Thursday, September 6, 2007

With so much attention given to the art of communication these days, it is difficult not to notice a person’s smile. Most people spend a considerable amount of time on their appearance: how they dress, how they style their hair, along with the type of perfume they wear. However if your teeth are stained and discolored it can diminish your self-confidence regardless of how much you spent on your wardrobe.
Today on the market there are many products designed to whiten your teeth and some of them work very well. But when your teeth are severely discolored, home whitening treatments may not be enough; you need the professional services of a cosmetic dentist.
A dentist can perform several procedures to whiten your teeth including cleaning, polishing and bleaching. If you consume products such as coffee and tea on a regular basis, this procedure will have to be repeated every several months.
For this reason many people prefer porcelain dental veneers; these stain resistant ceramic shells are bonded to your teeth and can correct many imperfections in addition to stains or discoloration such as gaps between the teeth, crooked teeth, broken teeth and loss of tooth height.
If you are familiar with porcelain or fine china you may be concerned about the reasoning behind using porcelain for dental work. It is the translucent quality of porcelain that mimics the appearance of a natural tooth that makes it outstanding and when attached to the tooth with adhesive it is incredibly strong.
In addition to porcelains translucency, it is stain resistant; porcelain has the ability to withstand the strongest espresso coffee on a daily basis and retain its luster permanently. There are also dental veneers made of a composite material as well, but they do not have the same stain resistant quality as porcelain.
When you compare the weight of dental veneers to crowns, veneers are much lighter and therefore much more comfortable. Their popularity is supported in terms of price; dental veneers are one of the most economical and effective corrective procedures in cosmetic dentistry. The most impressive feature of porcelain veneers would certainly be their natural appearance which allows you to feel wonderfully confident each time you smile. Porcelain veneers can give new life to worn teeth and make tooth discoloration a thing of the past.
Improving your smile is much easier to do today than it was 50 years ago, when porcelain veneers were first invented the problem was that the adhesive was not strong enough to secure the porcelain veneer to the tooth and withstand the activity of eating and drinking without becoming dislodged. It was only after many years of research and development that the right formula for the adhesive was produced to be used with the porcelain veneer that is available today.
Although porcelain dental veneers are strong, they are not indestructible, and usually must be replaced after a decade of use. Because the porcelain veneer is attached to the tooth with a specific type of adhesive, it is almost impossible for a porcelain veneer to lose its grip on the tooth. In order to remove a porcelain veneer it must be done by your dentist.
Porcelain veneers are attractive and economical but there are other alternatives that should be considered depending on the condition of your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry has many different procedures and it is important to discuss with a cosmetic dentist which procedure will best suit your lifestyle and your budget. As with all procedures you need to consider your medical history to make sure that you have enough information to make your decision.
Suneva is a part-time copywriter for CK Smiling specializing in porcelain veneers and cosmetic dental implants in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Hollywood of California.


Cosmetic Dentistry: Implants versus Dentures
All aspects of your appearance are important but without a doubt your face is the one physical feature that will be noticed more than others. Your face identifies you and each part is so unique that often they can become the main focus of attention. For instance, you may have heard people describe themselves as having a “pug” nose or “sleepy eyes.”
But perhaps even more than the eyes, the mouth draws attention when you speak, laugh or cry, and throughout all of these actions your teeth are on display for the world to see. As you progress through life and the different the stages of development, it is natural for your body to change. In addition, every person has experienced physical trauma which sometimes involved the face and resulted in damage to or the loss of teeth.
The solution for many people who have had their teeth chip or break has been to have crown and bridge restorations made to repair the damage. On the other hand, if the physical trauma was severe and teeth were lost, until as recently as ten years ago, your only option was to be fitted with either removable or fixed dentures.
Traditional dentures continue to be chosen by many people, but they have their limitations; removable dentures can be difficult to manage, sometimes they do not fit properly which causes problems speaking and eating. Wearers of fixed dentures which are attached directly to the jawbone and can only be removed by a dentist experience the same problem of achieving a comfortable fit that plagues the removable type of denture as well.
These problems led to the development of dental implants, which like fixed dentures are attached to the jawbone, with the difference found in the techniques used to secure them in the mouth. Rather than feeling like foreign objects in your mouth, dental implants quickly become one of the “pearls” in your mouth.
One of the main reasons why dental implants are the better choice today is because they are made of titanium, an exceptionally strong but lightweight material that is impervious to damage from the acids used to digest food in the mouth. Especially in the case where a person has lost a tooth which has created a gap between their teeth, dental implants are the ideal solution to restore the curvature of the face to its original position.
Dental implants are designed to become part of your natural array of teeth. You do not experience the problems encountered with this traditional dentures such as slipping or discomfort. The main reason why dental implants are growing in popularity is because they free you from the anxiety caused by improper fitting dentures and they allow you to have a beautifully confident smile.
The cost of quality dentistry, especially cosmetic dentistry is best considered as an investment in your health. When you have experienced physical trauma and need to have teeth replaced, keep in mind that the cost of dental implants is based on their prominent function. Teeth play a role in your ability to speak clearly, prepare your food for digestion by your body and support your facial features. Your mouth is the gateway to your body and oral hygiene or the lack of it can be a contributing factor to the support or the deterioration of your health as a whole. Many dentists have flexible plans to accommodate credit cards, insurance and cash payments. But beyond financing the procedure, the most important thing is for you to discuss with your dentist whether cosmetic dentures or dental implants are the best choice for you.
Suneva is a part-time copywriter for CK Smiling specializing in cosmetic dental implants, dentures and Invisalign in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Palm Beach of California.


Cosmetic Dentistry: Bridges, Crowns and Bonding Procedures
Taking the best care of your body involves nutrition, exercise and maintenance; your body is a complex system with interdependent function and your teeth play a major role.
Many people take the health of their teeth for granted and neglect to see a dentist on a regular basis. In some cases when a person experiences tooth pain, it is the result of insufficient cleaning.
Sometimes this neglect leads to tooth loss and a cosmetic dentistry procedure can be recommended for replacing them to maintain proper alignment of the jaw and prevent disfiguration.
Here’s a list of the basic conditions and cosmetic dentistry procedures that can help you to discuss your options with your dentist:

Bridging the Gap between Missing Teeth
Physical trauma or a tooth extraction can leave an unsightly gap between your teeth. Beyond the cosmetic appearance, the space left from a removed tooth can cause your other teeth to begin to shift in position. If this condition is left untreated for a long period of time it can affect your other teeth as well as your health in general.
One solution that has been used in the past with success for this condition is dental bridge work where a manufactured tooth is made to fit the space created by the extracted tooth. The most common type of bridge work involves a ceramic or metal tooth supported on either side by crowns over the existing teeth on either side.
In some cases to your dentist may choose the option of the Cantilever bridge where the replacement tooth is supported by teeth on one side only or when a different type of support is required the dentist may use the Maryland bonded bridge which uses a metal framework.

Restoring Imperfect Teeth
Creating the perfect smile is an artistic endeavor where the teeth are of uniforms size and even alignment. Very few people are blessed with a set of naturally beautiful teeth, but proper dental care can make the adjustments that nature did not. To correct imperfections, such as chipped or broken teeth, your dentist may suggest crowns or “caps” for your teeth. The crown covers the whole tooth restoring its appearance.

Repairing a Damaged Tooth
Another alternative for broken teeth is the cosmetic dentistry procedure of bonding. Instead of covering the whole tooth with a crown, the dentist will prepare a mold of your tooth and the damaged area will be rebuilt with a special compound. The advantage of bonding is that it is matched to your original tooth and looks the most natural. This procedure is perhaps the most aligned to sculpture by recreating the appearance of your tooth as it was in its natural state.

Rejuvenating Tired Teeth
There are many dental imperfections that are the result of extreme stress to the teeth or simply from the consumption of products that discolor the teeth. A porcelain veneer differs from a crown because it is bonded with an adhesive directly on the tooth instead of encasing it. A porcelain veneer has the advantage of being stain resistant where bonding is not.

Replacing Missing Teeth
When a tooth is lost and needs to be replaced you can choose a bridge, fixed or removable dentures or dental implants. Dental implants are artificial teeth manufactured on a metal post which is “implanted” directly into the jawbone and is almost impossible to distinguish from your natural teeth.
This information gives you a basic idea of the available options, but to make the correct decision for your lifestyle, you need the professional guidance of a cosmetic dentist to help you have the smile you want.
Suneva is a part-time copywriter for CK Smiling specializing in crowns, bridges and bonding procedures in Bevely Hills, Santa Monica and Hollywood of California.