore teeth that have lost a large amount of structure. Our focus on aesthetic, or cosmetic dentistry, is part of your overall dental health treatment plan. Onlays and inlays are white in color and are stronger than conventional fillings and more conservative than crowns. The entire restorative procedure is done over 2 appointments of approximately one and a half hours each.
The first visit is to excavate all the decayed tooth structure, prepare, impress and put a temporary restoration in the tooth. The second visit is when the inlay/onlay is inserted.
Until recently, dentists filled and sealed cavities exclusively using amalgam (silver and mercury). Unfortunately, these fillings (or restorations) can weaken teeth because a large amount of the original tooth is often removed.
Modern dentistry has increasingly turned to composite fillings as a strong, safe and more natural looking alternative. Composite fillings utilize a soft tooth-colored resin based material that hardens into a strong attractive material. This procedure is done in 1 office appointment.