Everybody likes a bright white smile.  Tooth whitening is a process that bleaches the enamel to lighten and remove tooth discoloration and stains from teeth.  Tooth discoloration can be caused many factors, including: beverages that stain (such as coffee, teas, and colas), tobacco, trauma, tetracycline (antibiotic) staining, excessive fluoride, and nerve degeneration.

Many dentists consider the teeth bleaching process the safest cosmetic procedure available today. Research and clinical studies show that under the supervision of your dentist, whitening teeth with carbamide peroxide and/or hydrogen peroxide is safe for both teeth and gums.  These whiteners usually come in a gel form and are applied by the use of a custom-fitted mouth guard, which Dr. Williams will make for you, fitting your teeth precisely. 

If you are a candidate for tooth whitening, you should consider chair side tooth whitening at Dr. Williams’s dental office. Sessions generally take from 30 minutes to one hour. At South Denver Dental Group, we can also provide you with a bleaching kit for home use.

Dental bonding is used for many reasons, including restoration of chipped, broken or decayed teeth, to reshape or whiten your smile, or to fill in gaps between the teeth.  Bonding can also be used to attach bridges, and orthodontic appliances and fillings onto the teeth.

First, a soft composite resin filling is first scooped onto the teeth.  The dentist will sculpt, and shape the composite filling.  Next, a high intensity light is applied to the resin, which hardens the material.  Finally, the dentist polishes the surface to obtain natural looking appearance that blends with the tooth.

A dental crown is tooth-shaped cap that is permanently cemented over a tooth, in order to restore the tooth’s strength, shape and size, and improve its appearance. The crown will cover the visible portion of the tooth above and right at the gum line, once it is cemented into place.

Crowns are used to hold weak, broken or cracked teeth together to avoid further fracturing. Crowns are also used to support large fillings, attach a bridge, or cover discolored or deformed teeth.  Crowns may also be placed over dental implants.

The dentist usually requires two dental visits to install a crown.  First, the dentist needs to prepare the tooth or implant for the crown.  The dentist will grind and shape the tooth so that the crown can be fitted over it. Then, the dentist makes an impression of tooth and surrounding gums, which is then sent to a dental laboratory so that the crown can be created.  The dentist fits a temporary crown over the tooth, until the permanent crown is ready. During the second visit, dentist will remove the temporary crown and cement the finished permanent crown onto the tooth.

Crowns generally last about five to eight years, and with good oral hygiene most crowns last longer.  Certain habits such as fingernail biting, chewing ice, and grinding teeth can do damage to the crown, and should be avoided.

A dental bridge is a false tooth (called a “pontic”) used to replace one or more missing teeth. The pontic is centered between two attached porcelain crowns, to create a fixed bridge.  The fixed bridge is permanently cemented to the two teeth on either side of the tooth gap.

TYPES OF DENTAL BRIDGES

There are several different types of dental bridges:

• Traditional bridge - a false tooth centered between two attached porcelain crowns.

• Resin bonded  - also known as a "Maryland" bridge, false teeth are fused together to metal bands and bonded to the back of the teeth on either side of the gap. This type of bridge is ideal when the missing teeth are in the front of the mouth.

• Cantilever – a type of bridge created to attach to only one tooth on either side of the tooth gap.

A denture is an artificial set of removable teeth made of acrylic resin, sometimes combined with metal.  Dentures replace missing teeth and adjacent tissues. Dentures can be either partial or complete. A partial denture serves to fills in the spaces made by missing teeth and prevents the remaining teeth from shifting position in the jaw.  Complete dentures replace all of the teeth. There are two types of complete dentures: immediate or conventional. An immediate denture is fitted onto the gums as soon as the teeth are surgically removed.  One disadvantage of an immediate denture is that adjustments may be necessary after the gums have completely healed. A conventional denture is fitted onto the gums after the gums have had a period of time to heal after surgery.

Dentures can take approximately five dental visits. First, the dentist takes an impression of the gums and a wax bite  - these are necessary to determine the vertical dimensions and proper jaw position.  The dentist may make a trial denture or “try-in” to make sure of the right shape and color as well as proper fit.  Minor adjustments are usually needed when the denture is placed.

A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of ceramic material placed over the natural tooth surface. The dentist will first prepare the tooth by removing half a millimeter of the natural tooth, to allow for the thickness of the veneer. Next the dentist will take a mold of the teeth, and the veneers will be fabricated from the mold.  Finally, the veneers are permanently bonded or cemented to the natural tooth.  

Veneers are used to cover discoloration and imperfections.  Porcelain veneers are also an effective substitution for crowns for the front teeth, as they can aesthetically change the size, color and shape of the teeth. The dentist can mount the veneer using little or no anesthesia. Porcelain veneers are resistant to staining – including stains from coffee, tea, and cigarettes, and last for years.