August 27, 2004

The extreme smile makeover

By Douglas W. Vierra, D.D.S.
Special to the Times

Editor’s note: It was the 19th century philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, “The first wealth is health,” in “The Conduct of Life,” in 1860. Almost 150 years later, his words serve as a fitting title for this new column covering a wide variety of health-related articles submitted by local Evergreen health practitioners.

This week’s article describes how improving your smile impacts far more than your outer appearance. If there’s a health topic you’d like to either read or write about, contact Bea Baechle: bea@timesmediainc.com

In the past few years, Americans have been seeking out cosmetic procedures in record numbers. A social conscience that reinforces the look-good, feel-good attitude drives us to seek procedures that improve our appearance and minimize the signs of aging.

Advertisers and television shows fuel our desires and have made “botox” and “bonding” household words. Dentistry has been at the forefront of many of the so-called cosmetic makeovers, because the smile is the center of your appearance.

Cosmetic dental procedures are integral to any cosmetic makeover. There are many techniques and procedures available in dentistry that may improve your smile, including orthodontics, teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, all porcelain crowns and bonded, tooth-colored fillings. One or a combination of these procedures may be necessary to achieve the right smile for you.

Orthodontics
Orthodontics involves the movement of teeth in an alignment that improves both function and esthetics. Realigning teeth to create a nicer smile improves appearance while preventing susceptibility to gum disease and cavities.

Conventional orthodontics required dark brackets attached to teeth, but new materials and techniques enable us to have tooth colored porcelain brackets or clear invisible trays (invisalign) to move teeth. These new techniques enable us to move teeth with minimal esthetic compromise while preserving natural healthy tooth structure.

Teeth whitening
Teeth whitening has quickly become the most popular dental cosmetic procedure. Whether done alone or in combination with other dental cosmetic procedures, teeth whitening can quickly and safely brighten a smile.

Whitening can be achieved in approximately one hour at a dental office. Bleaching gel is applied directly to tooth surfaces and activated with a bleaching light. Bleaching gels can also work by being applied for longer periods at home with the use of a custom-made tray, typically used two to three hours a day for one to three weeks.

Recent studies indicate a combination of both procedures may be required to achieve optimum lasting whitening. Tooth-colored fillings or crowns do not whiten with the gels and may require replacing after whitening to maintain a consistent color.

Porcelain veneers, crowns
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain bonded over the facing of teeth. Imagine a kitchen cabinet facing glued to improve the cabinet appearance and you have envisioned the concept of porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers can mask dark discolored teeth, lengthen short misshapen teeth, re-contour fractured or rotated teeth or close spaces between teeth. It takes two appointments to get porcelain veneers since the veneer is custom fabricated in the dental laboratory. Porcelain veneers are a natural looking way to quickly and efficiently improve your smile.

Recent improvements in dental materials have eliminated the need for metal in esthetic crown restorations. These “all porcelain” crowns improve translucency, light reflection and appearance.

The dark lines at the gum line often associated with older crowns are eliminated. Front teeth restored with all porcelain crowns can be contoured and shaded to create more natural, healthy looking smiles.

Bonding
Bonding became a dental buzzword in the 1970s with the advent of restorative materials that chemically adhered to tooth surfaces. Today bonding is used routinely in dentistry to place tooth colored restorations of tooth structure lost to cavities or trauma.

Acrylic resins matched to the shade of individual tooth colors are placed and hardened with an ultraviolet light source.

The restoration is then finely smoothed to blend into the natural tooth. These can be placed where old silver amalgam fillings compromise esthetics or for new restorations of both front and back teeth.

A bright, healthy smile says so much. It says, “I pay attention to detail, expect the best life has to offer and believe that making an excellent impression is a priority.” A healthy smile shows you have a healthy attitude about yourself.

With advances in cosmetic dentistry, anyone can have an improved smile in just a few weeks. Cosmetic dentistry provides new choices that will improve your dental health and help retain a youthful, natural looking smile. Why risk leaving a negative impression when modern cosmetic dentistry offers options to correct a less than perfect smile?

There currently is no recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry, and most general dentists can provide these services. Ask your dentist for a cosmetic dental consultation. You may be surprised what modern dentistry can do to make you smile.

Dr. Vierra has been practicing general and cosmetic dentistry for children and adults for more than 18 years at Plaza Dental Group, 654 E. Capitol Expressway, San Jose, Calif., 95121. Phone: (408) 270-4333.