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Raymond A. Della Porta, II DMD
Vero Beach, FL 32960
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My Blog
Posts for tag: cosmetic dentistry
When teeth are damaged or missing, your oral health suffers, and so does your self-esteem. Why not repair both with dental crowns and bridges from Dr. Raymond Della Porta, your dentist in Vero Beach, FL? Custom-made, reliable, and lifelike, these prosthetics can give you a well-functioning and healthy smile.
Dental crowns restore damaged teeth
Sometimes, decay, abscess, oral injury, and other circumstances weaken tooth structure. Sometimes, teeth are irreparably damaged and must be extracted. In other cases, Dr. Della Porta can restore those teeth with dental crowns right in his Vero Beach, FL, office.
Custom-made from durable and realistic porcelain, a dental crown is tooth-shaped and tooth-colored; it completely covers healthy tooth structure above the gum line. A crown is designed to bite together with the opposing arch of teeth, and it blends in well with its natural neighbors.
A tooth receiving a crown must be reduced in size, and typically, the dentist fits it with a temporary crown while the dental lab fabricates the permanent one. When the new crown is ready, Dr. Della Porta removes the temporary and bonds on the new one with a strong cement.
Fixed bridges span gaps
Bridgework consists of one or more artificial teeth being attached to dental crowns. The crowns anchor the entire porcelain appliance to the natural teeth on the opposite ends of the smile gap.
Like crowns, bridges are permanently bonded in place. The larger the smile gap is, the more teeth must be crowned to support the pontics.
Oral hygiene is important
The Columbia University College of Dental Medicine states that both dental crowns and bridges require careful at-home brushing and flossing and routine professional cleanings and check-ups. Good oral hygiene habits reduce harmful plaque and tartar around crown and bridge margins, avoids decay on underlying tooth structure, and prevents periodontal problems with surrounding gum tissue.
On average, crowns and bridges last around ten years, but they can last longer with good at-home care. Patients should additionally avoid extra-hard foods and biting down on non-food items such as pencil tops and plastic packaging.
Rebuild your smile
Let Dr. Raymond Della Porta make your smile beautiful and healthy once again. Call the office in Vero Beach, FL, for a consultation: (772) 567-1025.
You want to look your best for that once-in-a-lifetime moment — like your wedding day. It can also take time and effort: many people spend months losing weight or trimming up at the gym. But while you’re getting the rest of your body ready for the big event, don’t forget your smile.
The best approach is to make a plan that addresses your smile’s shortcomings — a “smile makeover,” if you will. And the best place to begin is with us, your family dentist. We’re already familiar with your dental health status, so we can advise you on what’s possible and best for you.
We can also provide many of the services that enhance smile appearance. If your teeth are relatively healthy and attractive, a thorough dental cleaning or a whitening application can revive your smile’s brightness just in time for the big day. And for minor defects like a chipped tooth or discolored old fillings, we can bond the latest tooth-colored materials to those unsightly areas. And any of these procedures can be performed in one visit.
Installing porcelain veneers is an effective way to restore more moderate tooth defects. These thin outer coverings with life-like color, shape and texture can effectively hide mild to moderate chipping, discoloration or slight gaps between teeth. Teeth with more extensive damage can be completely covered with a crown made of similar life-like materials. Either of these solutions could match the shape and color of nearby teeth.
By planning well enough ahead, you may also benefit from more extensive cosmetic changes. Missing teeth always pose a challenge, but there are a number of viable options: fixed bridges using adjacent teeth; various denture solutions, including implant-supported removable overdentures; and the dental implant, the rising star for dental restorations that replaces both the root and crown with a durable, life-like tooth. There are also orthodontic solutions for misaligned teeth (at any age!) and surgical procedures for gums that help restore lost tissue or correct a “gummy” smile showing too much of the gums.
Whatever your needs, there’s a way to make your smile more attractive. It’ll be all the more reason to display it confidently on your special day.
If you would like more information on smile transformations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Planning Your Wedding Day Smile.”
Achieving a more attractive smile is often a big investment. And, like other big investments, it’s always advantageous to have the opportunity to “try it out” beforehand — especially something as visible and public as your smile.
We’ve come a long way in giving people ways to preview their smiles before the permanent restoration is in place. Computer imaging is one of the more effective ways of doing this. But what if you could actually see for yourself in a mirror rather than on a computer monitor or printed page what your new smile will look like? Now you can with a “trial smile.”
To create a trial smile, we temporarily apply composite resin, a tooth-colored dental material, directly to your teeth. We can shape and sculpt the resin to mimic the effects of veneers, crowns or other dental work proposed to create your new smile. Not only will you be able to see your smile as it will appear, you’ll also be able to get a sense of the texture and depth of the new dental work, something you can’t quite capture with two-dimensional computer imaging. And while you won’t be able to wear the trial smile home, we can certainly take photos for you to show friends and family for their opinion.
Trial smiles are also beneficial in helping us plan your smile makeover. By viewing how you interact with your new look — facial expressions, speech and, of course, smiling — we can fine tune the amount of tooth preparation necessary, as well as the color, shape and texture of the permanent restorations.
Incorporating a trial smile into your treatment will involve an additional expense, but only as a relatively small part of your overall treatment cost. But the benefit it can bring in helping us achieve a smile that’s both attractive and satisfying to you is well worth the cost. “Trying out” your smile ahead of time can give you added peace of mind that your new look is just what you expected.
If you would like more information on trial smiles and other restoration previews, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Testing Your Smile Makeover.”
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Missing teeth can take a toll on more than just your self esteem and physical appearance - they can also affect your oral and general health. Dental implants are a great option to restore your smile and oral health. Dr. Raymond Della Porta offers cosmetic and general dentistry services in Vero Beach, FL.
Dental Implants in Vero Beach, FL
Dental implants restore a missing tooth in its entirety from root to crown. First, the implant is surgically placed in the socket of the missing tooth, where it then begins to fuse with the bone tissue in the gums through a process known as osseointegration. This helps to secure the implant in place, and prevent bone loss. The implant is made of biocompatible titanium and shaped like a small screw, which is attached to the cosmetic crown through an abutment. Implants are available to replace a single tooth or can support an entire set of dentures with just a few implants.
Caring for Dental Implants
Once in place, implants are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth - they look, feel, and function just like the real thing. Implants can even make your teeth look better than they did before. However, just like natural teeth, they require meticulous oral hygiene and regular follow up visits with the dentist for check-ups and professional cleanings to reduce the risk of complications. With proper care, implants have a very high success rate.
Implants are available for healthy adult patients with sufficient bone density in the gums to support an implant.
Find a Dentist in Vero Beach, FL
For more information about dental implants, contact our office today by calling (772) 567-1025 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Raymond Della Porta.
You may be able to slow the aging process with healthy habits but you can’t stop it. Every part of your body will change, including your teeth and gums. And even with great dental hygiene and care, there are at least two aging outcomes you may not be able to avoid: discoloration and tooth wear.
Fortunately though, we have ways to counteract these effects and help you enjoy a much younger-looking smile. These techniques range in complexity and cost, but when tailored to your individual situation they can make a world of difference and restore your confidence in your smile.
Brightening teeth that have yellowed with age can be as simple as undergoing teeth whitening. The bleaching solution in this procedure (performed in the office or at home with a prescribed kit) can minimize enamel staining built up over the years. It can even be performed with some control over the level of desired brightness. Although whitening isn’t permanent, with proper care and regular touch-ups you can keep your youthful, dazzling smile for some time.
Tooth whitening, however, may not be enough in some cases of discoloration. If so, you can gain a bright new smile with porcelain veneers or crowns. A veneer is a thin layer of tooth-colored material bonded to the front of a tooth; a porcelain crown completely covers a tooth and is usually cemented onto it.
Normal tooth wearing can also affect the appearance of older teeth, making them look shorter and with less rounded edges than younger teeth. Veneers and crowns can be utilized for this problem too, as well as enamel shaping with a dental drill to minimize those sharp edges and project a softer, younger appearance. In extreme cases, surgically reshaping the gums can give teeth a longer and a more natural look.
These are just a few of the ways we can address these two aging problems, as well as others like receding gums. Depending on your situation, it’s quite possible we can help you take years off your smile.
If you would like more information on cosmetic answers to aging teeth, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.