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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
There are ways you can look younger, including eating a better diet and getting physically fit. Cosmetic enhancements can also take years off your appearance.
But while looking for a more youthful appearance be sure you include a "smile update." Your teeth and gums age like the rest of the body—even more so if you've contended with dental disease. Here are 4 ways you might be able to take years off your smile.
Teeth whitening. Teeth naturally yellow as we age, so it's not uncommon for older teeth to look dull. But your dentist can brighten your smile with teeth whitening, the application of a controlled bleaching solution to lighten them. It only works with enamel discoloration and it does fade over time. But it can temporarily change the dynamic of your smile for the better.
Dental enhancements. You can "put a new face" on unattractive older teeth with a number of life-like materials and techniques. Dentists can apply and sculpt composite resin material to fix small chips in teeth. Dental veneers, thin wafers of porcelain bonded to the front of teeth, can mask chips, heavy staining or slight gaps, and can make worn teeth look longer. And life-like crowns can completely cover teeth with major disfigurement.
Dental work updates. Many people have dental work—fillings, crowns, bridges and the like—from earlier in life. It might be time to "revisit" those with a fresh update. For example, a dark grey metal amalgam filling could be replaced with a newer tooth-colored restoration made of composite material or porcelain.
Gum treatments. Your teeth might not be the only elements of your smile needing attention. Gums that have shrunk back or receded from the teeth can ruin your smile. In some cases, treating any underlying gum disease could help them heal and regain their tooth attachment. For major recession, though, you may need grafting surgery to regenerate lost gum tissue, improving both your oral health and your smile.
These and other techniques can turn back the clock on your smile. The best way to maintain a youthful smile, though, is to take care of your teeth and gums through daily brushing and flossing and regular dental visits. Healthy teeth and gums make beautiful smiles.
If you would like more information on rejuvenating your smile, 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 “How Your Dentist Can Help You Look Younger.”
The term “makeover” is a powerful word in today’s society. It’s used for a variety of things — hair, body, lawn — that need more than a different style, a little toning or some new shrubs. A makeover is a transformation, replacing the dissatisfying status quo with something new and dynamic.
Your smile and its various components — teeth, gums, jaw structure and facial features — might also be a candidate for a makeover. This involves more than just a few modifications. It’s the answer to a smile we avoid showing in photos, cover with our hand when we’re speaking or laughing, or makes us feel older than we really are. In other words, it’s a comprehensive change to a smile that inhibits us from fully expressing ourselves in our friend, family or career relationships.
Of course, for any makeover to succeed, it must follow a plan. A smile transformation is no different. The process begins with what we call a “smile analysis”: a comprehensive examination that determines the exact condition of your entire mouth. This enables us to identify problems and defects, understand how they interact with your other facial features, and then recommend a treatment plan that effectively addresses these issues.
The plan isn’t complete, though, without your input. You may want a complete renovation — to restore missing teeth or change their shape, color and brilliance. On the other hand, you may be more comfortable with a few subtle changes, perhaps even keeping slight imperfections that you see as part of the real “you.” Whichever path you take, the end result is a smile that makes you happy, and proud to show to others.
The various techniques and materials available through cosmetic or restorative dentistry can turn any disappointing smile into a beautiful one. Your journey to that newer, brighter smile begins with your next dental visit.
If you would like more information on smile makeovers through restorative or cosmetic dentistry, 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 “The Impact of a Smile Makeover.”
Digital computer technology has made a big impact on cosmetic dentistry. We can now simulate on a monitor display of your face how your new smile will appear after dental work, thanks to a graphics program specifically designed for cosmetic dentistry.
While that's an amazing development, we can also take it a step further by creating the look of a new smile on your actual teeth during an office visit. We call it a “trial smile.”
To create a trial smile, we begin with composite resin, a tooth-colored bonding material, and fashion it into temporary veneers or crowns that we then temporarily place over your teeth. This gives us the chance to see what your new smile will look like in all three spatial dimensions (rather than the two-dimensional view on a computer monitor) and while your face is in motion as you talk and smile. This can give us a great deal more detail to help better evaluate your proposed look.
A trial smile also helps us in planning your new look. Like you, we want the best result possible: a trial smile allows us to see how your jaw movement interacts with your updated look and if everything works together as it should. It will also give us a better idea how much tooth structure we'll need to remove to accommodate your permanent veneers or crowns — the less, of course, the better.
Although you won't be able to take your trial smile with you when you leave, we can take a photograph you can review later, as well as show friends and family for their opinion. Trial smiles do add some cost to treatment, but the proportion of expense to the benefit of actually viewing your smile in this fashion is well worth it. It's one more way we can ensure your final new smile meets your expectations.
If you would like more information on “trial smiles,” 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.”
Cosmetic dentists routinely perform smile transformations once thought impossible. Using the latest materials and techniques, today's practitioners can "make over" the most problematic smiles.
But to achieve these results, it's necessary for both dentist and patient to step back and absorb the "bigger picture." If you're considering a smile makeover, your first step on this transformative journey will be this big picture moment called a smile analysis.
A smile analysis is a comprehensive examination in which your dentist looks at every aspect of your current smile. And not just your teeth and gums—he or she will also carefully evaluate the health of the supporting bone of the jaw. Healthy bone is necessary in particular for dental implants, which require adequate bone for optimum placement. Extensive bone loss could rule out implants, or at least postpone their installation until the bone can be rejuvenated through bone grafting.
The analysis doesn't stop with mouth structures, either: an attractive smile must achieve an aesthetic balance with the shape and complexion of the face, especially the color and position of the eyes and the form and posture of the lips. Your dentist will measure and assess all of these facial features and factor them into your individual smile makeover plan. This increases the likelihood your planned restorations will blend seamlessly with your overall appearance.
Your smile analysis will also include what's going on beneath the surface of your current smile. Many appearance problems are actually the consequences of disease, trauma or inherited conditions. These underlying issues will often need to be addressed first: as with renovating a house, it does little good to paint and hang wall paper if the foundation is faulty. Any treatment for disease or trauma may postpone cosmetic work, but it's absolutely necessary to achieve lasting success for your smile makeover.
Although time-consuming, a smile analysis sets the stage for a successful smile transformation. Your new beautiful smile will be well worth this detailed examination.
If you would like more information on undergoing a smile makeover, 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 “Beautiful Smiles by Design.”
Transforming your smile with veneers, crowns or other restorations could be a life-changing decision. To help make that change a successful one, it’s possible to fit you with a kind of temporary restoration that allows you to “try out” your new look and even make modifications before you receive the permanent one.
Referred to as a prototype or provisional restoration, it’s different from other temporary, “one-size-fits-all” restorations that serve mainly a functional purpose until the permanent restoration is ready. By contrast, a provisional restoration is a customized “blueprint” of the final restoration so you can better communicate with your dentist to get what you want.
Provisional restorations are test runs — they help both patient and dentist evaluate three key areas critical to ultimate success:
Your Smile — with provisional restorations you can get input from others (and from what you see in the mirror) regarding tooth coloring and how it blends with other teeth, the attractiveness of the crown shapes, and whether the teeth appear proportional and balanced with the gums.
Your Facial Appearance — changing the look of teeth may also alter overall facial appearance. Do the new teeth fit well with the lips and other facial features? Do they change the smile line, and does it appear harmonious with the rest of the face?
Your Mouth Function — There’s more to teeth, of course, than how they look. Teeth are essential for biting, chewing and speaking. So, can you perform these tasks comfortably with the provisional restoration?
While you’re wearing the provisional restoration, we’ll discuss these and other areas, what might look or work better, or if you feel we’ve hit the mark just right. We can then modify or verify our specifications with the dental lab creating the final restoration.
Of course, a provisional restoration will allow you to function normally like other temporary options. But their custom detail serves a higher purpose — to help us improve your future smile.
If you would like more information on customized temporary restorations, 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 “Concepts in Temporary Restorations.”