THOSE GLAMOROUS PEOPLE WEREN'T BORN WITH THOSE PEARLY WHITE TEETH

The secret is out - it's
COSMETIC DENTRISTY

by ANNE MOORE

Used to be, people went to a dentist for cavities, cleanings, extractions and other dreaded, sometimes painful procedures. If your parents could afford it, you could get those giant silver braces on your teeth. And if you were really lucky, you could get the headgear, too.

Well, things change.
These days, solutions are available, and it’s faster and a lot less painful to have teeth that make others want to slap that grin right off your face.

No matter what your problem is,
there’s a solution.
If your teeth are structurally and aesthetically sound, you may just need some professional whitening and brightening, especially if you’re a coffee or tea drinker, a habit that accelerates tooth discoloration. Your medications might be affecting the color of your teeth. Or you simply want to stave off the discoloration of the aging process.

Your dentist probably has the products and equipment, such as blue light and lasers, to lighten your teeth really quickly right in the offices. Dr. Alan Layton of San Antonio Center for Cosmetic Dentistry uses the newest system – called ZOOM! – that can lighten teeth up to eight shades whiter in about one hour. And while Dr. Layton whitens teeth or performs one of the many other procedures in cosmetic dentistry, you’ll be engulfed in a cocoon of tranquility and harmony. That’s the handiwork of his spouse, Linda Layton, a Feng Shui designer, who has used her soothing touch throughout the entire facility.

You also might be a candidate for your dentist to dispense a system for you to use at home. By the way, whitening your teeth should not be used as a substitute for regular cleanings and exams.

For those of you who have chipped, broken or cracked teeth because you used to bite your nails, open your bobby pins or beer caps with your teeth, play sports or use your teeth for other things they’re not built for, bonding could be the answer. In this procedure, a paste of enamel-like materials that can match your own teeth is applied (bonded) to your tooth surface and shaped by your dentist. It is hardened really fast with a special high-intensity light. At this time, the tooth can be sanded, smoothed and polished to match your own teeth. Bonding can also be used as a filling for small cavities and to close some space between the teeth.

Your teeth might just need a little tweaking to improve their appearance. This is where enamel shaping comes in. Your dentist has ways to carefully remove enamel or otherwise contour the tooth to gain a more attractive appearance. It’s quick, painless, and you can see the results immediately. Sometimes it’s also used with the bonding process.

Ahhhh, veneers. These wonderful thin shells, custom-made to cover the front side of your teeth, can do a lot of good stuff. They can change your entire smile. They can cover up chipped and worn-down teeth, and they can also hide permanently stained, crooked or misshapen teeth. You can look like a new you! And the process is quick, painless and dramatic. Veneers can change the shape, color, size and arrangement of the teeth. They can also be used for some orthodontic treatment.

Dr. Brian Hale at Lumineers Cosmetic Dentistry has a lot to say about his cuttingedge veneers called, yes, lumineers. They’re the wave of the future, according to Dr. Hale, because, first of all, they are ultra-thin (about one-seventh the size of most veneers). This means not so much reduction of your tooth, and no anesthetic is required because no nerves are involved. All natural enamel is left on your teeth, and the veneers bond much more strongly to your tooth, on top of exist ing crowns, or teeth on bridges. So they can be used when your child chips a front tooth, protecting the actual tooth until he is 20 or 25 years old and can do what needs to be at that time — another veneer if the color is off or a crown, with no changes in the tooth or gums. Oh, yes, lumineers don’t stain, change color or change the bite.

Sometimes a more extensive restoration is warranted — for example, when there is not enough of the tooth left to accommodate other procedures, or when the chewing requirements in the mouth are too great for veneers. The best cosmetic result here would be porcelain crowns. As indicated, these porcelain jackets are placed over the entire tooth, which has already been prepared by filing down. This allows part of the tooth to remain for stability. By adding a crown, you get a very natural look — just like one of your own.

An even stronger solution may be necessary, especially for biting pressure required on the back teeth or if teeth are loosened by a periodontal disease. In these instances, the porcelain crown is lined and fused with a metal alloy. The strongest and longest-lasting metal used for this liner is gold.

There’s a team effort at Cosmetic Dentistry for San Antonio, where Dr. Craig Carlson does double duty on veneers and porcelain crowns. After the consultation and X- rays, impressions are taken, and Dr. Carlson actually makes the porcelain veneers and crowns in his own lab. His associate, Dr. Yana Monarres, concentrates all of her time on the Invisalign, the nonbrace way to straighten teeth.

For a permanent tooth missing because of injury, extraction or some other reason, there’s good news: implants. Yes, you can fill that hole with a new tooth — one that acts and looks just like your other teeth. No appliances, no extra washing, soaking or securing. Dr. David Leibold has a lot of experience in this area, since his practice is focused on the head and neck area. It requires many steps over several months to properly prepare and implant a tooth. An anchor and a post must be surgically attached to the jawbone and the gums allowed to heal. Then the tooth is made, fitted and permanently attached to the post. To be a candidate for an implant, a patient must be in good health and have healthy gums and adequate bone structure to sustain the implant process.

Here’s a tip about the color of veneers, crowns, bridges or implants. Teeth are not all one color, so more than one tone will be used to look natural. The internal contrast of colors creates vitality — the play of light on the porcelain. The surface texture is also very important because it helps to break up light reflections, adding a natural look as well.

Dr. Roger Arredondo at Elite Dentistry, like other cosmetic dentists, does it all — implants, crowns, invisible braces, gum augmentations. Like other cosmetic dentists, he can also raise the gums by trimming away a little to prevent the “gummy smile” or lower the gums to cover part of the tooth for optimal smile enhancement. Dr. Arredondo says he loves to see a woman emerge in all ways — beauty, personality and confidence — once his work is done. He adds, “Good cosmetic dentists make positive changes in a patient aesthetically, biologically and psychologically.”

If you need or just want to take advantage of some of these procedures, you certainly have many top-notch dentists to help you achieve your goal to look and feel your best.