Can Veneers Meet your Cosmetic Dental Needs?

Veneers are a highly sought-after cosmetic restoration; dental professionals themselves invest in this treatment to achieve healthy-looking and confident smiles and patients favor the treatment over multiple and extensive procedures to improve their smiles.

If you’re considering veneers, it’s important to know your options and understand how this cosmetic treatment is suited to meet your needs.

Considering Drugstore Alternatives: There is no shortage of products and marketing efforts aimed at helping patients achieve smiles that are seemingly flawless, bright white, and healthy. Specifically, press-on veneers have become a popular over-the-counter item, with inexpensive prosthetics available through large retailers and online companies. Though these products vary in quality, they may not help you meet your goals and can appear bulky or unnatural. If you have decayed or damaged teeth, camouflaging these issues does not prevent continued injury or improve dental function.

Professional Dental Options for Achieving Whiter, Straighter Teeth: The most dependable way to obtain a picture-perfect smile is to visit a dentist. If you still prefer an alternative to veneers, you can discuss your options for teeth whitening, composite bonding to restore chipped teeth, or even orthodontics to straighten misaligned teeth. If only one or two teeth appear damaged, veneers may not be necessary to meet your goals.

The Benefits of Porcelain Dental Veneers: The best part about veneer treatment is its versatility and ability to create a stunning transformation. Whether multiple teeth in your smile are compromised by a difference in size, physical damage, or discoloration, the placement of dental veneers provides a comprehensive solution. Veneers can protect weak or damaged teeth, helping you bite and chew comfortably, while their white porcelain shells make your smile look healthy and sparkling. As veneers are bonded in place, you don’t have to worry about loose or failing prosthetics. And because veneers correct multiple issues at once, there is no need to return for a multitude of dental procedures.

Schedule your Cosmetic Consultation at Alpine Dental Center

If you need help determining the best way to achieve a smile makeover, contact Dr. Gurman and his team. We provide beautiful, custom-designed veneers to help your smile look its best.


 

Benefits of Invisalign® Clear Braces

Invisalign trays are popular and innovative alternatives to conventional braces. For many adults and seniors, traditional metal braces are not their desired choice to correct dental misalignment. Invisalign however, is designed to be completely transparent and comfortable. These aligner trays are made of smooth, BPA-free clear plastic and are worn over teeth to gently straighten the smile. Although traditional braces achieve results in severe situations, they consist of metal components making them less discreet and less convenient.  

If you’re interested in cosmetic braces, consider the following advantages of this alternative to bracket-and-write orthodontics:

Correcting Orthodontic Conditions Conveniently 

The freedom to continue everyday routine without changes to your lifestyle makes Invisalign clear braces popular. Patients do not have to make adjustments to their nutrition or daily hygiene since these clear braces are removable before eating or brushing teeth. Care for the aligners is convenient and only requires rinsing before placing them back in the smile.

Individuals who tend to be more self-conscious or who want to maintain a pleasing appearance may choose Invisalign for straightening teeth. These practically invisible aligners make them an ideal solution to help patients feel confident in any situation.

A Clear Course of Treatment

Invisalign is a customized process where virtually invisible trays are fabricated based on each patient’s digital bite impressions. Patients are carefully instructed on the proper wear and care of their trays. These aligners should be worn no less than 22 hours a day and should only be removed when eating, brushing, or flossing. A follow-up visit is scheduled every two months for patients to receive their next set of trays.

Taking the Steps towards Straighter Teeth

As we age, our dental needs may advance, making multiple procedures necessary to achieve desired results. Invisalign braces can be included in extended cosmetic treatment plans to completely improve health and aesthetics, such as teeth whitening, teeth replacement, and restorations with crowns and veneers. Invisalign clear braces reposition teeth into an ideal position to support the results of other aesthetic and functional improvements.

For a personalized consultation on Invisalign clear braces, call Alpine Dental Center today. Dr. Gurman determines if you can benefit this innovative treatment and attain the ideal smile you’re looking for. 

What if My Product Isn't ADA-Approved?

The American Dentistry Association seal of approval is awarded to consumer oral hygiene products that meet ADA-defined standards. The seal is intended to help consumers make informed choices about the products they use.

Products that are ADA-approved have undergone extensive testing for safety and efficacy, to ensure that any claims made about them are factually correct. Companies that submit products for assessment have to submit ingredient lists and data from laboratory studies and clinical trials that support the product claims, and show that the product is being made using good manufacturing practices. Each product is assessed by around 100 consultants, from a variety of scientific disciplines relevant to oral health and hygiene. Once a product has been approved, the packaging is required to display the ADA seal.

So is it okay to use products that are not ADA-approved? If a product hasn't been approved, that doesn't automatically mean it's unsafe or ineffective—but using ADA-approved products takes the guesswork out of choosing and using effective products. For example, if an ADA-approved toothpaste claims to be effective at preventing tooth decay, the presence of the seal means you can be sure it's a valid claim. Many Crest, Aim, Listerine and Tom products are ADA approved, just to name a few.

How All-Porcelain Treatment Has Changed Cosmetic Dentistry

If you have teeth that have been damaged cosmetically and structurally by moderate to severe decay, traditional treatments offered could either be aesthetically appealing or strong and long-lasting. However, these two qualities were often mutually exclusive, preventing patients from getting the best of both worlds. However, in the last decade or so, materials used in dental restorations – such as blends of porcelain, ceramic, and leucite – have made getting restorations that are both beautiful and strong a reality.

At Alpine Dental Center, we help you achieve the smile you want, as well as lasting oral function, with all-porcelain restorations. All-porcelain cosmetic dentistry provides:

Improved Strength and Durability – While porcelain fused to metal prosthetics were once the standard for strong, long-lasting restorations, upgrades in materials and bonding processes for all-porcelain crowns and bridges have made these cosmetically appealing treatments much more durable. Modern, all-porcelain restorations now stand up better to the daily oral function of biting and chewing, and can even be utilized for patients who grind their teeth. Patients who choose the aesthetic benefits of all-porcelain treatments can expect their restorations to last much longer, and look more natural than metal-based crowns and bridges.

Natural-Looking Finished Results – Prosthetics with a metal base don’t age as beautifully as all-porcelain restorations. As gum tissue may recede slightly as you age, metal restorations reveal a silver or dark edge, making your restored teeth look less natural and causing embarrassing aesthetic issues. All-ceramic crowns and bridges will more like your own teeth for as long as they’re a part of your smile

Conservative Application Processes -  Crowning a damaged tooth with a metal-based dental crown requires the preparation or removal of much of your natural tooth structure. While this is not an issue for patients with significantly damaged teeth, it may not always be the best choice for those whose teeth are only moderately affected by decay. Placing an all-porcelain crown does not require the removal of the same amount of tooth enamel, and particularly saves structure along the outer side walls of teeth. As keeping as much of your own natural tooth structure as possible is essential for preserving teeth, the conservative treatment processes for applying all-porcelain crowns helps patients maintain better oral health.

If you’re seeking cosmetic dental treatment to correct flaws and damage to your teeth, your treatment should be as long-lasting and beneficial to your oral health as it is cosmetically appealing. For more information about all-porcelain crowns, contact our Thornton CO cosmetic dental office for your consultation.